You Are What You Plant - Mistakes to Avoid when Landscaping

Landscaping can be costly. One way people spend so much is by including excessive decorative items, which may or may not be a distraction from the beauty of natural landscape. Another common mistake is forgetting to recycle. Instead of throwing away branches, clippings and other debris, you can dispose of them in an eco-friendly way. Shredding them and turning them into mulch can be a great alternative for fertilizers. You can also turn them into a compost pile and store them in a container your have made yourself. Another mistake people makes is when they plant in the wrong place. By first identifying the plant - if it needs consistent sunlight or shade - can inextricably change the growth and success of your lawn. To find out how to better take care your plants, here is a link:  Plant Finder. Another good measure to keep in mind is how deep you are planting. Making sure that plants are getting enough air flow. Its usually the same height of the container in which it came. Another one is when cutting the grass to short. This can result in a bare patch and could be susceptible to disease. Make sure to use the right size pots, making sure to that water does dry out too fast. For more information about avoiding common landscaping mistakes 25 biggest landscaping mistakes

Handling rainwater runoff

There are many ways to handle rainwater runoff from parking lots and roofs, etc. One way is to do nothing. Another way to handle the runoff is to just let it pour into drainage ponds. Still yet another, more efficient use of the rainwater is to plant and maintain a rainwater garden.

 

https://www.asla.org/sustainablelandscapes/raingarden.html

The American Society of Landscape Architects did a project at a school in Portland.

The Mount Tabor Middle School Rain Garden transformed a parking lot courtyard from a “gray space” into a “green space” that manages stormwater, helps cool the school’s adjacent classrooms, and provides a canvas for environmental education for the students, staff, and overall community. 

Landscaping without Grass

   Unless you've been living in a bubble the last 30 years, you've probably heard environmentalists speak about the dangers in owning and caring for a lawn. Aside from the dangerous chemicals that are found in grass seed, fertilizers, and pesticides, lawns require mass amounts of water; which in many areas of the country comes at a premium. While America might still be known for it's iconic 1950's white picket fence homes with perfectly manicured lawns, a new generation of no-grass landscaping is starting to emerge.

   Landscaping enthusiasts don't have to hassle anymore with tedious grass and harmful fertilizer. Instead they can choose a variety of gravel, river rock, low maintenance shrubs, and drought resistant succulents and cacti. 

ZEN RETREAT: This stunning Palo Alto, CA Zen garden is

filled with Japanese Maples and shrubs that are drought

tolerant.

SUCCULENT SPLENDOR: This San Diego, CA home is

covered with a variety of succulents which are able to hold

water for long periods of time.

NEW MEXICO PARADISE: This beautiful Albuquerque backyard doesn't

require one drop of water. The variations of rock and drought resistant

Landscape Planning is Environmental Planning

Landscaping is the act of improving or changing the natural features of the terrain. Landscape planning is akin to environmental planning. The areas with priority in the landscape planning include water management, transport, waste management, as well as design for sustainable development.

One of the best ways to ensure sustainability is landscape planning. The best way to ensure that future generations are able to enjoy the environment later is to employ good planning techniques today. This is an interesting study that explores landscape planning and sustainability planning.

http://eujournal.org/index.php/esj/article/viewFile/2586/2447