Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful,
we must carry it with us or we find it not.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Initial meetings with clients always begin with a request for a maintenance-free landscape and the response is always consistent – a maintenance-free landscape is virtually impossible! However, what is not impossible is a sustainable landscape that works with the environment and requires minimal and manageable maintenance.
Once explained, clients are excited and anxious for us to dig in…literally! After all, who doesn’t long for beautiful gardens that attract wildlife and require very little maintenance?
As you may know, there are many variations to the definition of sustainable landscaping. However, I define sustainable landscaping with three words: balance, ease, and beauty! Balance embraces local climate, site selection and resources; ease includes minimal inputs such as water, organic pesticides and fertilizers; and beauty, of course, is what excites all gardeners!
Sustainable landscaping begins with an excellent design that is functional, cost efficient, visually attractive, environmentally friendly, and easy to maintain. Believe it or not, sustainable landscaping is very simple to achieve!
Following are three key components to a viable sustainable landscape:
- Promotes positive practices and minimizes negative impacts
- Facilitates self-sufficiency
- Conserves natural resources
How can you implement these ideas into your landscaping this year?
- Water harvesting by attaching a rain barrel to a downspout
- Utilizing a compost bin
- Thickly planted garden beds with trees, shrubs, and ground covers
- Beds planted along the edge of the road to slow and filter runoff
- Terracing to slow runoff and encourage infiltration
- Plant trees to create microclimates which reduce water usage
- Learning good soil management which encourages rainwater infiltration
- Mulching around tree trunks
Sustainability is an ongoing relationship between you, your garden and its surrounding eco-system. It’s not too late to begin making small changes toward a more sustainable garden now, with a goal of a more water-wise, environmentally-friendly garden in just a few months. You’ll be helping the earth and you’ll be rewarded with a lot less work creating and maintaining beautiful garden beds!
May all your gardens grow!
