Landscape Advice
Landscape Advice
LandscapeAdvice.com advocates sustainable landscape design and maintenance practices. It is site to provide ideas, resources, and forums for discussing ways to incorporate the features of traditional garden in a more sustainable and ecosystem friendly manner.
What is a sustainable landscape?
In 2009 the Sustainable Sites Initiative was created as an interdisciplinary effort by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the United States Botanic Garden. This collaboration resulted in voluntary national guidelines and performance benchmarks for sustainable land design, construction and maintenance practices. These practices are a mere glimpse of the quickly approaching future of government mandated sustainable landscape design standards for both commercial and residential landscapes. The standards are only a start to the many measures that will be employed to help combat the imminent threat of global climate change, water shortages, and land resources abuses. Our nation is only beginning to grasp the magnitude of potential issues from global warming. And there are still many among us who doubt the validity of this serious issue. Any one who cares what our world is like beyond 2020 or with children under the age of 40 had better take notice. Our world's environment and climate is changing and it is not for the better. Future generations will wonder why we were so selfish and did not care when we knew the truth. No one will be isolated from these changes regardless of our culture, nationality, or economic class.
What should a sustainable landscape strive to accomplish in overall project terms?
1. Minimize non-regional
inputs and use of scarce/non renewable resources.
2. Generation of non-recyclable waste by-products and other construction wastes.
3. Create habitat and shelter for wildlife where possible.
4. Avoid or eliminate toxics such as pressure treated wood, herbicides, insecticides, and chemical fertilizers.
5. Maximize the site’s natural assets, such as solar energy, reusable materials, mature vegetation, views, as well as on-site water harvesting for plants and runoff control.
