There are varying definitions of greenscaping, but a short definition is: Landscaping that is eco-friendly, sustainable and conserves resources.
An eco-friendly garden is one that is in balance with its environment, including soil conditions and climatic variations in temperature, sun, shade and rainfall. A sustainable garden is one that is easily maintained over time. A garden that conserves resources is not only less labor intensive but requires less water and fertilizer, fewer pesticides, and less energy consumption to maintain.
Many aspects of greenscaping are not new to expert landscapers and gardeners such as selecting eco-friendly, sustainable plants and utilizing resource conservation. For example, it is only common sense to plant with materials that are appropriate for a particular climate to ensure healthy growth, longevity and renewal. Conservation techniques such as mulching — which eliminates weeding and conserves moisture — and the planting of shade-loving ground covers as opposed to resource-intensive grass have been part of landscaping and gardening for centuries.
So, one may ask, how is greenscaping different from ordinary landscaping? Truly, there isn’t a big difference. Those who speak of greenscaping do so in a purposeful attempt to increase the public’s awareness of the benefits of ecologically sound landscaping versus the adverse consequences of improper landscaping. In short, the goal of greenscaping proponents is to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative by promoting intelligent landscaping.
Design is Everything
All landscaping starts with a plan, and if you are lucky enough to have a blank slate with which to work, your job will be far easier than if you have to work around an existing plan that was poorly conceived. Good design is everything in landscaping. Landscaping designers consider a number of issues before putting pencil to paper.
- Use of space – Is the space residential, commercial or public? Is the desired end product a perennial garden or a residential backyard? Will the space be used for recreation or meditation? By children or adults?
- Budget and timeline
- Site conditions – How prepared is the intended site? Will renovation such as terracing, tree clearing and stump removal or extensive leveling be required? Is topsoil or fill needed? Is the space in a snowy climate and close to the road (salt considerations) or along a dessert roadside (blowing sand) or subject to air pollution from traffic? Water availability?
- Plant and landscaping needs – Will both shade and sun plants be needed? Grass or ground covers? Annual or perennial plants? Trees or bushes? Flowers or grasses? Does the design need to incorporate paths, pools, parking, outbuildings, fencing or patios?
- Visual appearance – Is the design intended to be utilitarian, showy, peaceful, practical, formal, informal or lush?
- Maintenance time – Who will maintain the design-homeowner, highway crews or hired gardeners? Is the design low or high maintenance, labor intensive or self-sustaining?
- Conservation of resources – Are natural water sources available? Will irrigation or sprinklers be required? To what degree will energy-consuming mechanical equipment (mowers, weed whackers, edgers, hedge trimmers) be required for maintenance?
- Review all expenditures to cut costs where possible. Too much grass and not enough ground cover? Fewer trees and more bushes?
Professional landscape designers incorporate many details into a design to make it workable, cost-effective, eco-conscious, sustainable and aesthetically pleasing. If your project is small, your budget minimal and you cannot afford to hire a professional landscaper to complete your job from start to finish, at the very least consider obtaining professional input with respect to the design itself and the selection of plants. If you hire a professional landscaper, expect to receive the basic design itself along with an inventory and an analysis of the proposed site, documents pertaining to any construction (paving, leveling, clearing, stonewalls, etc.) that may be required, a detailed outline of the steps required to implement the design, including a timeline for completion, and directions for follow-up maintenance.
Implementing the Design
If you thought that landscapers simply added the green plants and grass around buildings, homes and along roadsides, you have missed much of what they actually do. After the design mentioned above has been constructed, implementation begins. The sequence that follows, depending on the scope of the project, is similar to what your landscaper will do for you:
- Apply for and obtain permits and locate underground utilities
- Prepare the site by clearing debris, removing old sod and weeds, leveling, etc.
- Identify any drainage issues, create a rough grade and install a drainage system if needed.
- See to the construction and completion of masonry and wood projects (stone walls, patios, paths, retaining walls, fencing, etc.)
- Analyze and amend the soil as necessary
- Mark off shrub borders and planting areas and install edging
- Install sprinkler heads, drip lines
- Plant one gallon-size and larger plant materials, including balled, bare root and burlap bound trees, shrubs and plants.
- Install bedding plants, ground covers and turf areas
- Maintain the landscape until newly installed vegetation is vigorous, healthy and growing.
All professional landscapers adhere to the processes of design and implementation with some variation. However, a landscaper that is eco-conscious will deliver not only a beautifully landscaped space but will do it while conserving resources and refraining from the use of ecologically damaging chemicals and additives — such as particular fertilizers and pesticides — by selecting eco-appropriate plants. An eco-conscious design incorporates steps to reduce the destruction of existing plants and trees intrinsic to the local ecology and leaves as little a footprint as possible on the natural contour of the land.
Greenscaping Tips for Saving Water
- Mulch beds and shrubs with 3 to 4 inches of mulch to retain moisture by preventing evaporation.
- Water lawns and gardens in the early morning or evening. Watering in full sun in the heat of the day wastes water due to evaporation.
- During dry spells, keep your grass at least three inches tall to reduce water demands.
- Group plants that have similar water requirements together to prevent having to water all plants, even those that require low water, just to accommodate the plants that have high water needs.
- Use technology to reduce water loss caused by either evaporation or a poor design. A certified irrigation or landscape technician can assist you in determining your outdoor water needs and then devise and install a individualized system using appropriate water saving technology. If you already have a system older than five years, you should know that newer technlogy enhanced with evapotranspiration controllers, soil sensors (reads soil moisture levels) and refined control panels is available.
- In difficult to manage areas, use drip or subsurface irrigation instead of watering with a sprinkler. Soaker hoses are examples of inexpensive drip systems that apply water directly to the surface of the soil. This technique conserves water by reducing the evaporation that occurs with conventional sprinklers.
- If you install sprinkler heads, use a triangle or square pattern in the layout to avoid an irregular pattern of growth—overly wet areas interspersed with dry areas.
- Check the alignment of irrigation heads and adjust them to avoid wasting water by inadvertently spraying sidewalks and driveways or over-spraying into the street.
- Plant as little grass as possible. Grass is a major resource user as water is a primary and constant need.
