Plants and other Green Issues
by Rick Mathews
Plants
We all love the plants. They are the most visible things in the garden and what people care most about. The sustainability of a garden is greatly affected by plant choices. One important concept to remember is how plants are grouped.
Exposed hillsides should be planted with xeriphytic (drought-tolerant) plants with massive root systems for erosion control. Water lovers should be in shady corners. Turf border areas, if planted, should have plants compatible in terms of water and soil needs.
Plant density is also an issue. Planting less densely can help match the biomass to the carrying capacity of the land.
Turf
Reduce turf areas. 20% of total landscape area as turf has been used in the past as a guideline. Less turf means less water, fertilizer, pesticides, mowing, edging, etc. While an individual may be able to afford all the lawn he or she wants, oversized lawns irresponsibly strain our regional resources and should be discouraged.
Native Plants
I wholeheartedly advocate the use of native plants in our gardens. The benefits of using our local plants go far beyond their obvious suitability in terms of climate, water use, soil and fertilization issues and so forth. In fact, I would say that use of and interest in understanding our native flora can begin to deal with cultural and philosophical issues that are more vital to us than we may recognize.