Old House New House Home Show - Exhibitor Spotlight

Sustainable Landscapes Done Right – By Brian O’Malley

Sustainability, Earth friendly, living green, carbon footprint, these are the latest buzz words that all of us hear on a regular basis.  What do these phrases mean as it pertains to our landscapes?  Most of us would like to do what we can to live in harmony with our surroundings.  But how do we do it best?  Here are a few ideas on how your landscape can become more sustainable, improving your quality of life and lessening your footprint on the environment.  You may be surprised at how easy it is, and how much time and money you may save as a result.

Sustainable landscaping can be simply defined by the amount of water, energy and chemicals we use.  The less we use these three items, the more sustainable our living space becomes.

HOW DO WE LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF WATER WE USE?

•   Xeriscaping is the practice of gardening with little or no supplemental watering. Planting native species and succulents are simple ways to achieve this.

•   Choosing the right plant for the right location. All of our landscapes have wet or dry areas.  Choose plants accordingly and they will thrive without our help.

•   Mulch, mulch, mulch!  Mulch has many benefits including locking moisture into the ground.

•   Mow your lawn at the highest setting on the mower every time.  You’ll have fewer weeds and need less fertilizer as a secondary benefit.

•   Drip irrigation or soaker hoses.  Savings of both water and money can be huge with a properly designed drip irrigation system for plant beds and vegetable gardens. 

•   If you have a sprinkler system for turf areas, run individual zones for a slightly longer duration but cut back on frequency.  This will use less water and encourage a stronger more drought resistant root system.

HOW DO WE USE LESS ENERGY?

•   Plant shade trees appropriately to help cool your home in summer.

•   Plant evergreens as a windbreak to help warm your home in winter.

•   Consider using an electric lawnmower, or better yet, use a reel type mower.  You will get a better cut, use no energy, and get some terrific exercise!

•   Increase the size of planting beds and gardens.  Turf generally requires more energy to maintain than a properly designed plant bed.

•   Practice proper siting of plants.  You will have to trim less often, if at all, and enjoy your plant’s full potential.

HOW DO WE USE FEWER CHEMICALS?

•   Many of the practices above will lead to less chemical usage.  Healthy turf and plants require less fertilizer, insecticide and herbicide use. 
     Native species are more resilient to insects and diseases.

•   Use natural solutions and fertilizers when necessary.  There are many products available today to combat disease and pest problems.

•   Grow your own vegetables and fruits.  We tend to use fewer or no chemicals when we grow our own food.

These are just a few of the ways we can all make our landscapes more sustainable.  If we can adopt some of these practices, the results will be fantastic!

Brian O’Malley is a Certified Landscape Designer and the General Manager of Prestige Nursery Garden Center, Inc. in West Chicago.  For more information visit Booth #3 outdoors or www.prestige-nursery.com.

The Old House New House Home Show Returns - September 28-29, 2014 at Pheasant Run Resort, St. Charles, IL. www.kennedyproductions.com