Pall Spera Company Realtors-Stowe, VT
Pall Spera Company Realtors-Stowe, VT
Teresa Merelman, Broker, Pall Spera Company Realtors-Stowe, VTPhone: (802) 793-5171
Email: [email protected]

3 Secrets to sustainable gardening

by Teresa Merelman, Broker 10/19/2022

Sustainable gardening is an excellent way to make your outdoor hobbies even more eco-friendly. There are a variety of benefits to sustainable gardening practices, including growing your own organic produce and helping the local environment. But how do you get started?

Compost your kitchen & garden waste

The basis of a successful garden is fertile soil, and the best way to improve your soil is by composting. Composting turns organic materials into rich fertilizer for your soil and everything that grows in it.

To create your own compost, save all organic waste from your kitchen and garden. Excluding dairy and meat scraps, gather your leftover vegetable, fruit and grass clippings in a composting bin or compost pile. After a few weeks, you’ll have nutrient-rich fertilizer - for free!

Choose native plants

One of the most important sustainable gardening methods involves the types of plants you choose for your garden. Opt for plants that are native to your region and adaptable to the climate and soil type. This can help support and protect your local ecosystem, while also making it easier to grow healthy plants.

Rather than use synthetic pest control methods, you can also add plants with natural pest resistance. There are plenty of options for plants naturally resistant to pests like slugs and beetles, as well as those to deter hungry deer and other larger pests.

Conserve water

A happy garden needs plenty of water, but that doesn’t mean you can’t water your plants sustainably. There are several tried-and-true methods for gathering and conserving water, such as collecting rainwater for later use. Rainwater collection systems come in all sizes to fit any backyard garden, and can help keep both your utility costs and environmental impact low.

Sustainable gardening might seem complex at first, but it doesn’t have to be. With these three basic secrets, you can become a sustainable gardener with a happy, healthy and eco-friendly garden.

About the Author
Author

Teresa Merelman, Broker

 Teresa's beginnings were at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. She was child #5 of 8 and born into an Air Force family that moved all over the United States but usually ended up back in the Washington, D.C. area. Teresa attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and received her bachelor's degree in business from George Mason University, in Fairfax, Virginia. Some of her prior careers include: computer buyer in Fairfax, Virginia; Deputy Clerk at the U.S. District Court in Denver, Colorado; Police Officer in Steamboat Springs, Colorado; and Bed & Breakfast owner in Stowe, Vermont. Teresa obtained her license as a Realtor® in 1998. She has been through many ups and downs in this profession and continues to learn every day. She very much enjoys the real estate profession and the wonderful people she has met and assisted along the way. In order to serve her clients and customers, Teresa continually attends classes and seminars. Some of her Designations and Certifications include: 

  • ABR - Accredited Buyer Representative (2003)
  • CBR - Certified Buyer Representative (2000)
  • e-PRO - Internet Certified Professional (2001)
  • CNHS - Certified New Home Specialist (2005)
  • CRS - Certified Residential Specialist (2005)
  • AHS - Accredited Home-Stager Specialist (2008)
  • TRC - Transaction Referral Certification (2009)
  • RSPS - Resort and Second Home Specialist (2009)
  • GREEN - NAR's Green Designation (2009) 
  • SFR - Short Sales & Foreclosures Certification (2009) 
  • SRES - Senior Real Estate Specialist Designation (2012)
  • AHWD - At Home With Diversity (2021)
  • SRS - Seller Representative Specialist (2021)

Teresa has also served and continues to serve on several boards:

  • Lamoille Area Board of Realtors - President and Board of Directors
  • Vermont Association of Realtors - Board of Directors
  • NEREN (MLS) - Board of Directors and Shareholder 
  • Vermont Real Estate Commission - as a member of VAR's Liaison Committee
  • Stowe Vibrancy - Board of Directors - this is a volunteer group that promotes activities in the Village of Stowe

In 2007, Teresa was named Vermont Realtor of the Year.Teresa and her husband, a local attorney, moved to Stowe in 1987. They had two sons and Stowe has been their home for the past 36 years. She still feels the Stowe area is a wonderful place to raise a family, there's always something going on. Teresa can often be found behind the lens of her camera documenting the beauty of the area and its many events.As an update, Teresa's older son is now a Doctor/resident at the University of New Mexico's Emergency Management Program. Her younger son graduated from James Mason University and currently resides in Chicago, IL as a supervisor for OKTA.