TRISH NEVERMAN Designer, Bzak Landscaping and Garden Center
EXPERTISE: LEED GARDENS
NEVERMAN, FORMER OWNER OF WYLD Wynd Farm in Goshen, studied horticulture and landscaping at Cincinnati State and has been an Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association certified nursery technician for nine years. What principles can home gardeners learn from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) movement? One is sustainability in landscaping achieved through planting native, noninvasive, drought-tolerant plants. Native plants require less fertilization and watering, making them very important in LEED efforts. Another principle is the conservation of water. Install permeable or impermeable surfaces that can direct water to an infiltration feature, such as a cistern or rain garden. Also, limit the amount of
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turf grass to reduce watering, chemical use, and emissions from mowers and Weed Eaters. What is your current LEED or LEED-inspired project? I am designing one on the Ohio River. The lot is small, making it perfect for the “no mow” concept encouraged by the LEED certification program. A simulation creek bed consisting of Mexican beach pebble cuts through the yard landscaped with boulders, creek rock, gravel, barberry, juniper, weeping atlas cedar, coneflower, little bluestem grass, and drift roses. What advice do you have for DIYers? Read up. Landscapeforlife.org is a good site to build an understanding of sustainable landscapes. Planting for wildlife and conservation is the main aspect.