Sustainable Landscapes

Before and after pictures of job site.

How Can Sustainability be incorporated your landscape remodel or enhancing an existing landscape?

There are several important services to consider. Existing turf is often composed of soil that lacks both the proper consistency as well as the organic makeup necessary for healthy lawns. This often translates into excessive watering, fertilizer and pesticide applications in an attempt to keep lawns healthy and green. Finding ways to conserve water and reduce fertilizer and pesticide use, while maintaining a vibrant landscape is at the heart of creating a truly sustainable landscape.

Turf Aeration provides several benefits: It reduces compaction and allows better oxygen penetration into the root zone of turf areas. It additionally creates a more conducive environment for microorganisms to naturally break down thatch and make nutrients more available to turf roots.

The addition of Lime is beneficial for almost all lawns in this part of the country. Our soil is typically too acidic for optimum turf growth, a situation that is compounded by the amount of needles that drop from coniferous trees. Lime reduces the acidity which promotes turf health.

Topdressing is the process of adding compost, or compost mixed with sand, over the top of turf areas. When performed immediately following turf aeration, the topdress mix incorporates into the existing soils creating both a better soil textures as well as directly adding natural organics to the soil.

For existing planting beds, both soil enhancement and plant choice are vital. A plant which does not outgrow its bounds is inherently more sustainable. While some plants are naturally more drought, insect and disease resistant than others, and can and should be incorporated into landscapes, the condition of the soil is a significant factor in maintaining plant health. The installation of organic mulches to the surface of planting beds adds organic content to the soil as well as protecting roots from heat and cold extremes. It also keeps water in the root zone longer, thus helping reducing watering needs.

If shrubs are installed in such a manner as to fill the majority of the bed when they have reached maturity, weed growth is substantially inhibited and future mulching costs are reduced as there is less open bed space. In the case of a bed being renovated, where the existing shrubs are removed, the addition of compost tilled into the existing soil substantially increases the future health of the new plants.

Some trees and shrubs are simply more susceptible to insect and disease damage, and instead of trying to continually treat these plants year after year, replacement with more appropriate varieties is less expensive and more environmentally sensitive in the long run.

David Scattergood is the Enhancements Manager for Signature Landscape Services, Inc. He shares his 20+ years of experience working with commercial, municipal, residential, and multi family properties to help design sustainable landscape management programs that enhance landscape viability and cost effectiveness for sites throughout the Puget Sound.