Browse by title articles:

Creating an Energy-Saving Landscape

by Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor    

Landscaping can give your home "curb appeal," but did you also know that it may keep your home cooler and reduce summer energy bills by as much as 50 percent?  According to the American Nursery and Landscape Association, proper placement of trees, shrubs, and vines around your home will help reduce temperature fluctuations in your home, which in turn, should reduce your energy bills.

 Beat the heat by planting trees to shade the roof, walls, and windows of your home.  Shading even 20 percent of the roof for an entire day significantly will reduce your energy costs.  The type of tree you plant will determine the amount of shade provided. Be careful not to plant too close to the house to avoid damage to the foundation or siding.  Keep mature height and spread in mind when planting near homes.  A common mistake is to plant too big a tree too close, only to have it cover the house in a few years.

Deciduous trees--those that lose their leaves in the fall--are a good choice as they will cool your house in the summer and warm it in the winter.  Plant them along the western and southern sides of your house, taking care to keep them away from power lines and other obstructions that may get in the way as they grow.

In warmer weather the leafy branches will shade and cool anything below the canopy.  In cold weather, the bare limbs will allow sunlight to filter through to warm the house.  Some good choices for northern New England are maples, oaks, and the less commonly used beeches and ash.

  If you use an air conditioner, planting a flowering tree or shrub near the unit not only improves aesthetics but can increase the life of the compressor. The shade reduces the strain on the unit caused by operating it for long periods of time.  Just make sure you don't block the air intakes.  Instead of a tree or shrub, you could erect a trellis two to three feet away from the unit, which allows access, as well as good air circulation.  Train deciduous vines to grow up the trellis.  Some possibilities are clematis, akebia, and honeysuckle.  Vines also can be trained to grow up an arbor or porch to cool your home.  In winter, trim back the vines to let in more sunlight.

 Vines grow quickly and are a good choice if you have limited ground space or want to start saving on your energy bills immediately.  Plant vines like hops if you have a big trellis and want lots of cover quickly.  Otherwise, plant Dutchman's pipe or trumpetcreeper, which can grow large enough to shade most of your home in as little as five years.

 Ask the experts at your full-service garden center what they recommend.  Not all vines are a good choice for landscaping as some may damage paint, shingles, brick, or other wood by retaining moisture, especially if they are growing right on a wall or side of building.  One way to avoid this is to attach a trellis to the side of the house and train the vines to climb that, and not the house.

Your third alternative for energy-saving landscaping are shrubs.  They can be planted to form a living fence between your house and the sun.  To protect your home from winter winds, plant evergreen shrubs along the west and north sides.

 Shrubs also can be planted near sliding glass patio doors and windows to shade architectural features such as these, which transfer heat during the summer months.  Choose varieties that grow about six to eight feet tall, high enough to block the late afternoon sun.  Some examples are serviceberry, several dogwoods (shrubs not the small trees), forsythia (quick, vigorous), mockorange, and lilacs.  For all of these, check to make sure the cultivar you have chosen will have the height you need, and not be a dwarf variety, for instance.

 For more information about these and other perennial plants, order a copy of Landscape Plants for Vermont, a University of Vermont (UVM) Extension publication.  Send $17 (includes shipping) to the Vermont Master Gardener Program, UVM Extension Office, 655-A Spear St., Burlington, Vt. 05404-0107.  Make checks payable to "Vermont Master Gardener Program."

 Your local nursery or garden center also should have a large selection of trees, vines, and shrubs for your energy-saving landscape.  Or work with a landscape professional, and start saving energy dollars today!


-----------------
University of Vermont