You’ve probably heard a lot of buzz about sustainable landscaping, and you’re wondering what it’s all about. This type of landscaping is used to create surroundings that are environmentally conscious, beautiful, self-maintaining and budget friendly. If you’re thinking about creating your own sustainable landscape, there are several things you will need to know.
Start with Your Soil
At the heart of any sustainable landscape is excellent soil. In many urban environments, soil is often poor, rocky or hard. To create your own sustainable landscape, you will need to plan ways to make your soil more healthy. Clay soils can often be amended with sand, while sandy or rocky soils will need added compost or rich topsoil. The most important thing is developing soil that will nourish your plants, filter pollutants, and absorb water properly.
Water Conservation
Sustainable landscapes rely on eco-conscious ways to collect water. Rather than running up high water bills by running sprinklers, or installing expensive irrigation equipment that could prove harmful to the environment, sustainable landscaping relies on collecting water naturally. This can be accomplished by harvesting rainwater. The key is to use the rainwater only when your landscape needs it most to prevent drawing from your city’s supply or draining local aquifers.
Caring for Your Sustainable Landscape
A sustainable landscape does not use chemicals of any sort, including pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. Instead, opt for organic compounds and fertilizers. Insects and other pests can be repelled with the use of plants like marigolds or lavender. With proper mulching, mowing and other maintenance, you should be able to keep weeds down without the use of herbicides.
Choosing Plants
One of the primary ideas behind sustainable landscaping is to work with what nature gives you. For instance, if you have extremely dry soil that simply cannot be fixed, opt for plants that can handle those conditions.
Perennials reduce maintenance because they come back next year and either have long growing seasons or bloom at different times. With perennials, you’ll always have something in bloom. Lavender is loved for its beauty and scent. It needs sandy soil and lots of sun. Asters and daisies add a cheerful element to your lawn and look great planted around stones and boulders. Catmint flowers are a spectacular shade of blue and will delight your cats. Coneflowers are majestic in your yard or as a dried centerpiece. We can help you select perfect perennials for your soil type.
For your landscape to be truly sustainable, it should also require very little maintenance. That means that you should choose plants that won’t require annual pruning or shaping. In other words, don’t plant a shrub that can grow more than eight feet tall in front of a window that is six feet from the ground. It will need to be pruned eventually, which means more maintenance, making your landscape less sustainable.
These are the basics of sustainable landscaping. If you’d like to learn more, feel free to contact Evergreen Landscaping to see how we can help you create a beautiful eco-friendly paradise in your backyard.