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Landscape design and plant selection

Sustainable landscaping emphasizes plant health and longevity. It creates functional outdoor spaces that:

  • Use less water, time, and pesticides.
  • Support the natural environment and crucial species, such as pollinators.
  • Promote good plant performance and functionality, making them self-perpetuating over time.

Creating a sustainable landscape involves:

  • Understanding the site and the growing conditions, such as the amount of light, soil type and planting space available for each plant.
  • Knowledge of your or your client’s needs and desires for the landscape.
  • Following the design process from base plan to completed design.
  • Proper plant selection for best plant performance.
  • Using best practices to plant, install and maintain your landscape.

A good starting point is to become familiar with the five considerations of sustainable design: function, maintainability, environmental soundness, cost-effectiveness and a visually pleasing landscape.

Creating a design

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Selecting plants

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