You didn’t know GreenWorks provided tax appeal services for its clients? Then watch below. It could be you saving thousands of dollars on your future property tax bills!

Leaves are falling, days are getting shorter and nights are getting cooler.

Welcome to autumn, one of our favorite times of the year!

Now, about that “backyard.”

Perhaps your backyard wasn’t all you hoped it would be over the summer. Those dreams of entertaining family and friends around a fire pit? Never happened. Converting that lawn to a “natural lawn”? Great idea. The cool embrace of the perfect pool on a hot summer day? Maybe next year.

Aha! Next year!

The time to plan for next year is now. Let’s face it, time passes faster than most of us would like. Before we know it, the holidays will be a memory and we’ll be thinking about Memorial Day cookouts. Let’s get the backyard ready for those cookouts and summer 2011 now.

A backyard upgrade or complete transformation doesn’t happen overnight. It’s important to have the time to do the proper planning and work that’s needed for a high-quality job that will provide decades of enjoyment. In fact, planning now can actually save you money in the long run by taking advantage of stock over-runs, end of year specials and advanced planning.

It’s time now to think about how you want to spend those summer afternoons next year. If you finally want to get more out of your backyard – more enjoyment, more value, more relaxation – then it’s time now to contact GreenWorks. Give Victor a call now at 732-223-2073.

This time next year, you’ll be glad you did.

The video below was part of the presentation GreenWorks made last week at East Coast Green 2010. We’d like to thank the New Jersey Society of Architects for the opportunity to talk green roofs and green building with some of the best architects in the Garden State.

Ocean County College has invited GreenWorks founder Victor Coppola to lead a 3-week lecture series on important green topics. For the first lecture, on Wednesday, October 14, Victor will teach enrollees about “The Green Mindset.” Subsequent lectures will cover an “Intro to Green Roofs and Walls” (October 21) and “The Living Green Roof” (October 28) as a viable strategy to reduce our carbon footprint while at the same time improving water quality and enhancing stormwater management practices.

The classes are expected to fill up fast with local environmental consultants, building service professionals, local municipal & county officials, green advocates and homeowners. The lectures and, accompanying information will be fully adaptable whether the end-use is residential, commercial, industrial or governmental. Even if you’re not currently planning to install a green roof on your property, the lectures will provide excellent, reliable information on green living and how simple lifestyle choices can make a big green difference for your home, your family and your community.

You can enroll online via the Ocean County College website. For more information or answers to your questions, please call the GreenWorks headquarters at 732-223-2073.

Monmouth County homeowner Tom Morahan discusses how GreenWorks made his home the envy of the neighborhood.

We’re proud to announce that GreenWorks was recently awarded the distinction of Certified RainXchange™ Professional (CRP) by Aquascape, Inc. The CRP is a rainwater harvesting professional certification program created in June, 2009.

Rainwater recycling is a natural extension of the eco-friendly services we offer. It’s a great way to have a positive impact on the environment and save money at the same time.

GreenWorks is working exclusively with Aquascape, Inc., North America’s leading water gardening industry innovator and the inventor of the low-maintenance, naturally balanced ecosystem pond.

Certified RainXchange™ Professionals such as GreenWorks are the most qualified and informed RainXchange™ rainwater harvesting system installers in the water gardening industry. We are required to attend continual training and education seminars and maintain a proven record of outstanding work and dedicated customer service.

Ready for your complimentary rainwater harvesting consultation? Give Victor and the GreenWorks team a call (732-223-2073) to get the most out of the rainwater falling on your property!

This pretty much says it all…

Monmouth County residents are facing sever water restrictions, near-drought conditions plague much of our state and many people’s lawns and gardens are an ugly shade of beige due to the lack of recent rain in the Garden State. Using water wisely is an absolute must, especially when facing the type of conditions we’re seeing now.

In fact, water quantity issues and challenges will be a growing challenge for New Jersey residents and folks around the country in the coming years. Our current levels and patterns of water usage are simply not sustainable. We use drinking water for our lawns, drink bottled water from plastic bottles and let rain water run off our lawns and into the sewer.

Highest consumption patterns are highest in summer; Here are a few things homeowners can do to use water more wisely, reduce their water bills and ensure lush landscaping regardless of rainfall levels.

Evaluate Water Usage, Needs and Goals – How do you and your family use water on a daily basis? How much water do you use in an average week? Do you use water to wash cars with? Do you drink tap water? These and other questions must be considered in order to best understand how you use water, how you could use water and what makes the most sense for your family and your home.

Increase Water Efficiency – Consider using low-flow shower-heads and toilets. These are two of the largest water wasters in most homes. Low-flow equipment is affordable and can be installed by many DIYers. Evaluating your water usage and increasing basic water efficiency in your home are good first steps to using water wisely.

Install a Rain Barrel – Rain barrels are usually the most cost-effective way to start saving water at your home. They can be used to for irrigating plants and shrubs close to the home. Rain barrels are prone to low water pressure so if you want to deliver rain water to parts of your landsaping further away from the barrel, an accessory pump can be added to improve water pressure. Newer rain barrels come in various colors and styles, some that can be aesthetically pleasing and combine well with your lawn and landscaping.

Use Greywater – Greywater systems are experiencing a surge in interest and increased installations across the country. Greywater recycling filters and re-use shower, laundry and dishwater water for irrigation and other non-potable uses. They require a larger up-front investment but will pay big dividends for many years to come. The best time to install a greywater recycling system is before the home is built.

