A combination of landscaping and hardscaping techniques can do wonders for reducing the impact of buildings and the surrounding property. Clever species incorporation, water usage and infrastructure can decarbonize any household and business. Here are 10 ways to reduce climate change through resourceful, environmentally friendly landscaping.
Landscaping and Gardening for the Environment
In what ways can builders, architects and landscapers create striking outdoor spaces that match the structures they build and design, while making them adaptable to changing climatic conditions?
Making a Rain Garden
A strategically placed rain garden can harness the water falling from rooftops or down driveways. Having vessels to house excess water gives it an opportunity to recharge groundwater reserves.
Global warming causes extra evaporation, leaving many regions in states of water scarcity. Evaporative demand has risen 80% since 2000, showing how starved the atmosphere is for water. Refilling aquifers is crucial for beating this phenomenon through landscaping. Additionally, rain gardens can control stormwater runoff, preventing flooding.
Implementing Xeriscaping
Drought-resistant landscaping requires landscapers to plant species that can live in poor soil and require little water. If it will take a long time to restore an area or if the natural climate is arid, this is the ideal option.
Xeriscaping lowers energy and water consumption by trying to support plants that are not meant for dry geographies. Minimizing irrigation needs could lower an American home’s use by 30% or more. Similar studies across the world have shown similar results.
Composting and Mulching
Transforming food scraps into soil nutrients is one of the most accessible and comprehensive ways to fight the climate crisis. It lowers food waste generation, which is a pervasive problem worldwide. Decomposing food accumulates in landfills and produces unprecedented greenhouse gas emissions.
Using them in a garden, yard or lawn takes these materials out of landfills and feeds them to flourishing plant life. Combining this with sustainable mulching options can help the soil retain much-needed moisture while it is recovering.
Getting Rid of Turf
Artificial grass is often made from petroleum by-products and can cause areas near buildings to be much hotter than they would be without it. Replacing artificial turf with native grass species adds more opportunities for carbon sequestration, appropriately disperses water and lowers nearby temperatures to put fewer environmental stressors on the building.
Planting Native Trees and Shrubs
Native plants are adapted to the area, which is why they are perfect for maintaining and rehabilitating it. They have numerous environmental benefits for countering global warming and wildlife losses, including:
- Making soil more nutrient-dense
- Inviting local pollinators back to the region
- Sequestering carbon dioxide
- Demanding less water compared to non-native options
- Resisting invasive species
Every location must research what is acceptable in its area based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s hardiness zones. For example, the coastal climate of South Carolina loves yellow jessamine and southern magnolia, which is perfect for the moderately humid yet salty soils. While, woodland sunflower, wild bergamot and common evening primrose are ideal for Southwestern Ontario. In Singapore, bamboo orchids, rose myrtles and lipstick plants are native and a great way to keep the softscaping in gardens environmentally sound.
Hardscaping Against the Effects of Climate Change
Incorporating structural elements can bolster the impact of landscaping projects. How can those manifest?
Using Eco-Friendly Materials
Sourcing ethical hardscaping materials is one of the best ways to consider the climate impact. The majority of the environmental damage building components cause happens before they reach the customer. Therefore, choosing any of the following options will cut these early emissions drastically:
- Locally sourced
- Recycled
- Reclaimed
- Salvaged
- Upcycled
Find providers with these materials in wood, brick, stone and more. They can be helpful for designing sustainable patios, walkways and fencing.
Installing Permeable Paving
Strategic hardscaping choices, like using gravel instead of concrete, allow rainwater to move and filter through the soil. It serves a similar purpose to rain gardens in refilling underground aquifers. It also reduces the likelihood that standing water from melting snow will be a problem, putting unnecessary structural stress on buildings.
Building Retaining Walls
Retaining walls can take many shapes and sizes, including wire cages with rocks or long lines of shrubs to make a living wall. These capture runoff, preventing pollution from entering waterways and promoting drainage in nearby habitats. Homes and companies can install these near slopes where erosion would be prominent or around perimeters where waterways line boundaries.
Incorporating Shade Structures
Shade structures encourage smarter internal temperature management while improving the lives of everything outside. This hardscaping technique can look like awnings and pergolas to cover pathways. Properties can also use cloths or netting to shield plants and gardens from intense ultraviolet rays or pests.
Solar panels are another creative way to enhance the value of shade structures. They can hang over garden rows or rest on top of rooftop overhangs to get more usage out of those areas.
Gardening on the Roof
Living roofs provide an array of benefits for people tending to them. One of the most significant ways it fights the warming climate is by regulating building temperatures. In metropolitan areas, the urban heat island effect is getting out of control. Rooftop greenery absorbs warmth and uses it to foster biodiversity instead of making structures overexert their HVAC systems.
In addition to inviting more pollinators, living roofs could also alleviate burdens in food deserts. Many regions are unable to accommodate their population, whether it be because of poor soils or the inability to transport food safely. Rooftop gardens can feed workforces and communities by using sustainable farming methods.
Climate Change Progress in Landscapes
Every property has immense power to fight climate change by manipulating the outdoors. Each practice embraces restoration and resource conservation, preserving natural spaces no matter their purpose. Whether homeowners garden for the environment or corporations install shade systems for savings, every effort matters.
