Environmental Landscape Design
31 Jul, 2008 By: Landscape Management Staff LDB SolutionsThe environment is on the minds of more and more consumers these days, so it's no surprise that an increasing number of landscape contractors are marketing environmental services. With horticulture schools from Oregon State to the University of Tennessee offering environmental landscape design specialties, it's a trend that the next generation of landscape designers will no doubt continue.
Landscapes can play a significant role in environmental sustainablility. Here are just a few services landscape contractors can offer as part of an environmental design service.
1. Edible landscapes. Designing and installing fruit and vegetable gardens allow clients to enjoy the fruits of your labor without expanding their carbon footprint. Home-grown produce reduces emissions involved in shipping produce from across the country. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, some homeowners are willing to pay "tens of thousands of dollars to have landscape architects design and install elaborate vegetable gardens."
2. Green spaces. With the housing market in disarray, at least one municipality is urging its residents to buy empty lots and build patios, gazeebos and gardens instead of new homes. According to this Associated Press article, the city of Shaker Heights, Ohio, has been tearing down abondoned houses to make way for more green spaces.
3. Water conservation. From drip irrigation installations to using rain collection barrels to installing xeriscapes, there are plenty of opportunities for landscapers to provide water conservation services. Those services are expected to be more and more necessary as widespread water shortages are predicted for much of the country in the near future. For more information on irrigation services, see Drip is Hip from the July issue of Livescapes magazine.
4. Energy conservation. Planting shade trees so that they protect homes from the heat of the summer sun and evergreens to block chilling winter winds can make a big impact on energy conservation -- and homeowners' utility bills.
5. Beyond turf. Planting wildflower meadows and copses of woodland trees, and installing hardscapes and gazeebos cuts down on mowing and maintenance. A balanced landscape — one with grass and other plantings alongside hardscaped areas — offers the best of both worlds for clients since lawns turn a lot of the world's carbon dioxide into oxygen.
6. Habitat gardening. Installing a landscape that attracts wildlife, such as birds and butterflies, can help offset wildlife habitat lost to urbanization.
7. Runoff filtration. Landscapes can be designed to filter out pollutants from rain water before the water enters the storm drain. Vegetative buffers along hardscapes and bodies of water, and rain gardens positioned to trap and filter runoff help ensure rainwater is clean.
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