As the population grows larger and the world continues to spin finite, more and more industries are promoting environmentally friendly business practices, and landscaping is no exception. In fact, since landscaping is really just the shaping of nature in a way that’s visually appealing and sometimes more efficient, the landscaping industry is one that has a lot to gain by implementing more sustainable landscaping solutions. Also, sustainable landscaping can even prove to be cheaper over time, all the while being better for the environment, too — a win-win in for the eco conscious among us (which should be everyone)! So with all this in mind, following are some ways that sustainable landscaping can be incorporated into your next landscaping service.
Storm Water Run-off Solutions
The environmental perils of storm water run off are easy enough to grasp because of their proximity to our everyday lives. Simply put, when storm water hits impervious surfaces such as roads, roofs or other paved, man-made areas, it doesn’t soak down into the earth like it would naturally. Instead, the storm water runs off into sewage drains, taking with it all kinds of harmful chemical pollutants, fertilizers, and other garbage and debris.
From here, the water has to be heavily treated until it ultimately ends up coming out of the faucets in your home (provided you live in an area with a public water system.) Needless to say, this is an inefficient system with all of the externalities involved, which also makes it a very unsustainable process. Butut there are better ways to handle storm water run off — luckily, sustainable landscaping services can implement projects like bio-swales, rain gardens and green roofs in order to help prevent storm water run-off from dragging harmful foreign chemicals and debris into your communal water supply.
Energy-Efficient Landscape Design
Everyone is different, but we all have one thing in common — as first-world citizens, we consume copious amounts of finite energy. With this in mind, any attempt at lowering our dependence on energy would be a good thing for the environment, and our pocketbooks as well (considering a significant portion of most homeowners’ bills go toward energy expenses.) Thankfully though, with energy efficient landscaping designed to place trees in a manner that will reduce energy consumption, you can do your part with ease!
By having a landscaping service install trees that shade your home, you can save up to 25 percent of your home’s energy for heating and cooling. Plus, shading your home with a well-positioned tree can increase your air conditioner’s energy efficiency by more than 10 percent, and installing trees for windbreaks can cut winter heating bills in the winter by 10 to 30 percent! It’s remarkable, really: simply by setting up nature in the right way, you can protect nature in a convenient way.
Grey Water Landscape Irrigation
Grey water is waste water that comes from sinks and showers; by implementing an irrigation system with that water, you can irrigate your yard or garden safely and with ease! With the right landscaping service (you may have to call around), you can have a grey water irrigation system set up in a way that will efficiently and effectively disperse safe, fortifying grey water to your yard and plants. Having said that though, it’s important to keep in mind that everything that goes down your drains will now be sent to feed your plants, so you should avoid dumping cleaning agents such as strong acids and products containing boron down your drains.
Written by Clark Jones, owner of Tree Frog Complete Grounds Maintenance, where they offer the best landscaping Columbia MO has to offer!