Natural ground cover vegetation such as wild grasses, clover, weeds, and small shrubs helps stabilize the land. Ground vegetation attracts wildlife that replenishes the soil with nutrients at death or by preying on other animals, which leaves body parts on the ground. Some wildlife aerates soil by rooting in search of prey or digging burrows. Natural ground vegetation and trees with strong root systems also conserve water by slowing runoff and evaporation. Despite all the benefits of natural vegetation, many people love the look of a yard blanketed with a green and trimmed lawn, called turfgrass. In some parts of the United States, the perfect lawn can be maintained only through extensive watering, fertilization, and chemicals.
Why do people continue to desire homogeneous expanses of lawn that look nothing like the vegetation that grows in nature? The British geog-
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People waste thousands of gallons of water each year. Clean freshwater is a natural
resource that should be conserved like all other natural resources. Building designs and
plumbing devices are available to reduce water waste and in some cases to reuse gray
water, the wastewater from showers, sinks, and washers. Gray water can then be used
for landscape irrigation. |
rapher Dennis Cosgrove suggested in his 1988 book The Iconography of Landscape that the desire for lawns rather than natural growth is a psychological choice based on how nature was depicted in the arts for centuries. For instance, European landscape paintings from the 17th century show natural land as parks and gardens. The famous gardens of Europe, Britain, and Australia followed this example so that people living in cities could enjoy nature by strolling through trimmed, shaped, and manicured plant life, often sidestepping water sprinklers! Nothing of course could be farther from how nature truly exists. Many people nevertheless have come to think of nature in a parklike sense and feel that natural wetlands, grasslands, and meadows look a bit too messy. Culture therefore has a significant bearing on whether a person chooses a natural landscape over a manicured landscape.
Manicured landscapes involve high-maintenance endeavors that do little to help the environment, mainly because of water waste. The EPA’s WaterSense program has highlighted the following factors in water use and its waste in manicured landscape upkeep:
- People water lawns too often and for too long, oversaturating soil and plants.
- Many irrigation systems overspray onto paved areas.
- Weather-based sensors and controllers can reduce water waste on lawns by 20 percent.
- Soil moisture sensors can determine the amount of water in the ground available to plants.
Turfgrass lawns provide the benefit of reducing soil erosion, but their maintenance, lack of diversity, and thirst for water far outweigh that single advantage. Since eco-landscaping requires strict care in water use and reuse, a new type of natural landscaping has evolved for the purpose of maximum water conservation: xeriscaping. In xeriscaping, land contour, plant selection, and irrigation methods all coordinate for the purpose of minimizing water demand. (Xeri derives from the Greek word xero for “dry”; the word scape refers to any view or scene.)
Xeriscaping professionals select native plants with an emphasis on the most drought-tolerant species. In some parts of the United States, such as the dry southwestern region, xeriscaping serves as a crucial water conservation tool. In addition to drought-tolerant plantings, shade trees take part in a xeriscape by preventing excess water loss through evaporation. In some instances, xeriscaping also needs soil amendments so that the natural soil holds water better and does not drain too quickly. Organic matter
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The plants selected for a landscape should be native or adapted to the climate. Drought-resistant plants such as
these help reduce water waste. (A) red columbine (B) coral honeysuckle (Trees 4NC) |
and humus added to fast-draining soils retain moisture, and sand helps slow-draining soils drain faster and prevents rotting. Landscaping therefore offers homeowners a variety of techniques for conserving water.
