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SOURCEBOOK ON NATURAL LANDSCAPING FOR LOCAL OFFICIALS Updated and third printing August 2004 prepared by Natural Landscaping Sourcebook This project has been funded in part by the United PROJECT CONSULTANTS: States Environmental Protection Agency under an assistance agreement with the Northeastern Illinois Applied Ecological Services, Inc. Planning Commission. The contents of this document Brodhead, Wisconsin do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of & the United States Environmental Protection Agency Thompson Dyke & Associates, Ltd or the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, Northbrook, Illinois. nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation Line Drawings of Native Plants from Dick Young, for use. Wild Plants and Natural Areas of Kane County and University of Wisconsin-Extension in In addition to funding by the United States Cooperation with Environmental Protection Agency, the updated and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources third printing was funded through a grant program supported by the USDA Forest Service Northeastern ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Area, State and Private Forestry, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, in support of Chicago Wilderness. The 2004 update was completed with guidance and USFWS and USFS grants of federal monies are assistance from Danielle Green, Laura Evans and administered by the Illinois Conservation Helen Tsiapis of the U.S. Environmental Protection Foundation. Agency, Barbara Wood of the Chicago Park District, Jerry Milewski of American Gardens, Jack Pizzo of PROJECT STAFF: Pizzo and Associates, Tom Price of Conservation Design Forum, Mike Sands of Prairie Crossing, Jack Richard Mariner Broughton formerly of Applied Ecological Services Dennis Dreher and now with Bielinski Homes, Diane Trgovcich Katja Huebner Zacok of Purdue University Calumet, and Clayton Libby Hill Heffter and Mary Beth Falsey of DuPage County. Eva Wurm Additional staff for 2004 Update: Irene Hogstrom, Updated and third printing August 2004 Holly Hudson, Belinda King, Kerry Leigh, Kathy Second Printing August 1998 Maynard, Suzanne Thorsen, Julia Friedman May 1997 2 Table of Contents Purpose of the Sourcebook 5 Chapter 1: Introduction to Natural Landscaping 7 Chapter 2: Benefits of Natural Landscaping 14 Chapter 3: The Role of Local Government 23 Chapter 4: The “How To” of Natural Landscaping 29 (Includes Follow-up Maintenance) Chapter 5: Case Studies in Natural Landscaping 51 Appendices Appendix 1: Glossary 64 Appendix 2: Selecting Assistance for Your Project 67 Appendix 3: Plant Lists 69 Appendix 4: Sources of Information and Assistance 74 Appendix 5: Fact Sheet: Natural Landscaping 79 Appendix 6: Sample Ordinances 82 Appendix 7: Illinois EPA Permit Information 88 Appendix 8: Examples of Natural Landscaping Installation and Maintenance Costs 92 Appendix 9: Executive Order 97 Appendix 10: Selected Bibliography 99 Natural Landscaping Sourcebook 4 Natural Landscaping Sourcebook PURPOSE OF THIS Government officials can amend comprehensive SOURCE BOOK plans and adopt ordinances to promote the appreciation and use of natural landscapes. In recent years, a new look in Citizen education about the benefits of natural landscaping, commonly landscaping can provide a powerful incentive, known as natural landscaping, especially if government officials can point to has been gaining enthusiastic demonstration projects of their own. acceptance across the country. Natural landscaping is an aes- This Source Book will: thetically exciting, ever-chang- * Explain the basic principles and benefits of nat- Blue Vervain ing tapestry of hardy, primari- ural landscaping; ly native plantings well adapt- * Demonstrate the feasibility of using natural ed to the local climate and soil. It provides a landscaping successfully in the region; cost effective alternative to conventional turf * Provide information regarding the ways that grass lawns. local officials as community leaders can encour- age the use of natural landscaping; Natural landscaping minimizes the environmen- * Identify ways to avoid pitfalls that could result tally detrimental effects of pesticides and fertil- in poorly implemented natural landscaping; izers, as well as the noise pollution and the * Describe tools and techniques; and emission of air-polluting substances from lawn- maintenance equipment. It virtually eliminates * Provide direction to other sources of informa- tion and expertise. the need to use water for irrigation, as is required for turf grass lawns. While not mainte- This guidebook was originally prepared by the nance free, natural landscaping requires less Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission time and money for ongoing