Can a Sustainable Landscape Still Be Beautiful?

Now more than ever, we all need to consider how we can live our lives in a more sustainable way to protect our natural resources and environment. From recycling, shopping smart, to conserving water, there are small steps we all can take to live more sustainable lives. And if you have a landscape design, there are many simple and cost-effective methods you can take to ensure your yard and garden is more sustainable and friendly to the environment.

But many homeowners are concerned that sustainability won’t mesh well with their aesthetics and goals. However, many point out that a sustainable landscape can be even more beautiful as incorporate elements of your surrounding environment and get creative to preserve resources (and cash). Here, we’re taking a closer look at sustainable landscape design and offering some tips for making your landscape more eco-friendly.

Photo credit: Pexels

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the idea of sustainability is really founded on one main principle: everything that we need for our survival and wellbeing on this planet depends, either indirectly or directly, on the natural environment that surrounds us. As we spend more time indoors and move to larger and larger cities, it can be easy to forget about this fundamental relationship with nature. Our food just shows up at the grocery store, right? But there’s no question about it: without a healthy, diverse, and thriving natural environment, life as we know it just wouldn’t work.

Thus, sustainability asks for people to recognize this relationship with the natural world so we can take steps towards protecting non-human life and environments. Sustainability focuses on the fact that all life on earth, humans included, are linked directly to one another. Our survival as a species depends on the survival of many different forms of life. Sustainability pushes us in the direction to find balance with our world so that we can then make smart choices throughout our daily lives to protect all forms of life.

Sustainable landscaping, then, can be understood as the practice of applying sustainability and sustainable practices to your yard, garden, and overall landscape design. It’s about the plants you use, the materials you incorporate, and your daily practices in constructing and maintaining your beautiful landscape design.

A sustainable landscape design encourages homeowners to make decisions that put their landscapes closer in harmony with the natural environment, preserve natural resources, and require less chemicals that can harm the local community. Many homeowners are even surprised to learn just how simple and easy it can be to make sustainable choices with your space.

Many homeowners may be hesitant to consider a making their landscapes and gardens more sustainable because it may limit the aesthetic appeal. However, this concern couldn’t be further from the truth. Sustainable landscaping advocates would even argue that you can easily make your outdoor space even more beautiful by adhering to sustainable practices and having your yard with nature—not against it.

Photo credit: Pexels

For example, some may falsely believe that a sustainable landscape means that you can’t use any water for your yard. This isn’t accurate. Rather, a sustainable landscape design encourages people to consider how they can use water more wisely. Not only does this conserve our most valuable resources, but it will also save the homeowner money on their utility bill every month. A true win-win, right?

Thus, a sustainable landscape design is all about making smart, strategic decisions to improve both your landscape and the natural environment. Another simple example is in paving. Which will you choose for your walkway, brick or gravel? While both can be visually appealing depending on the way you use these materials, gravel is a better choice for a sustainable yard because it’s permeable. Since gravel allows rain to pass through into the soil (not slide off like brick), this allows for more water to reach your soil and prevents erosion from ruining your yard during heavy storms. It can also reduce run off which can quickly wash harmful pesticides and chemicals into storm drains and groundwater.

It isn’t that hard for many homeowners to make some adjustments to make their landscapes more sustainable. Of course, it’s even easier if you’re starting from scratch, but with a few tips and methods anyone can retrofit aspects of their yard or garden to cut down on resource usage and to integrate better with your surrounding environment.

Here are some tips for making your landscape more sustainable (and potentially even more beautiful, too):

• Use native plants, flowers, and trees in your landscape design.
• Install rain barrels to catch and store rain.
• Use permeable materials for surfaces (like gravel) to reduce run off and erosion.
• Use recycled materials for construction projects.
• Use renewable energies, like solar power.
• Avoid using excess fertilizers and pesticides.

A sustainable landscape should be a top priority for any homeowner. While some may still think that sustainability and a beautiful yard simply don’t go together, this couldn’t be further from the truth of the matter. Making your yard more sustainable is easy, practical, and can even save you on time and money.

Not only that, but a sustainable landscape can help you do your part to protect our planet and conserve our precious natural resources. With such a stellar landscape design, you may even inspire some of your neighbors to do the same. If we all care for our yards in such a way, then gradually we can all make a major difference in protecting the environment—all while having a yard you can be proud of.

Published in: Outdoors | Author: Chary