Landscaping

You asked for it! View "Creating Lakeshore Buffers with Layered Plantings" by Drew Monthie, LGA Annual Meeting keynote speaker. You asked for it! View "Creating Lakeshore Buffers with Layered Plantings" by Drew Monthie, LGA Annual Meeting keynote speaker.

Use porous surfaces like gravel for driveways and sidewalks instead of pavement.
Keep or plant a buffer strip along the edge of the property and especially along the edge of the water. This will help keep noise from boats/traffic down and will also help prevent runoff from becoming a problem. The vegetation will absorb chemicals and pollutants before they reach the water. Contact the LGA for more information on how to do this.
Use fertilizers and pesticides sparingly-or not at all. Always remember, there are healthier alternatives to chemicals. If you do choose to use fertilizer, ask your retailer to carry zero phosphorous fertilizer. (See Recipes for A Healthy Garden) (Phosphorus-free fertilizer retailers in the Lake George area.)
Lawns are for suburbanites. While lawns look nice in the city, think about creating a more “Lake Friendly” yard. Plant native plants and flowers and less turf grass. Native plants take less work, water and effort and they still look great!
Do not dump yard wastes into the lake, stream, creek or anywhere they can wash into the lake. This adds unnecessary nutrients that are not healthy for the lake. Excess phosphorous and nitrogen are two of the nutrients that are particularly harmful if they enter the lake. They encourage weed growth like Eurasian Watermilfoil and algae.
Clean up pet wastes before they add unwanted nutrients to the lake.
Use less sand and salt in the winter months. Sand and salt can wash into the lake, filling it in and making the lake murky.
Make sure you take precautions to avoid erosion. When building, leave vegetation in as much as possible until you are ready to implement your own planting plan. Cover exposed dirt with hay, or use hay bails and silt fences to keep dirt from washing into the lake.