Sustainable Landscaping
Sustainable Garden Lecture Series - View Schedule
What is sustainable landscape architecture and why is it important?
We are dependent on our surrounding ecosystems as the source of basic survival needs: food, water, clothing and shelter. By protecting and enhancing the health of our ecosystems, we will ultimately enhance our ability to survive and thrive and provide a better opportunity for future generations.
One method of aiding sustainability is to employ sustainable landscaping techniques on existing and new sites. Sustainable landscaping techniques can be applied by landscaping, construction, and building professionals, as well as homeowners in their own garden. These techniques challenge conventional solutions and are a compliment to the green building progress being made in the Bay Area.
Why should we have water smart landscapes?
Water conservation is a vital part of a sustainable landscape. Landscape irrigation is the single largest use of water in urban areas, comprising approximately one third of urban water use. By using locally adaptable plants and learning how much water your plant actually needs, you can save water and money. To learn more about water conservation and sustainable gardening, click here.
The Department of Water Resources AB 2717 Landscape Task Force was started to "make recommendations leading to comprehensive actions that will improve landscaping water use efficiency." The task force report findings, recommendations and actions can be found on their website.
| "Ecological design is the careful meshing of human purposes with the larger patterns and flows of the natural world and the study of those flows and patterns to inform human purposes. When human artifacts and systems are well designed, they are in harmony with the larger patterns in which they are embedded." |
For general information on Sustainability, visit the Sustainable San Mateo County website: www.sustainablesanmateo.org