One of the top landscaping trends of the 21st century is eco-friendly landscaping. Eco-friendly simply means practices that inflict minimal harm on the environment, which could be considered perfect complement to your efforts to visually improve your landscape. Below we’ve discussed a few trends that can easily be implemented.
Using less water in the yard
This is easy to comply with when you use a very detailed xeriscaping plan. A simple solution is to use several drought tolerant plants such as succulents or cacti. Most nurseries carry a good variety of these types of plants in several colors and sizes. These plants are also incredibly hearty and easy to maintain. Water conservation is indeed a good thing and, even if it’s forced upon us, we are doing wonders for our environment by being frugal with our water supply.
Recycling
There are so many easy, unique ways to recycle while landscaping. The benefits are twofold – save the planet and save money! The internet is chock full of ideas on how to recycle; you will find everything from using egg crates to plant seedlings to using old headboards as a trellis. Composting, another growing trend, is a great form of recycling. Composting is an effective way to feed nutrients to your soil and can also offer organic weed control. To compost you can use everything from fruit and veggies scraps to coffee grounds.
Stick with “native” plants
Although exotic plants can differentiate your landscape and bring a unique visual, they are often detrimental to the surrounding ecosystem. It is important to do your homework to understand what is considered “native” and would grow naturally in your environment. Plants that are brought in from elsewhere, sometimes referred to as “non-native”, can be invasive as they compete so successfully against the native plants, that they may end up crowding them and putting the indigenous populations at risk. It’s easy to identify which plant species are native to your own yard and the options are many. Also, keep in mind that if in its own environment it will thrive.
Low-maintenance landscaping
Another trend, which is really based on personal preference, is reducing the size of the lawn. Many people are actually killing their grass and replacing it with easy-to-care-for, drought-tolerant shrubs. Not only does this reduce maintenance and conserve water, but it also provides a unique visual landscape.
These days it is much easier to maintain an environmentally friendly, visually appealing landscape. The beauty not only lies in the actual view, but in the cost-saving measures as well. If you have questions, contact JK Enterprise today!
