“A good neighbor keeps the noise down.”
– Advertisement for Boeing 787 Dreamliner, 2006
You can help to make your neighborhood quieter:
How to convert to “Quiet Landscaping”
The scene above does not necessarily have to suffer the event pictured below.
There are better alternatives!
How Quiet Landscaping works:
—If you maintain your own lawn and currently use a leaf blower, you can learn how to do without it. (See WHAT TO DO WITH THE LEAVES, below.)
—If you employ a landscape contractor, say “no leaf blowing” to your current landscape contractor.
—If you want to employ a landscaper who offers a “no leaf blower” option, use our list of landscapers who offer this.
—If you want to persuade your neighbors to stop using leaf blowers, approach your neighbors about “no leaf blowing” and describe how it works.
STEP 1:
WITH YOUR CURRENT LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR
When you hire a landscaping contractor, you are in control of how the work is performed. If you already have a landscape contractor, instruct him or her to “stop using leaf blowers”. Don’t accept using blowers “a bit.” Say “no leaf blowers.” Tell him or her that other landscape contractors are doing this.
STEP 2:
HIRE A NEW LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR
If your current landscape contractor won’t stop using leaf blowers, you can hire a new landscaper–a “Quiet Landscaper.” See the attached list of Quiet Landscapers. These Princeton-area landscapers have agreed to perform lawn maintenance without leaf blowers.
WHAT TO DO WITH THE LEAVES:
If you maintain your own lawn, review these alternatives below.
Attention: If you employ a landscape contractor, you will need to have a discussion with your current or new landscaper about the treatment of leaves and grass clippings. This is key to your mutual satisfaction, to cost, and to the environment.
Alternatives include:
—leaving grass clippings in place (best; returns nutrition to the soil)
—using a mulching mower for leaves on the lawns
—blowing leaves into flowerbeds, using a mulching mower
—raking leaves into flowerbeds or into a corner of your yard
—raking only in limited, selected places
—raking of most areas previously cleared with leaf blowers (This option may cost more because raking can take more time.)
—“Scorched earth” removal of everything, as is often done with leaf blowers. This is actually bad for the topsoil, birds, and garden life, and removes desirable mulch. It is not recommended and should be avoided.
STEP 3:
TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBORS
To go a stage further, and to broaden the impact of leaf blower avoidance in your neighborhood, talk to your neighbors about Quiet Landscaping and how it benefits your neighborhood.
When you or your landscape contractor are not using leaf blowers, but your neighbors are, Quiet Princeton recommends that you talk to your neighbors in a win-win discussion.
- Read and print out the suggestions in How to Approach Your Neighbors.
- Download and print out the QP Informational Flyer to give to your neighbors. The flyer summarizes important information from this website in an easy-to-print-out format. It has a list of Princeton landscape contractors who have agreed to do “Quiet Landscaping,” using no leaf blowers.
Congratulations on being a part of this effort to improve our neighborhoods!