Sustainable Landscape Design

What is a Sustainable “The front lines of the battle for nature are Landscape? not in the Amazon rain forest or the Alaskan In garden terms, A landscape that thrives with minimal inputs (e.g., water, wilderness; the front lines are our backyards, pesticides, fertilizers) and that medians, parking lots, and elementary schools. The ecological warriors of the future (will conserves natural resources (e.g., soil, be)… anyone who can influence a small patch water, wildlife), while still of land.” Thomas Rainer and Claudia West, meeting human needs and expectations, “Planting in a Post-wild World” is truly sustainable. (Adapted from the UN definition of sustainability)

THIS NOT THIS • Diverse, densely planted • Monoculture SUSTAINABLE • Adaptable and ever-changing • Static, unchanging • Adapted to natural water • Water-thirsty LANDSCAPE cycles DESIGN • Human/nature partnership • Totally human-controlled • Shelter, food, and water for • Few benefits for wildlife wildlife • Persists with little human • Fails without constant maintenance maintenance Signe Danler, Instructor • Minimal organic inputs • Regular chemical inputs

Garden/garden Project Santa Monica, California, 2004 Substantial reduced inputs Part 1: Fundamentals of Sustainable Gardening

Conventionally landscaped Sustainably landscaped

Two adjacent residential front yards, 9-year study. Conventional, lawn and exotic shrubs, standard irrigation system. Sustainable, native plants needing minimum water, water infiltration pit, moisture-sensitive drip system.

1 Results were stunning • The sustainable garden averaged 83% less water… • Produced 56% less waste… • Required 68% less labor… • Cost $2200/year less to maintain…

…. than the conventional garden… and looked more lush and inviting

Interested? Minimum input, but doesn’t meet human needs!

WHAT MAINTENANCE TASKS DO YOU SEE HERE? What is Sustainable Gardening?

Not just “doing less bad things”...

Learning to incorporate positive, regenerative methods that create benefits beyond an attractive landscape.

Hidcote Manor, England Requires significant inputs of labor and materials.

The Oregon Garden, Silverton, OR Requires Increased Knowledge and Skills Dense, natural planting = less weeds Minimal maintenance Evergreens and rocks for structure

Education Horticulture knowledge and skills Reduced impact on environment

Input reduction (e.g. water, pesticides, fertilizer)

You can influence the health and ecology of your patch of ground.

2 Maintaining Healthy Soil

Part 1 • Mulch regularly - “Leave the leaves” • Maintaining healthy SOIL • Avoid compaction • WATER management and conservation • Paths or stepping stones • Reduce PESTICIDE use • Minimize disturbance • Avoid INVASIVE PLANTS • Add organic nutrients if needed • Provide WILDLIFE habitat • Avoid runoff/erosion

Part 2 - Basic landscape design principles

SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE

Fundamentals of Sustainable Gardening Fundamentals of Sustainable Gardening HEALTHY SOIL MANAGE AND CONSERVE WATER Healthy soil: • Contains organic matter (OM) • Retains enough (but not too much) water • Slowly releases minerals and nutrients • Buffers pH changes • Is full of life – biologically active 99.7% • Is critical for healthy plants

Healthy plants are: • Resilient to stresses - pests, diseases, extreme weather All Earth’s Water Fresh Water Usable Surface Water (1/3 irrigation) SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE

Eaters and decomposers cycle nutrients One cup of healthy soil can contain: Bacteria ...... 200 billion Fungi ...... 100,000 meters Protozoa ...... 20 million Current scientific understanding: Nematodes . . . . 100,000 Arthropods . . . . 50,000 • PNW will get about same precipitation as Earthworms . . . <1 historically • Higher temps will cause more rain, less snow • Less snow in mountains = lower stream flows in summer. • Mountain temps are rising faster than lowlands • Winter low temps are rising faster and farther than summer high temps • Result: more summer drought

SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE

3 Watering lawns and a lush landscape may be restricted in the future In 2015, governor of Oregon declared drought Drainage emergency in 23 of Oregon’s 36 counties. Some cities and towns imposed their own water usage restrictions. swale SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE

Reducing Water Use: Pervious Pavers Waterwise Gardening •Keep water on site •Appropriate choice of plants •Mulch •Smart watering

SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE

Rainwater Collection

• Less practical in summer-dry climate • Need approx. 50 gal per week per 30sf garden space • Illegal in some places Keep Water on Site: Rain Garden SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE

4 Green Mulch Roofs • Reduces evaporation Green• Structurally roofs • Improves soil water retention complex • Adds OM • •MayLow, need drought a permittolerant plants • Alternatives to bark Garden shed Mint straw

Gravel Arborist’s wood chips 2.5 acres on California Academy of Science

SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE

Appropriate choice of plants Smart Watering • Match plants to site Water infrequently but deeply • Group plants by water needs Echinacea and Perovskia • Slowly so water sinks in • Embrace seasonal change look great in the summer with little water • Roots grow deep into soil • Plants are more resilient to water stress

15 min per day Effect of deep vs. shallow Sempervivum turns red watering 45 min per week in summer (or winter) SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE

Dry Summer Climates Chart by Michael Mace, San Jose, CA for Pacific Bulb Society Watering zones

• Group plants by water needs • Match water application to plant needs

Water-lovers in boggy area

http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/DrySummerClimates

SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE

5 Smart irrigation design Fundamentals of Sustainable Gardening considerations AVOID INVASIVE PLANTS • Drip, soaker or sprinkler? • Permanent or movable? Timer? Invasive species are defined as “a species • Allow for future growth that is not native to a specific location, of plants and which has a tendency to spread to a degree believed to cause damage to the environment, human economy or human health.”

Soaker hose Drip emitter Typically provide little or no food value for native fauna; many are actively toxic.

SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE

Lynn Ketchum, OSU EESC Movable systems • Water in morning • Not when windy . . . #1 threat to native plant • Water droplet size biodiversity . . .Consuming nearly 2 million acres/year in U.S. despite control measures Hose-end sprinklers . . .Cost billions of dollars/year in damages/treatment . . .Deliberately or accidentally introduced… often from gardens

Modular system

SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE SOIL WATER PESTICIDES INVASIVES WILDLIFE

Fundamentals of Sustainable Gardening REDUCE PESTICIDE USE Garden escapees

• Non-selective pesticides can harm non-target • If it has the potential to become invasive organisms and environment it probably will do so • Reduce pesticide use by: • Lack of natural enemies in new location • Keeping plants healthy but not pampered • Maintaining healthy soils • Adaptable, fast-spreading, pest resistant • Using locally adapted and pest resistant plants • Illegal to sell or trade noxious/invasive • Allowing some “weeds” plants