From Guest Blogger Devin Morrissey: Sustainable Landscaping for the 21st Century

Irresponsible resource usage and waste have been on the public’s mind for years now. As we see the detrimental effects our careless use has wrought on this planet, many are trying to find ways to reverse the damage and save the environment for future generations. How would one go about this, though?

Although some companies and governments are putting measures in place to eliminate waste and conserve energy, one underutilized business that can play a bigger role in protecting the planet is landscaping. Landscapers are directly involved with the environment and can make energy efficient decisions that will be better for the land.

Landscaping has its own ethics, principles and elements that must be followed to create a sustainable, aesthetically pleasing landscape. Through plant selection and irrigation techniques, water waste can be cut down dramatically. However, this can only be done if their businesses are well integrated in the digital age.

Green Thumb

When evaluating for landscaping, a company or home’s landscaping can be much more eco-friendly depending on the layout and plants a landscaper chooses to cultivate. All landscapers should have a basic understanding of permaculture and the benefits that come with it. Permaculture is all about replicating nature as closely as possible.

By planting local perennial flowers and shrubs (which only need to be planted once instead of year after year), the soil will be much healthier, since over tilling the earth removes much of the needed nutrients that help plants grow and thrive. Also, by choosing drought-hardy plants to be the main feature of a landscaping plan, much water will be saved and conserved. Plus, their low-maintenance attributes make them a crowd favorite.

Regular tree trimming is another part to having a happy and healthy landscape. A trimmed tree will remain balanced and rooted to the ground much more firmly, making falling trees one less thing to worry about. Trimming and pruning trees is also great way to deter pests.

When there’s less tree to munch on, there’s fewer bugs. When trees become overgrown, pest and insects are more likely to infest and weaken the tree, making the likelihood of falling limbs and the infestation of other plants greater.

Smart Irrigation

The over-watering of lawns is a rampant problem. Not only is water being wasted, but a lot of money is going down the drain as well. This can easily be solved with an automated irrigation system.

Smart irrigation and landscaping have been used to sell houses quickly, but their use goes beyond the real estate market. Irrigation with smart controls adjust watering based on the amount of moisture that is present in the soil and will even produce less water if it rains.

When planting, group together plants that have similar water needs so that the right amount of water is given. By adding more irrigation zones with extra connections, water pressure and amount can be tailored for different areas of the landscape. It’s also very important to use high-quality materials when constructing an irrigation system.

Every irrigation system needs the right backflow prevention device so that the system does not pollute the water supply. Water scheduling is also something to consider for landscape plans. Depending on factors such as the sun, amount of shade, wind and soil type, a specific area may need more or less water.

Also, watering for shorter periods of time and more frequently will increase soil absorption and reduce runoff, as opposed to watering for one long stretch of time. Time of day and year play a part in effective water scheduling as well.

Making the Switch to Digital

Landscaping businesses do not all come in one shape and size. Although each may seem like one company, they can actually be comprised of multiple legal entities. While one side of the company can be responsible for the actual maintenance of landscapes, the other side could deal solely with finances.

Each legal entity will be responsible for its taxes and may even have its own bank accounts and invoices. When all costs and payments need to be recorded correctly for all the entities, accounting can turn out to be a mess and get in the way of actually doing business.

Accounting software and online banking take the complexity out of managing finances for multiple businesses by sorting data and managing expenses in a much more streamlined way. Financial health can then be more accurately assessed, helping businesses make more informed decisions.

Landscapers should also not forget the importance of digital marketing. Unless people can see what a landscaper is capable of, potential clients will have a hard time deciding to do business with a specific company. It’s essential to get on social media and share what kind of landscaping people can expect. Also, by having a physical photo book to show to clients met in person, landing a deal is that much more likely.

This will leave landscapers more time (and money) to do the things they do and make more eco-friendly landscapes for more people. In the end, through smart planting, irrigating, and digital banking, landscapers are able to make the world a sustainable, greener place.