Green Space
by Brendan Butler
Finally, the water crisis in Atlanta has gotten some mainstream attention. Despite the recent urgency watering restrictions have put on us all, this has been an ongoing issue for years. Reserve levels have been continually dropping, and excess amounts of water have been flowing away to other states, with an alarming, yet routine regularity.
So what should we do about our landscaping?
Do we move to more drastic conservation efforts?
Do we retrofit our homes to catch rain and grey water?
Do we turn our front yards into desert like landscapes? or
Do we just cease to make our outdoor environments beautiful?
In this series of articles I will be touching on our options, as well as the most important elements to establishing sustainable landscapes. There are so many solutions out there, most people are wondering which way to turn. I will attempt to define these solutions for us all, so that we may be able to keep our gardens alive, and prevent our investments from turning to dust. First I will highlight the basic techniques, and then will describe ultra- alternative methods that are changing the way landscape architects and designers create outdoor environs.
The First Step, Conservation
We have all heard of the many ways to capture and re-use otherwise wasted water to sustain our gardens. These methods require little more than common sense techniques to grab water before it flows away. One excellent method for this is placing water collecting containers under our gutters. Despite what we may think, the roof on an average home covers a huge expanse of area, and is the perfect surface to capture precious water. Our roofs are pre-designed collection devices, already there for our use! All we need to do is place containers under gutter down spouts or in valleys. So what do we do, junk up our homes with trash cans and buckets strewn about? Not necessary, how about pre-made attractive barrel systems that we can buy, designed just for this use? Some even have a spiqot on them for easy re-use… just attach a hose and water away.
Some other methods to sustain our landscapes in these extreme drought conditions are provided by the chemical industry. Even though their noxious nature has kept many of us away from chemical products, there are environmentally friendly options available. My favorite is an amazing moisture management product called Ecosential, which reduces the need for watering by up to 50%. This natural technology uses hyperscopic and humectant compounds which convert soil vapors to usable water droplets. Amazing stuff and I can tell you first hand it works! You can apply it yourself, or for those not so do it yourselfers you can get a turf-care company like Arbornomics to do it for you. Click here to view a short video describing this amazing technology.
In addition to this I recommend using super absorbent polymers in your new plantings and container compositions. What the heck is that you ask? Simply put, it is a water absorbing gel that expands in the soil, and clings to roots providing moisture to plants during dry periods. This product is available at most garden centers, and is easy to apply in new plantings, or to work into existing soil.
Xeriscaping & Other Design Alternatives
This is where the designer in me really shines. The implementation of dry stone gardens, using Japanese philosophy is an incredible way to create a low maintenance focal garden at your home or office. This accompanied by Xeriscaping techniques, native plants, composted soils, mulches and organic products are all ways we can beat the drought and still have a stunning garden.
These techniques have been in huge demand with my landscape company, and is a real fix to this problem, not just a patch. In our design process, we have incorporated Japanese garden features with modern aesthetics to produce amazing results. This is done mostly by adding features that don’t require water. Stone is the staple element in all Japanese and modern gardens, and makes an ideal focal point. Strategic placement of boulders of granite, slate or fieldstone adds a dramatic effect to any garden. Softening these sharp features with a “skirt” of pebbles or moss is a very surreal look, and appears as a natural stone outcropping.
Dry river beds of round slick stones and slate paths create an amazing look for the modern garden, and add focal points to areas otherwise taken up with lawn areas. Lawns have never looked worse in Atlanta, as they have this year. This is the “gas guzzler” of the garden! Your lawn takes more water to sustain than any other area of your landscape. How about eliminating at least part of your lawn, and replacing it with a slate path, a dry river bed and a few stone features. Properly designed and placed you will be stunned at the effect!
Once you have paths and stones in place, what to do next? Everyone wants some plants in their landscape. Building planting beds of compost and rich top soil in a raised and mounded fashion will help sustain your plants. It also creates curve and contour in your garden. To grow plants in these conditions, roots need moisture to reach for. Planting areas of clay at ground level just won’t cut it anymore. Bring in compost from your leaf pile, local recycling yard or landscape materials company. Even an annual 1” to 2” coat of this stuff will reduce your plants watering needs by holding in moisture. A seasonal application of mulch will provide the same effect, and beautify your garden at the same time.
In the next installment of this series, I will provide you with planting alternatives. Native plants, grasses and other drought tolerant cultivars will be listed, so you can find adequate materials to add to your existing landscape. Our local growers have focused on this in light of the drought, and have provided us with an amazing array of plant materials new and old.
This is part 1 of a multiple part series wriiten exclusively for the Hushbox.
Landscape Designer Brendan Butler is the owner of Tokikata Modern Gardens and is available for on site advice and consultations to help you create that perfect sustainable green space. Reach him at brendan@tokikata.com or visit Tokikata Modern Gardens