maintenance than (NIPC) for the U.S. Environmental Protection conventional landscapes. Agency, Region 5 (USEPA). The intended audi- ence is local officials, land owners, and citizens Homeowners and developers alike are begin- in the greater northeastern Illinois region. ning to appreciate the environmental, economic and aesthetic benefits of natural landscaping. Because regional geological histories and cli- mate vary greatly and are basic to implementing Local officials are in a position to advocate natu- natural landscaping, natural landscaping in ral landscaping and bring its benefits to their other regions must be tailored to those unique communities. Local governments demonstrate conditions. Therefore, landscape planners and the benefits by using native plant materials on ecological restoration practitioners in other government owned and managed lands. regions, and even within this large northeastern 5 Natural Landscaping Sourcebook Illinois region, will need to research their own landscape history. They will need to obtain local information in order to understand their specific natural conditions and native vegeta- tion. However, the basic principles and benefits of natural landscaping, as described in this Source Book, should apply anywhere. 6 Natural Landscaping Sourcebook CHAPTER 1: NATURAL plants but has slightly broader implications LANDSCAPING because it also suggests landscaping to give the “look” of the landscape that existed before the I. What is Natural mid-1800s. In addition, there may be an attempt Landscaping? to restore or reconstruct the landscape to look II. The Landscapes of Today and function more as it did before settlers, other and Yesterday than Native Americans, lived here. III. How Can Natural Natural landscaping applies to a wide array of Landscaping be Used? landscaping techniques that help retain natural Rattlesnake Master landscape features, including wetlands, wood- lands and natural drainage features. For exam- I. WHAT IS NATURAL LANDSCAPING? ple, natural landscaping site design incorporates natural drainage features such as swales and Natural Landscaping is the physical modifica- vegetated “filter strips” in contrast to storm tion of outdoors to serve the needs of people by sewers and artificial drainage channels. planting, altering the contours of the ground, and building structures and amenities such as Beneficial landscaping is another term in cur- pedestrian ways, paths and picnic areas. rent use that embraces both native and natural landscaping. The term beneficial landscaping Native landscaping, Natural landscaping, and also includes the use of shading and wind- breaks, which reduce heating and cooling needs Beneficial landscaping for buildings. Natural landscaping is a relatively new term. These terms are relatively new and their defini- Other terms in current use mean much the same tions are somewhat fluid. Questions of termi- thing and are somewhat interchangeable. The nology should not obscure the basic intent or terms are discussed in the context of the concepts. The term “natural landscaping” will Midwestern United States. be used throughout this guide. In Appendix 1 Native landscaping refers to the use of plants— of this guide is a glossary of frequently used for example, prairie, woodland and wetland terms associated with natural landscaping. plants—that flourished in northeastern Illinois prior to its occupation by settlers from eastern North America and Europe. Natural landscaping implies the use of native 7 Natural Landscaping Sourcebook II. THE LANDSCAPES OF YESTERDAY AND TODAY Native prairie, woodland and wetland plants of the Chicago region have great beauty and are well adapted to local conditions. Unfortunately, they have been displaced to a large extent by non-native plants that were familiar to the peo- ple who first farmed and developed our urban areas. Only in recent years have the beauty and utility of our native plants and plant communi- ties become widely appreciated. Our predominant landscaping material today, the green grass lawn, is borrowed from the heavily grazed, short grass pastures and formal Prairie Planting at Lucent Technologies – Naperville, gardens of Europe, particularly England. In that Illinois moist climate, the closely cropped grasses evolved with the grazing sheep, goats and cows. Northeastern Illinois lies along the northeastern Understandably, pioneers from Europe, used to edge of the range of the Tall Grass Prairie of the the short grasses, brought the grasses as well as Midwest. The prevailing landscape before medicinal and food plants to make the unfamil- European settlement was open prairie. In some iar feel familiar. areas the prairie was flat, in others rolling. The prairies were regularly interspersed with poorly Unfortunately, the grasses they brought do not drained lowland and