The right landscaping can reduce your energy bills.

As you're reading seed catalogs and planning your spring gardening, remember that the way you landscape can save you money for years to come.

Your air conditioner or heat pump won't have to work so hard to cool your house if the house is shaded by plants. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a well-designed landscape not only can add beauty to your home, but can also reduce your heating and cooling costs. On average, says the DOE, landscaping for energy efficiency provides enough energy savings to pay for itself in less than eight years.

Trees can reduce the temperature in their vicinity. Daytime temperature can be as much as six degrees cooler on tree-shaded streets.

When planting trees in your yard, be sure they don't grow into power lines or near the service entrance. To block heat from the sun in the summer but not in winter, use deciduous trees, trees that shed their leaves in the fall. Plant taller trees on the south side of your home to shade your roof. Smaller trees are more effective on the west side, to shade from afternoon sun.

Shading your air conditioner or heat pump unit can increase its efficiency by as much as 10 percent over the summer. Just make sure you leave four to five feet of space between shrubs or trees and the unit to ensure proper airflow.

Shrubs that shade the walls of your house also help keep it cool, but be sure to have at least a foot of space between the house and shrubs for air circulation. Trees, shrubs, and ground cover plants around your home can reduce the air temperature.

Plants on trellises are a fast way to shade the south and west walls and windows of your house. Try using fast-growing annual vines such as morning glory or scarlet runner beans or perennial vines that lose their leaves in the winter, such as clematis and trumpet vine.

Save Water

Another way to save is to plant with reducing water use in mind. For maximum water-use efficiency, try to group together plants with similar water needs and use drip irrigation. If you are using a sprinkler to water, water between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. to avoid losing water to evaporation.

Mulching is one of the best ways to conserve water in a Georgia landscape. Mulch helps keep water from evaporating from the soil and keeps the soil soft so that moisture can soak in. Mulch also helps control weeds that compete for moisture.

Also, look for plants that require less water. Plants native to Georgia often survive better without extra water. Grass requires a lot of water, and you can save water by using more mulch and beds and less grass.

For more information about landscaping and other ways to save energy, see the U.S. Department of Energy's "A Consumer's Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy" at www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home. To get more information about suitable trees and drought-resistant plants, see the publications of the University of Georgia's Cooperative Extension Service. You can get publications from your local extension agent or from the extension service's Web site at www.caes.uga.edu/extension.

Call Before You Dig

Whenever you're planning to dig in your yard, avoid the unpleasant surprise of digging into an electrical line or water pipe by calling the Utilities Protection Center at least three days before you plan to dig. Utility representatives will mark all the underground lines and pipes so that you can dig safely. The number in the Atlanta dialing area is 770-623-4344, and the toll-free number is 800-282-7411. More information about the Utilities Protection Center is available at www.gaupc.com.