Resource Conservation
Conserving resources now is essential to sustaining our way of life in the future. In landscape design and construction, resource conservation can be integrated into the early phases of planning. With foresight, on-site resources can be captured and utilized in creative ways that reduce the need for supplemental inputs — like water or fertilizers, help form the structural elements of a biodiverse system, and create a sense of place.
Water can be captured and reused on site, sometimes as the primary irrigation of an urban landscape. Boulders, dead trees, downed wood, and plant litter can be used to support soil biotic communities and create microclimates that expand the plant pallete for a design. Even paying attention to different exposures and wind patterns can help inform plant choices that will thrive in unique locations.
The High Desert Horticultural Center is developing Best Management Practices that that address water, biodiversity, habitat quality issues, and pesticide/fertilizer use to reduce dependence on external resources. And we are coordinating efforts with State and Regional municipalities and oversight agencies to affect change in standard practices throughout the western U.S.
Stormwater capture and reuse
Water is a limited resource in arid and semi-arid areas of the west. By including stormwater capture and reuse systems in a landscaping project, you can significantly reduce the need for supplemental irrigation and create environments that expand the diversity of plants that will thrive on your property.
Resource collection
Identifying available resources on site and collecting them before construction can reduce costs, help restore the ecological balance of the site after construction, and preserve some of the natural aesthetic quality of a property.