“Cookie cutter” landscapes that are purely ornamental and have a short life don’t require much thought or planning and some people are fine with that. But if you are reading this, chances are that you want more than a temporary, high-maintenance landscape.
Sustainable property design doesn’t just happen. Years of education, training and experience come together to create a property design that truly serves you and benefits the environment. This type of planning takes time and I do it during the winter months in preparation for spring, summer and fall.
Some key differences in a sustainable property design are:
- Your lifestyle and personality are assessed and become part of the plan
- The existing environment on your property is carefully considered and protected
- Water is managed on your property for maximum benefit to you, so it doesn’t just run-off (or run into your basement)
- Maintenance levels are decided in the planning process that fit you
- The plan can be enacted over several years or even longer
The design creates a permanent landscape.In standard landscapes the consumer often just lists the type and amount of features they want. This is similar to how appliances and furniture are picked out. The problem with this approach is that a landscape is alive and growing and many people don’t know what to expect! I’m pretty sure no one has had their refrigerator take over their kitchen.
Sustainable landscapes are a lot more user friendly and less stressful to create. With sustainable property design the customer describes their desired lifestyle and their personality and this forms the basis for the uses of the property. Then the sustainable design combines these uses into the plan.
Now, suppose you are very attentive to detail. Perhaps you are stressed in making decisions or tend to rethink/revisit decisions that you have made. That is okay. You just need to pay close attention to properly describing your personality and lifestyle. Follow that up with carefully defining how you will measure success of the project. This frees you up from a confusing amount of choices and lets the plan begin to direct your landscape.
For more sustainable design answers visit: Getting started with design