Landscaping can be more than just beautiful. It can also be environmentally friendly. If you want your business or residential landscaping to be as environmentally friendly as possible, you may want to keep the following tips in mind:
1. Opt for Native Plants
Plants that are naturally found in your area have evolved to work with the environment of your area. As a result, they can stand up to the heat, and they tend to thrive on the amount of rainfall that usually falls from the sky. That means you don't have to water as much.
2. Focus on Drainage
If you live in an area that gets little rain water followed by big swells of rainwater, you need to think about drainage. Ideally, you want landscaping that can soak up as much water as possible. That prevents a bunch of excess water from running into the storm drains, and it helps to prevent water from just sitting in your yard making a mess.
In terms of drainage, grass is ideal, but in areas where you don't have grass, you want to opt for something that's porous. For instance, wood chips or gravel are more effective than solid concrete patios.
3. Choose Local Landscaping Supplies
Don't just think about the environmental impact your landscaping has once it's laid out. Also, think about the environmental impact of sourcing or creating those materials. To that end, try to work with local materials as much as possible.
For example, if you are buying landscaping rocks or railroad ties to line a garden bed, try to find ones that you can get locally. That way, you don't have to worry about all the gas that is used in transport and how that impacts the environment.
4. Plant for the Insects
To be really environmentally friendly, your landscaping should try to benefit the local insects of your area. In particular, you may want to put in plants that help insects such as the Monarch Butterfly.
The population of this butterfly has been on the decline for decades, but when you plant milkweed, or plants with lots of nectar such as sunflowers, dwarf butterfly bushes, or zinnias, you give these butterflies the habitat and food they need to survive.
5. Limit Chemicals
Finally, you want to set up your landscaping in a way that limits the amount of herbicides and pesticides you need to use. You could do that by putting in plants with roots that tend to choke out weeds, or by committing to hand weeding. Your landscape specialist can help you come up with additional ideas.
Contact a company like Captive Landscape Designs for more information and assistance.
