Sustainable Landscapes Ramsey County Master Gardeners

Advantages of Sustainable Landscape Practices  Improve environment by conserving resources and reducing chemical applications  Reduce labor inputs, making it less expensive to implement and maintain  Possible with modest planning efforts

Five Considerations for a Sustainable Landscape  Functional  Maintainable  Environmentally Sound  Cost Effective  Visually Pleasing

Functional Design  Allows for easy movement, work, recreation, and leisure in and around the landscape  Thus, specific to how landscape used (e.g., family home, public place, business) and how people move in/through it

Non-functional elements  Steep steps with improper rise

Non-functional elements  Narrow service roads, limited space for turning

Non-functional elements  Turf areas on steep slope difficult to maintain

Maintainable Design  Related to function, but more involved with taking care of the landscaped area  Provides for reduced maintenance, lower costs/efforts, reduced inputs (e.g., fertilizers, pesticides, water)

Maintenance problems  Sidewalks too narrow for snow removal

Maintenance Problems  Turf areas too difficult to mow and maintain

Maintenance Problems  Edging that interferes with mowing

Environmentally Sound Design  Addresses quality of landscape over time  Takes into consideration growing conditions needed by plants and stresses they can tolerate  “Right plant, right place” and “right plant, right purpose”

Problems, environmentally sound design  Structures make safe application of fertilizers or pesticides difficult.

Problems, environmentally sound design  Lawn clippings discharged on hard surfaces/phosphorous run-off.

Cost Effective Design  Impacted by processes, plants, and hard-goods used in the landscape and the quality of each  Takes into consideration costs of both installation and maintenance

Designs that aren’t cost effective  Overplanting and improper spacing

Designs that aren’t cost effective  Wall lacks function and will make maintenance difficult

Visually Appealing Design  Previous four factors provide a framework to create a visually pleasing landscape  Requires integration of more variables but shouldn’t negatively impact the final outcome/design

Design lacking visual appeal  Poor foundation planting, no key plants, no open space, no concept lines

Strong visual appeal  Use of retaining wall to reduce slope

Strong visual appeal  Proper plant spacing along foundation

Strong visual appeal  Use of edging to eliminate mowing problems

Base Plan  Builds from the five design elements and incorporates information from six sources:  Interviews  Site Survey  Site Analysis  Plot Plan  Site Plan  Structure and Utility Blueprints

Interview and Site Survey  Interview gathers information from client/gardener and provides a needs assessment with a focus on sustainability  Who will be maintaining property?  How will space be used?  How much time/labor is available to maintain?  Site survey includes an evaluation of the space (existing plants and structures, soil, drainage, topography, measurements)

Site Analysis  Addresses challenges and potential benefits; combination of sketches, plans, and notes

Plot Plan Drawn to scale; shows structures, property lines, sidewalks, etc.

Site Plan May be the same as, or include updates to, the plot plan

Structure and Utility Blue Prints  Includes information important to design plan (gas, electric, sewer, etc.)

Strategies for Maintaining/Managing Sustainable Landscapes  Composting (home, community)  Integrated Pest Management (IPM)  Managing/saving water  Rain gardens, rain barrels  Mulching  Soil Testing

Composting  Process of “composting” is decomposition of plant remains and other once-living materials into compost, a dark, crumbly substance with an earthy odor  Compost is an inexpensive soil amendment that : Supplies nutrients and organic matter Improves soil structure and water holding capacity

What Can Be Composted?  Clean paper and paperboard, newspapers  Cotton rags, dryer lint  Coffee grounds and filter, tea bags  Hay, straw, wood chips, sawdust  Leaves  Garden debris (old plants)  Grass clippings  Egg shells  Fruit and vegetable waste  Nut shells

What Shouldn’t Be Composted  Black walnut tree leaves or debris  Coal or charcoal ash  Diseased or insect infested plants  Weeds with seeds  Dairy products  Fats, grease, lard, oils  Meat or fish scraps  Pet or human wastes  Yard trimmings with chemical pesticides  Plastic wrap and aluminum foil

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)  Considers all aspects of interactions between people and pests to find the easiest way to resolve a pest problem with the lowest overall risk to people’s health and our environment.  Uses a combination of cultural, physical, biological, and chemical pest management strategies

Four Basic IPM Components  Monitoring – consistently inspecting and monitoring for pests to determine the location and degree of infestation  Setting Action Levels – determining what number of pests can be tolerated before action is necessary  Applying IPM Control Strategies – integration of several strategies to combat a particular pest  Evaluation – review monitoring data, actions taken, treatment impacts, and effectiveness

Residential Rain Garden  A shallow sunken garden that recycles rain  Less than 8” deep  Gently sloping sides  Rainwater runoff is directed toward it  Runoff soaks in

Functions of a Rain Garden  Diverts runoff from paved surfaces (driveways, roofs, streets, patios, walks)  Water moves “sideways”  Keeps runoff on site instead of flowing untreated into streams and storm sewers  Soil acts like a living sponge  Water moves “down”

Benefits of a Rain Garden  Soaks up 30% more run-off than lawns  Filters polluted runoff  Recharges groundwater  Helps prevent flooding  Provides habitat/food for butterflies, birds  Beautifies a low spot in the yard

Rain Barrel  Container used to catch water flowing from a downspout  Provides alternative to tap water for lawns and gardens

Benefits of Rain Barrels  Help reduce peak volume and velocity of storm water runoff reaching lakes and rivers  Help reduce peak water demands during summer  Help improve the health of gardens, lawns, and trees  Naturally “soft, and devoid of minerals, chlorine and other chemicals often found in city water

Mulching  Consists of covering soil with material that provide a variety of beneficial gardening results  Materials may be organic (e.g., compost or wood chips) or inorganic (e.g., plastic sheeting)  Benefits:  Conserves moisture  Reduces weeds  Decreases soil compaction  Moderates soil temperature  Over time, builds a better soil structure that helps increase plant health and vigor

Soil Testing  Why test your soil?  Takes the guesswork out of fertilizer recommendations  Makes good economic sense  Ensures fertile soil without excess fertilizer application or pollution of the environment

Taking and Submitting a Sample  How to prepare a soil sample:  Take samples from several places in a yard or garden.  Mix thoroughly and place two-cup subsample in a clean container  Results will include a recommendation for fertilizer needs  Doing a test every five years generally adequate  U of M Soil Testing Lab can be reached at or

Sources:  SULIS, University of Minnesota Extension  U of M Soil Testing Laboratory  Minnesota Department of Agriculture