The Village of Irvington strongly encourages its residents and landscapers who work in the village to adopt Love 'Em and Leave 'Em (LELE) practices on their property, providing a chemical-free landscape and enabling a mix of habitats for overwintering fauna. LELE encourages native plantings in place of the traditional suburban mono-cultural lawn "deserts" and the use of electric-powered battery yard tools.
A 'climate smart' approach to lawn care, for example, supports and encourages using the full range of leaf management techniques:
- Rake whole leaves into wooded margins of yard (allowing important insects and small creatures a warm spot to overwinter).
- Rake some leaves and branches into a scrub pile (providing winter cover for birds and small animals).
- Mulch mow remaining leaves on the lawn (leaving in place for "free" fertilization).
- Mulch mow leaves on hardscape, then use as mulch on landscape beds.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT ECOIRVINGTON.ORG