After a long, cold winter, Spring has finally sprung. As flowers begin to bloom and trees sprout new leaves, we are finally seeing evidence of the changing season across most of the country. For a large majority of homeowners, that means it’s time to start thinking about landscaping projects.

A well-designed landscape not only adds beauty to your home, it can help reduce your water use, improve your home’s comfort and lower your energy bills all year long. For example, carefully placed trees can provide shade from the hot summer sun and block the chilly winter wind — saving up to 25 percent of a typical home’s energy use. That’s because research has shown that summer air temperatures in tree-shaded neighborhoods can be 3 to 6 degrees cooler than treeless areas.

Our new Energy Saver 101 infographic lays out the basics of how you can make your landscape work for you. Whether you’re looking to shade your home from solar heat gain, create a windbreak or conserve water, we’re highlighting energy-saving planting tips for landscaping and the landscaping strategies that work best for different climates.

Remember, it’s never too late to make your landscape beautiful and energy efficient!

For more ways to save money by saving energy, visit Energy Saver.