Planting Green To Save Green

Last week I enjoyed a visit to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden a short distance from Downtown Richmond.

I met up with Tom Brinda who is a horticulturalist and assistant executive director at the Garden. He and I discussed that the fall is a perfect time to consider planting shrubs or trees and that your planting choices can even lead to energy savings.

Planting shrubs or trees can help you save on your energy bills all times of the year. Trees or shrubs that help shade the home in the summer help houses to stay cooler. In autumn, when the leaves fall, the natural sunlight is able to shine through into the home, naturally heating the home in the winter.

Trees and shrubs provide more than just shade, they beautify the homes and your neighborhoods and you are also planting the seeds of Energy Conservation.

Dominion offers other resources on how to choose, plant, and care for trees near power lines. When working outdoors and especially when digging, be sure to locate underground utilities by calling Miss Utility at 811.

Green Your Halloween

Each year the holidays seem to creep up on us earlier and earlier. The fall weather is quickly turning and kids of all ages will turn into ghoulish figures to celebrate Halloween. There are ways to go green any day of the year, including Halloween.

If you are hosting a party, when buying treats or treasures, there is a way to green your Halloween.

• Consider treats that are organic or use less packaging and product less waste
• Consider online paper-less invitations
• Use gourds, pumpkins, apples and other items from nature as accents which reduce the use of plastic or paper decorations.

Perhaps you’d rather enjoy the night trick-or-treating? Consider these ways to go green:

• Re-use the old Halloween costume or swap with a friend. I learned that there is a “National Costume Swap” day. Maybe you can create your own costume swap day before the spooky night approaches.
• You can also make your own costume with recycled materials.
• Use a home-made, reusable trick-or-treat bag.
  

Let us know how you are celebrating the orange and black holiday in the color green this year.

Green Boss’s Day Gifts

As we all know (cough, or we should know), National Boss’s Day is October 16th of this year. We thought it appropriate to help guide you and fellow co-workers as to what to get the person in the corner office. Instead of tacky “we think you’re great” pens, why not consider eco friendly gifts.

• Because the leader is probably keeping up with the news, instead of purchasing a newspaper, subscribe them to a digital news service.
• A gift certificate to a service (a massage, a round of golf, a singing telegram, etc)
• An organic bouquet of flowers
• A card created on recycled paper.
• A coffee mug for reusable use
• A swanky new reusable lunch box
• An organic, green design office chair
• Tacky “we think you’re great” biodegradable pens

While there are thousands of gifts that use little to no energy consumption, a great gift for your boss is one that comes from the heart of the team. A sincere and genuine gift can be as minimal as a “Thank You,” which to many bosses, means the most.

See Some Green By Buying Blue

This weekend is Virginia’s annual Sales Tax Holiday on ENERGY STAR® and Water Sense Qualified products. When you purchase ENERGY STAR products, you won’t pay state or local tax.

Even if your household appliances seem to be running fine, upgrading to a more efficient unit could mean means greater savings. Knowing that large appliances make up 13% of your household usage, any appliances that can be upgraded to more efficient models helps you save on that portion of your electric bill.

This is a great time to get a new:

• Ceiling fan
• CFL bulbs
• Dishwasher
• Refrigerator (if you buy a new fridge, don’t put the old one out in the garage of basement. Dispose of it properly)
• Washing machine
• Programmable thermostat
• Air conditioner

Also available this year is a Virginia Appliance Rebate program. While you’re taking advantage of the no sales tax holiday weekend, why not apply for rebate money for additional savings? It is an easy-to-use online application and a way for you to save a little more green.

Make sure to look for Appliance Rebate money and sales tax holiday information in your state.