Chapter 2 Site Design: Harness Natural Processes to Improve Quality of Life •
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Reduce the sheared hedges, since hedge shears are overused and damage shrub health. Find a contractor who understands proper pruning techniques and switch to hand-pruning, which only needs to be done annually for the first couple of winters and then every 3 to 5 years after that. Ask your snow removal company to hand-shovel walking paths and use alternative de-icing agents to protect water, soil, and air quality. Replace traditional lighting fixtures with solar-powered or LED lighting. Plant shade trees near paved areas and the southwest sides of buildings. Pavement and buildings intensify summer sun and increase the heat island effect. Trees and other vegetation shade these heat-absorbing materials and reduce the need for air-conditioning on hot days.
Learn More: Chapter 5: Woodlands, Trees and Shrubs (in this manual) Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center: https://www.wildflower.org/carbon/ and https://www.wildflower.org/nativelawns/ Reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers Improve the health of your landscape and human health by scaling back on the application of toxic substances. Options include: • •
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Improve soil quality to improve trees' and other plants' ability to resist disease. Just as we eat a healthy diet to help our immune system, plants need good soil to help theirs. When there is a problem in the landscape—a pest or disease outbreak—ask your arborist or landscape contractor to use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques. IPM is a system of pest and disease control that uses the least harmful agents first. Replace disease-prone trees and plants with disease-resistant varieties. Tolerate some amount of disease or pests in the landscape. Don't overreact to small outbreaks. Give time for natural enemies to build up in population. Try an organic lawn care regimen.
Learn More: Chapter 5: Turf (in this manual) Midwest Pesticide Action Center: http://midwestpesticideaction.org/ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/factsheets/ipm.htm Weed Science Society of America - Pesticide Resistance: http://wssa.net/weed/resistance/turfcrops/ Meet people's needs A sustainable landscape is only successful if the people using it enjoy and support it. Options include: • • • •
Create focal points using beautiful trees and other plants, art, or structures like fountains or arbors. Screen out undesirable views such as highways, cell towers, or unattractive neighboring property. Create destinations for walks and comfortable places for people to enjoy the outdoors, such as pergolas, sitting areas, piers, and gazebos. From inside buildings, identify sight lines from windows or doorways and use the landscape to offer an attractive view or focal point.
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