What Is Sustainable Gardening?
Sustainable gardening is the idea that you can maintain a garden or landscape that is both healthy for us but good for nature as well by growing native plants, using less water and no chemicals. Sustainable gardening is very popular in the Southwest right now with much of the area in a prolonged drought and the massive growth in population in the area.
Truly sustainable gardening not only contains plants that are perfectly suitable for dealing with the area’s climate and conditions, but the plant selection will also be a benefit and an asset to the property.
What plants in your garden meet these criteria?
1) They will fit the space without mechanical control. This means that no plants in your landscape will outgrow their space naturally. Hedging and shearing of shrubs is not ‘sustainable landscaping’. This requires the use of energy, whether it be electricity or fossil fuels. A little judicial hand-pruning to keep the form full and thick or do away with ‘unsightly’ growth is far removed from mechanical control.
2) They are an asset to both your home environment and the greater landscape of the wilds of Arizona. Beyond the boundaries of your property lies a world that Mother Nature controls and decides what fits and what doesn’t. Sustainable gardens and landscaping flow in harmony with the unmaintained areas beyond your property lines. Yes, you want a far more manicured look in your yard, but with the proper landscape design, it can fit with the flow and still be quite beautiful.
3) Plant selection, while presenting you with the optimum water conservation options, should not be considered to require any moisture assistance at all. Not if you want to maintain the value of your property. Most plants used in all forms of landscaping will perform better, grow faster and thicker, as well as flower more abundantly with a well-controlled irrigation system.
4) Plant placement should be done to lessen the effects of the environment on your interior rooms. Smart planning can lower household energy bills. Placing trees to shelter home from climate extremes is proven to reduce energy consumption for both heating and cooling by up to 25%. Naturally, these savings and reductions depend on mature trees. Still, there is no time like the present to get going on creating the savings they will provide.
The best way to have sustainable landscaping around your home is to consult with a long time contractor with vast experience in plants that do well in our area. Not only should your yard and curb appeal be attractive to you and those who drive by, but it should also be an asset to the community. Promoting cleaner air naturally while it reduces your carbon footprint and demand for freshwater resources. Not just outdoors, but inside the home too.
