If you’re looking to develop a beautiful and eye-catching Denver landscape design, you should know that it isn’t just about aesthetics. These days, it’s essential for homeowners to work toward developing sustainable landscapes that preserve resources and enhance the local environment. Here, we’re taking a closer look at sustainability and how this important practice can help you create a more eco-friendly landscape design.
What Is Sustainability?
Let’s start with the basics: what is sustainability? Per the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the idea of sustainability is primarily founded on one simple principle: everything that we need for our survival and wellbeing on this planet depends, either indirectly or directly, on our natural environment.
However, in our modern era, this connection can be harder to see. As we spend more time indoors with digital technologies and rapidly move to larger cities and urban spaces, it can be easy for anyone to overlook how fundamental this relationship with nature truly is for all of us. Our food and drinks show up at the grocery store, right? Wrong. But there’s no question about the core fact of sustainability: without a healthy, diverse, and thriving environment for us to live in, life as we know it wouldn’t be possible.
Therefore, this concept of sustainability asks people to recognize this relationship with the natural world. In doing so, we can all take steps towards protecting all forms of life and our environments. Sustainability focuses on the basis that all life on earth, humans included, of course, are linked directly to one another—closer than we often think. Our survival as a species depends on the survival of many different forms of life, even down to the level of bacteria and single-celled organisms. Sustainability asks us to find balance within our world and relationships so that we can then make smart choices. Added up, these decisions can shape our lives to protect all forms of life for a better future for everyone.
How Does Sustainability Connect With Landscape Design?
So, what does all this have to do with your outdoor space at home or your commercial property? Sustainability can play a role in every aspect of our lives, such as the foods we eat, the cars we drive, and even the clothes we wear. Now, this also includes the ways that we design and live with our landscapes.
Sustainable landscape design can be understood as the idea of applying sustainability and sustainable methods to your backyard, garden, and overall landscape. A sustainable landscape includes the materials you use, the plants you incorporate, and the daily methods you use for constructing and maintaining your beautiful outdoor space.
A sustainable landscape design encourages homeowners to make decisions that put their landscapes closer in harmony with the natural environment, preserve natural resources, and require less chemicals that can harm the local community. Many homeowners are even surprised to learn just how simple and easy it can be to make sustainable choices with your space.
Tips For A Sustainable Landscape Design
At this point, you might be thinking: well, this idea of sustainability sounds excellent, but how do I put it into practice with my Colorado landscape design? Believe it or not, it’s pretty simple and straightforward to incorporate sustainability into your yard—no matter how large or small. Of course, it’s often easier to do so if you’re starting, but with a few ideas, anyone can retrofit aspects of their outdoor space to cut down on using natural resources and to better integrate with your local environment.
Are you looking to design a more sustainable landscape for your outdoor space? Take a look at some of the simple tips to help you get started on the path toward a sustainable—and stunning—overall landscape design.
- Go native: use native plants, flowers, trees, and shrubs in your landscape design. Not only do they look great, but since they’ve evolved to meet the challenges of your local environment, they’ll also thrive in your space.
- Use permeable materials: use gravel, as an example, instead of concrete or other harder surfaces to reduce runoff and erosion on your property.
- Install rain barrels: setting up rain barrels in strategic spots in your landscape can help you catch and store water, reducing your need to pull more water from your environment.
- Cut down on pesticides and chemicals: work to reduce your reliance on fertilizers and pesticides that may contain harmful chemicals that can do a lot of damage if they get into your local waterways.
- Use recycled materials: when constructing aspects of your landscape, try to use recycled or reused materials as often as you can. This also works to reduce your need to go out and buy new materials that impact the environment.
Conclusion – Why Does A Sustainable Landscape Matter?
Why does a sustainable landscape matter? Because this planet is home for everyone. When you’re preparing to design a beautiful landscape for your home or commercial property, have you considered methods for developing a sustainable space? Now more than ever, it’s essential for everyone to do their part to work toward sustainability and protect our precious natural resources. And while it may not seem like a major impact to make your landscape more sustainable, every bit does make a difference.
Many homeowners are amazed to learn how easy it can be to create a more sustainable and eco-friendly outdoor space. To work toward sustainability, you can use native plants and trees in your landscape, install rain barrels to catch rain, use recycled materials for your construction projects, and avoid excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides that can have a harmful effect on your local environment.
Making your yard more sustainable is easy, practical, and can even save you on time and money. And when you’re doing your part to protect our planet, you’re working toward a better and brighter future for all of us.
