Love that landscaping!

The spring weather in Indiana is just warm enough where it teases us for just a few days, only to shock us back into 30 and 40-degree weather.

But the sunny weekend we just had brought many of our new neighbors out to finally put in their long put-off landscaping.

Personally, while I'm not a green thumb, I love the look of landscaping. Bushes, trees, perennials...and particularly, anything that can be just "left."

What I didn't realize is that landscaping not only looks great, but it can make a difference in your energy bills as well. I'd heard that the appropriately placed tree can reduce your summer cooling costs. But shrubs and even vines can pay off too.

According to the Department of Energy:

Planting shrubs, bushes, and vines next to your house creates dead air spaces that insulate your home in both winter and summer. Plant so there will be at least 1 foot (30 centimeters) of space between full-grown plants and your home's wall.

During winter, dense, low-lying trees and shrubbery on the north and northeast sides of your home can help protect your home against wind chill.

Evergreen bushes and trees planted on the north side of your home can protect your home from the winter chill and block the snow from building against your house.

In addition to more distant windbreaks, planting shrubs, bushes, and vines next
to your house creates dead air spaces that insulate your home in both winter and
summer. Plant so there will be at least 1 foot (30 centimeters) of space between
full-grown plants and your home's wall.

And for those concerned about initial costs, your payoff can come back in as little as eight years. For doing little more than making your yard look great!

Learn more at the U.S. Department of Energy's Guide to Energy-Efficient Landscape Design.