QUESTION: We moved into a new development a couple of years ago and while we love our home, the barren landscape really looks terrible. We haven't been able to afford putting in all the landscaping we'd like, but we want to start this summer. Our biggest problem is keeping heat out of the house, so where should we begin?ANSWER: I gave a talk to some students recently and I began by telling them that I thought Johnny Appleseed was one of the true pioneers of energy efficiency in this country. You probably know the legend about the guy who traveled around the country planning apple trees everywhere, but you may not realize that he was a real person. John Chapman spent 50 years planting apple trees around the country in the early 1800s, and I think that qualifies him as a true energy pioneer.Trees, you see, do a terrific job of cutting down on heat and also improving the air quality, primarily in the heat islands that are a special problem in large urban areas.The problem is that heat from the sun gets trapped by buildings, pavement, asphalt and other dark areas that absorb rather than reflect it. Regardless of what the weatherman says the temperature is in hot weather, areas around buildings can be 6 to 8 degrees hotter. You not only end up using more air conditioning to cool off your home, but the higher temperatures can make people uncomfortable and can also lead to health problems like heat exhaustion or breathing ailments like asthma and other concerns caused by smog and pollution.A study in New Jersey a few years ago found that temperatures in Newark, for example, were as much as 11 degrees higher than they found in the city's suburbs. While the problem of heat islands is usually worse in big cities, it is still a factor in most urban settings.This is where we get back to Mr. Appleseed. Planting trees is a great way to provide shade on the roof and walls of your home, helping keep temperatures lower. In your case, if you start planting trees in your yard now, you'll notice increasing benefit from the shade as the trees get bigger every year.Remember what you learned about evapotranspiration back in school — trees give off water droplets that draw heat as they evaporate, and this helps keep the area around them cooler.In fact, research has found that a properly watered tree reaching a crown of 30 feet can actually give off as much as 40 gallons of water every day, an amount equal to getting rid of all the heat that would come from using a small electric space heater for four hours.Trees are also great at absorbing carbon dioxide and filtering pollutants from the air, absorbing sound, helping prevent erosion, and giving birds and small animals places to live. I also recommend trees as a first step in any home landscaping project because they can block strong winter winds and help channel summer breezes into the home.Once you get trees planted, there are a variety of bushes, shrubs and ground covers that can help improve the appearance of your home while providing shade and protection from the winds.

Ken Sheinkopf is a communications specialist with the American Solar Energy Society (www.ases.org). Send your energy questions to askken@ases.org.