Evaluate Drinking Water Usage – Evaluating how a home uses drinking water for consumption and other applications is crucial to saving and better using water. Many homeowners use drinking water to water their lawns simply because they don’t think that there are other options. Additionally, many families are buying plastic bottles of drinking water,most of which comes from the same municipal sources as the water in their home. Buying and drinking water in plastic bottles is extremely expensive and comes with huge environmental impacts. Whole-house treatment systems, water filtration systems, potential health effects – how you feel; glass bottles – does not taint or leech, Testing/screening could be important. Treatment measures and technology are continuously evolving. Depends on what your level of comfort is, what you and your family want.

Become a Rainwater Recycler – You already recycle plastic, glass & paper, why not rainwater! Storm-water sheet flow is already touted by many as being the primary source of non-point source pollutants. So why not capture that rainwater that falls on your house and put it to good use by re-using it for irrigation, topping off your pool or as part of a water garden. There are many types of larger-scale water storage devices that are affordable, easy to install and do a wealth of good for the environment and your property.

Save Money, The Environment and Our Children – Our pocketbooks and wallets feel the impact of our water usage decisions first where using less water means lower water bills. But long-range planning and thinking about how you’ll use water in the months and years ahead can be educational, enlightening and help preserve our environment. In many cases, it can also mean a more comfortable home and a happier, healthier family. But ultimately, it’s our children who will benefit from good water stewardship now. That’s the best reason to help conserve our most precious natural resource.

Greening your home can be tough, especially if it was built years, decades or even centuries ago. Older homes weren’t built with environmental sustainability in mind even if they will stand the test of time. Greening a home that wasn’t built green can be challenging but it’s an achievable goal that doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. Here are 5 fabulous ways you can do to green your home right away.

1. Energy – The biggest impact a house has on the environment is usually its energy consumption. Most folks like to be able to see and stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer in their homes. That’s certainly understandable but how can those seemingly routine decisions about energy, heating and cooling impact the environment? There are many energy choices to make when heating, cooling and powering your home. The first best practice is conservation. That will help the planet and your wallet.

2. Cleaning/Painting/Repairing – Many people spend most of their weekends fixing up their homes. Improvements, additions, painting and repairing are all on the typical homeowners’ to-do list. But, how can these things help your home go green? Whether it’s materials or finishes, green choices abound. In order to cut through the confusion, look for products made as close to home as possible and consider non-toxic options. They will, generally speaking, cost you a little bit more, but it’s an investment with a great return.

3. Rainwater/Irrigation/Landscaping – Lots of rain falls on properties in the northeastern United States. But, instead of that rainwater being a drainage challenge to homeowners, what if you could turn all that rain into a resource you use that saves you money? Using rainwater for landscaping and irrigation is a smart move that will lessen your bills and your water consumption. Also, how water moves around and off your property will have a big impact on drainage issues and erosion.

4. Buying/Recycling/Composting – Many of us have been recycling for years. Those efforts have made a big difference in the waste-stream and have led to unprecedented levels of recycling. But, we should be mindful of recyciling twin sisters, reducing and reusing. Before we even have to recycle something, perhaps we should consider if it’s something we need to purchase at all. Assuming that is, is it possible to purchase a green version that has been manufactured from recycled materials. If not, is the material sustainable using renewable materials and non-toxic finishes and stains?

5. Water - Using water wisely means focusing on what comes out of your fixtures and what comes out of the sky. Conserving water is a smart move that will save money and have a positive impact on the environment. Reusing rain water is taking an extra step that will save money, protect precious natural resources and ensure your gardens and flower beds have plenty of life-giving water. Rain barrels and various ways to capture, collect and re-use rainwater are widely available at home improvement stores and on the Web.

Greening our homes is an ongoing process that involves not just how the house is powered, but what we bring into the house, how we dispose of it and how we manage the environmental resources around the house. All those factors will play a role in the greening of your home. For more tips, or if you have questions about any of the ideas mentioned above, then don’t hesitate to contact GreenWorks. We’d be happy to answer your questions, and don’t worry, we’ve heard them all before!

Are you ready for spring in your backyard? Ready or not, here it is! Homeowners are suddenly spending a lot more time in their backyards. As they head out and deal with the issues from a long, snowy winter they want cover and color and they want it fast.

We really only have about two weeks of growing season left in the our region of the northeast. You need to use the clock to your advantage because you need a solution now. Look to mature plants that require as little growth time as possible. Choosing flowers and plants such as Proven Winners means you’ll get to enjoy the benefits of the foliage without having to invest the energy and time – both of which are in short supply!

To get a head start for next time, while you’re working on the flowers and plants, turn to your lawn. It could be healthier and if it was, then it would look a lot better. Take just a few minutes and fertilize the lawn, overseed it and aerate/patch any bare areas. The results from just a few minutes of work are well worth the time you invest.

If you’re interested in going green in your backyard, the beginning of the season (right now!) is a great time to investigate organic lawncare options. There are many fertilizers and nutrients available that do the job well but aren’t harmful to other plants or animals and don’t pollute our local waterways. Runoff from residential developments and yard chemicals are major contributors to the degraded condition of the Barnegat Bay. Yes, the green lawn care products will cost you a little more today but like any good investment, they will pay dividends for many years to come.

If all this still sounds like more than you want to do, we understand. It may be to time to give us a call!