Sustainable Landscaping

"Going Green" has been a Global slogan meant to enhance livelihoods by advocating for the creation of environments that are sustainable in terms of conservation while still maintaining efficiency.Current landscape trends are a reflection of how well sustainability can be achieved while still creating a functional landscape.The aim is to create a functional,cost efficient,visually appealing, attractive and environmentally friendly landscapes while cutting on inputs such as fertiliser,time and water as well as reduction in waste outputs.

Principles
Landscape sustainability is based on principles that entail the basic understanding of conservation as well as preservation.Understanding your landscape is a big part of attaining sustainability.Study and create a report of the inputs needed by the landscape elements and find possible ways to conserve more.

Of considerable importance are the principles of conservation and preservation.For most homeowners,clearing a site prior to design seems as the best alternative.However,a better approach would actually involve retaining the native plants while riding off the non-native invasive species.Natives are easier to maintain since they are adapted to the local environment;therefore cutting down on the costs.

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Other approaches aimed at conservation include the use of local materials to save on transport costs,adopting solar radiation as a means to supply energy as well as using plants to enhance cooling/warming of the house.

The principle of value is also an aspect of sustainable landscaping.Current global occurrences such as drought and famine have taught us to value earth elements such as water,As it is,water is an important aspect of the landscape.The more we value it,the better we use it efficiently.Approaches to conserving water include adopting better irrigation(if need be) techniques such as drip irrigation as well as using xeriscapes/drought resistant plants in the landscape.Rainwater and grey water harvesting also come in handy especially for residential properties.Treat water as an important resource!

The soil is also an element that ought be valued if sustainability is to be achieved.For instance,during rainy seasons,loose soils are carried by runoff water stripping your garden the top layer of soil.To prevent this,it is advisable to use groundcovers such as grass to hold soil firmly.

Benefits of Sustainable Landscaping
In embracing techniques of sustainability,one hopes to achieve either short or long term goals or both.Short term goals are such as saving water or using compost heap manure.Long term goals on the other hand can be more fulfilling in the long run.For example,planting trees to cut down on the costs of warming the house during winter and cooling during summer.

An even more fulfilling goal is the creation of an environmental friendly landscape that is able to sustain itself through the cycling of materials such as the use of dead leaves as mulch.All these while still maintaining the appeal and attractiveness.

Learn more about sustainable landscaping for your home.