Living sustainably or being “Green” has become popular and many companies have jumped on the band-wagon. Often it can appear that to “be green” you need to buy new things or redo your garden. This is rarely the case. I’ll outline three levels of sustainability.But first, what is a totally sustainable landscape? Very simply it is a landscape that does not require ANY artificial energy source from outside to sustain itself. Nature is the only truly sustainable landscape.Below are things that you can incorporate into your landscape design that move in the direction of sustainability:Drought Tolerant Plants: Planting drought tolerant plants in the late fall and watering them as necessary through the first summer (or with some plants once or twice during peak-summer time) saves water and eliminates the need for a plastic and metal intensive irrigation system.Synthetic Turf: The benefit of synthetic turf, relative to the environment, is that it eliminates the need for irrigation and installing an irrigation system, as well as mowing. The downside to the environment is:- Does not absorb storm run-off as well as sod and requires plastic drainage infrastructure as a result.
- Manufacturing the plastic for the synthetic turf pollutes the air and is energy intensive.
- It is often shipped from further away than natural sod, increasing shipping energy.
- When synthetic sod gets tired, as any plastic eventually does outdoors, it must be disposed of in a land-fill, whereas sod can be composted, or covered over with new sod/plants.
- It eliminates biological habitat.
- It competes with turf and seed farms which have a positive impact on air quality, relative to home-development or factories.
Smart Irrigation: Read about this in the irrigation chapter. Smart irrigation timers can eliminate around 30% of water over other timers.Avoiding Chemicals: Avoiding pesticides and other toxic chemicals is one of the best ways to protect birds, insects, water sources and the animals that drink these. This is also safer for human health.Native Plants: Some native plants are both drought tolerant and provide habitat or food for local animals. There are plenty of non-native plants that do this as well. Some people believe it is better for the environment to use only natives.This text is an excerpt from:
Successfully Landscaping Your Marin Home,
Available on Amazon and Marin Bookstores,
By: Dane E. Rose
(415) 455 9161
For pictures of Marin Vertical Garden HERE.
Landscaping Sustainably
Mystical Landscapes is a Marin Design and Build
company for all aspects of landscaping.
We also do landscape design Mill Valley, installation and landscape design Corte Madera, installation and landscape design San Rafael, installation and landscape design Novato, installation and landscape design Larkspur, installation and landscape design San Anselmo, and installation and landscape design Tiburon. Marin Landscape Contractor and Marin Landscape Architect. 232 Bungalow Ave San Rafael, CA 94901 (415) 455-9161
