Environmentally Friendly Landscaping Tips

By Robert Schucker
President, Eco Earth Design and R&S Landscaping

Today, one of first things people ask me is how can I be more efficient and environmentally responsible with my landscaping. People around the country, from the average homeowner to corporate property managers, are seeking landscape architecture solutions that are cost-effective, sustainable, low-impact, and attractive for both residential and professional environments. Consider these tips:

Use a rain rainwater collection system - By positioning a rain barrel under the roof’s downspout, rainwater can be collected and stored. The water can then be dispensed through a hose connected to the bottom of the barrel. Using rainwater reduces the amount of usable water you need, which decreases demand for treated water, saves money, and helps the environment by reducing stormwater runoff. And rainwater is healthier for plants than tap water.

Landscape for passive heating and cooling - Planting appropriate deciduous trees along the south side of your home will provide shade and reduce air conditioning usage. In the winter, they’ll allow the sun’s rays to warm buildings saving heating oil and gas.

Reduce lawn areas - The costs—financially and environmentally—of maintaining a conventional lawn is considerable. Reduction in lawn area will result in a direct reduc­tion in watering and chemical applications (fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides), as well as a significant reduction in pollutants produced by mowing.

Reduce pesticide use - The implementation of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan is an essential strategy to reduce the use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Other strategies for pesticide reduction include utilizing natural predators, resis­tant plants, and cultural controls to mitigate pest problems.

Reduce water use - Water only where and when needed. Improve your soil for optimum water holding capacity. Use low-water demanding or native plants and consider reducing lawn size. Apply organic mulches.

Start a compost pile - Building a compost pile is a safe and easy way to reduce landfill waste and create natu­ral fertilizer. Compost piles contain organic materials such as vegetable scraps, grass clippings, and leaves that natu­rally decompose into useable soil/ fertilizer. Using the soil/fertilizer produced from the compost pile recycles nutrients back into the earth, reducing the need for store-bought fertil­izers and helping the environment.

Use native plant species - A native plant is one that had existed, developed and occurred naturally for many years in our area. These can be trees, flowers, grasses or any other plants. Often these plants require less care, pesticides, water and are more disease resistant than plants from other parts of the country or world. Native plants have adjusted to living in unusual environments or under very harsh climates or exceptional soil conditions.

Install a rain garden - A rain garden is a landscaped, shallow depression that allows rain and water runoff to be collected and seep naturally into the ground. This helps recharge our groundwater supply and prevents water pollution from stormwater runoff. Rain gardens are an important way to make our cities and neighborhoods more attractive places to live while enhancing ecological health.

Increase bio-diversity - Providing a wide range of native plants is the first step in creating a diverse natural habitat for wildlife. A bio-diverse ecosystem reduces the need for pesticides and creates a healthy wildlife habitat essential to outdoor living and a better quality of life for everyone.

Increase permeable surfaces - In nature, rainwater percolates into the ground where it falls, slowly making its way through plant roots and soil to the groundwater reservoirs and aquifers, which hold much of our drinking water. In cities and suburban areas, millions of square feet of concrete, asphalt, roofs, and other impermeable surfaces create enormous quantities of stormwater runoff, which can overwhelm natural drainages, over saturate the areas where water does collect, and divert water away from groundwater reservoirs.

Robert Schucker has 25 years of experience in landscape architecture and is president of Eco Earth Design of Lyndhurst, N.J. and R&S Landscaping of Midland Park, N.J. Rob is a Certified Landscape Professional and New Jersey Certified Irrigation Contractor and a member of the Landscape Contractor Association, New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association and PLANET, the Professional Landcare Network. For more information, please call 201-447-6205 or visit www.rscape.com or www.ecoearthdesign.com.