Spring 2010 Eco Friendly Landscaping
Landscaping is more than just eye candy for your home’s exterior. Landscape design can have a direct impact on the environment and the health and well-being of residential homeowners. We emphasize the vital importance of promoting sustainability in residential landscape development and by taking action, we significantly improve the quality of life for future generations.
Did you know the Audubon Society reports that that in the U.S. 7 million birds are killed annually by lawn-care pesticides and according to the EPA 40-60% of household water is used to water your lawn. Our grass clippings make-up 20% of municipal solid waste and just 1 hour of lawn mowing pollutes the air more than driving 350 miles in your car. The Lawn chemicals we use are one of the largest contributors to private fresh water pollution.
Water conservation in landscaping, natural resource preservation in landscaping, energy efficient landscaping and sustainable building in landscaping are the chief concerns of landscape professionals for the foreseeable future.
Below, our experts provide a forecast of what we’ll be seeing in terms of sustainable landscaping design trends for 2010 and beyond.
Landscape Designers Are Landscaping With Less Lawn
The trend to create more natural-looking landscapes has many landscape designers moving toward designs with less lawn. Lawn care is expensive, and outdoor entertainment doesn’t necessarily require allot of grass. That doesn’t mean that you should tear up your lawn to make way for blacktop or rocks, but eco friendly landscape designers are incorporating more trees, opting for patios, and taking other steps to reduce their lawn sizes. You can reduce lawn area by expanding existing beds with ground covers, perennial gardens, cutting gardens, vegetable gardens, herb gardens, healing gardens and children’s gardens. You can even replace that large unused area of lawn with a wildflower meadow. Most meadows contain both grasses and wildflowers. Generally, meadow wildflowers can survive in thin, poor-to- average soil with no fertilizing and little or no irrigation.
Landscaping with More Permeable Interlocking Paver Options
With more and more paved areas such as patios, walkways and driveways required for residential landscaping development, rainwater has little opportunity to filtrate into the soil. Municipalities now require that storm water runoff in your landscaping be managed and retained. Consequently, landscaping with pervious concrete paving units that allow water to permeate the soil has become increasingly important.
Permeable pavers are beneficial because they:
• Allow for storm water drainage and manage excessive runoff in landscaping applications
• Reduce erosion in your landscaping
• Diminish or eliminate the costs of seepage pits
• Harvest rainwater for irrigation and grey water systems
Every major concrete paver manufacturer now offers multiple lines of pervious landscaping paver products with many styles and colors to choose from. By utilizing permeable pavers in your landscaping with the water collection and storage beneath the driveway, a homeowner will net a savings of approximately 50%,It also eases the concern of locating all the obtrusive tank cleanouts in the lawn area, which enhance the overall aesthetics of your landscaping project. Ask our landscaping experts which are the best options for your individual project needs.
New Landscaping Paver Rivals Stone and Preserves Natural Resources
The “Monticello” line of landscaping pavers from Techo Bloc is the closest to real stone yet.
“With each gentle tap of the artist’s chisel, life emerges from the stone”.
Random regular patterns with multiple sizes and beautiful earth tone colors, dining in the back yard landscaping or around the swimming pool, it’s sure to be a hit with the eco conscience in 2010.
New Concepts in Residential Rainwater Harvesting For Landscaping and Household Use
Collection and storage of rainwater have been going on for thousands of years, providing water for drinking, domestic use, livestock and irrigation. Today, rainwater remains an essential part of modern sustainable development, and this year we’ll be seeing the growing incorporation of new rainwater systems — including for toilet flushing, laundry and vehicle washing, and rainwater irrigation — for both new home constructions and renovations.
Energy efficient Outdoor Landscape Lighting
Outdoor lighting was one of the fastest growing landscaping trends 2009 and is going to be even more popular in 2010. Now with LED lighting taking over the market, consumers can have the lighting without the high electricity bill. Night lighting adds to the time you spend in your yard, backyard activities, and it increases home security.
