Ryan McVay/Getty
DCL
If you've ever gone to farm country, America?s Heartland, you'll see broad, flat expanses of land, the likes of which will bore you to tears. But if you look closely as you whiz down the interstate on your way to more interesting places, you'll see that all the farmhouses are surrounded by trees.
You see, the farmers know that planting trees in the right places is good for their houses and it's good for the land. The trees act as windbreaks and keep the snow from drifting up against the house. It also keeps that valuable topsoil in place. And in the summer time, there is no better place to beat that ridiculous Midwestern heat than in the shade of a tree. You can use the same principals to make your house more energy efficient with proper tree placement.
