think back theSustainable Sites Initiative ? It go under eco - monetary standard for landscape the way LEED does for buildings , and was a collaborative task of theU.S. Botanic Garden , Johnson Wildflower CenterandASLA.This postabout it included the ripe intelligence that a homeowner adaptation was in the body of work – well , it ’s here and it ’s calledLandscape for Life . So let ’s reckon inside , shall we ?
My favorite things
What I did n’t roll in the hay
question and suggestion
“ body politic and local aboriginal works societies are great rootage of information onnative tree diagram , shrubs , and wildflowersthat will thrive in your garden . ” Uh , I like . They usually just list ALL native plant , whether or not they ’re useable or do well in landscapes .
And still on native plants , I have a head about this : “ For the vast bulk of aboriginal wildlife , most of the non - native plant life we ’ve favor in our landscape for more than a century do not allow for sufficient intellectual nourishment , including the worm on which 96 percent of all terrestrial birds reckon . ” But does n’t Doug Tallamy separate us that 50 pct of native wildlife are generalist ?
In “ Green Your Lawn ” ( the site ’s weakest section ) , I find this : “ Because lawn typically ask more water and fertilizer than other parts of the garden and pout consumes Department of Energy and results in pollution , it ’s unspoilt to disregard it down to size . Replace all or part of it with more sustainable alternatives . ” Which seduce me question : Why not propose we NOT irrigate and fertilize our lawn so much , and switch to nonpolluting mowers ? When I had a lawn I watered it less than the respite of my garden , and never fertilise it . And not all lawn mower pollute .
In this anti - lawn mineral vein , it ’s even suggested that lawn be replaced with hardscape , which seems to contradict recommendations elsewhere to beef up our railyard ’s biomass .
And I ’d encourage the source to say more about fertilizing lawn than just “ fertilize sparingly and less frequently ” . How about at the correct clock time of the yr ( spring or fall , for cold or warm time of year grass ) and what to fertilize WITH , including majuscule options like Zea mays gluten , compost and mulching mowers . There ’s no mention of soil examination , or the prompting that we feed only if our lawn ’s looking thin and weedy .
In the word of substitute types of turfgrass , there ’s a nice acknowledgment of theGrassroots Programin California – it ’s part of the Lawn Reform Coalition and we love it . But reader outside California could be helped by a tie-in to the whole ( nationwide)Coalition .
lastly , on the bailiwick of finding alternatives to conventional turf - character fescues , we ’re apprise so : “ Contact your countyCooperative Extensionoffice for more data on which substitute turfgrass variety are best suited for your expanse . ” Again , I bid .
Now reviewer , check off it out for yourselves and weigh in – What do YOU think ofLandscape for Life?It ’s online , so change could easy be made .
