Ecosystems
Explore Konza Prairie in Kansas, where one of North America’s last tallgrass landscapes survives. A windswept world of biodiversity, deep history, and ecological resilience still endures.
Read MoreEcological planting design is a more intentional approach to landscaping, reducing maintenance by aligning with existing site conditions.
Ecological planting design offers a framework for creating landscapes that are resilient, self-supporting, and aligned with the conditions of a site. When plants are well-suited to their environment, they require less watering, less maintenance, are more resistant to pests, and grow at a manageable pace.
Read MoreMany landscape professionals advertise “sustainable practices” and regenerative design approaches when they build landscapes and gardens. When it comes to actually building these landscapes their approaches are sometimes less than advertised. Is the term “sustainable” becoming a catch-phrase?
Illustration from Randall Munroe, xkcd comics
Is sustainability about “doing less-bad”, is it attempting to slow down environmental degradation, is it creating regenerative sites, restoring ecosystem functions, rebuilding the earth’s natural capital?
If it is a buzzword, does this bring attention to the issue or by misuse/abuse of the term does it become just a selling point? Is the word “sustainability”, the new “organic.” In terms of landscape design, maybe the new word should be planting and building "RESILIENT."
For a collective vision on sustainability, please refer to the Sustainable Sites Initiative.
