The same as: ‘Location is everything’ when we talk real estate, it also holds true for sustainable landscape design. According to a leading landscape architect Space Designs, a successful looking garden is going to need some very different elements to a garden in coastal Sydney. It all depends on where you are, your location, that determines the sensible use of local materials.
Some Common Denominators
Every landscape is unique. But to create a sustainable garden there are a few common aspects that apply. Things like:
- water usage
- native plants
- appropriate and well-designed irrigation
- the management of storm-water run off
- lawn reduction
are some of the elements to create a successful sustainable garden regardless of the customer or the climate.
The Right Plants
Whether the garden is built in Melbourne or Darwin, the main goal is to use plants that require small amounts of water. Just because you have drought tolerant plants doesn’t preclude you having a beautiful garden.
Less Lawn
The reduction of lawn is of paramount importance. Everybody loves the look of a beautifully manicured lawn, but they are high maintenance, requiring regular lawn mowing and high water usage. A better option is native grasses that require no watering at all. Sometimes to improve the aesthetics, some lawn is unavoidable, but it’s better used to break up different garden areas. Lawns are not yet on the way out, but as we develop smaller properties, they are becoming a luxury that homeowners can no longer afford.
Saving Water
Saving on water costs makes simple, economic sense, especially in drought prone Australia where most cities have summer time water bans and restrictions in place. In cities like Perth, constant sunshine results in a lot of expense to keep high-maintenance gardens in top condition.