Capability Green

Using recycled glass – or even shredded car tyres – can help you achieve a sustainable landscape, but it’s recommended that you get expert advice from the very beginning 

by Jimmy Gilchrist

21 September 2007

The first step to creating a sustainable landscape is to determine what you are trying to achieve. You must examine the goals and objectives of your project. Do you want your landscape to make a bold statement or do you want it blend in with the surroundings?

At this early stage, it is recommended to get expert advice from a landscape architect or landscape contractor. The British Association of Landscaping Industries (Bali) is an excellent resource when making your selection.

As with all projects, the planning stage is vital and plays a significant part in the success of the project. There are two main elements at this stage, budget and operations.

1  Agree a budget

This figure must include both the initial planting of your landscape as well as the on-going maintenance it will require. It is important to realise that if the initial installation is complex, then it is likely that the on-going maintenance will be expensive too. This may have a negative effect on the confines of your budget.

The financing of a landscaping project maybe a constraint that your company is struggling to overcome, however many contractors offer rental and maintenance packages that would mean that your company does not have a high initial outlay.

2  Operational factors

These will largely be left to the contractor, but you should agree on the final planting scheme, and ensure that you have been supplied with a planting plan and made arrangements for regular progress reports or meetings, depending on the size of the project. For large projects, it may even be possible to visit a supplier’s nursery to hand-pick any specimen material that you particularly want.

Soil analysis is always recommended to establish a successful, sustainable scheme and match to the correct soil type. Containers can sometime be used where soil type or depth is an issue.

3  Choose the plants

Selecting plants and materials will initially be defined in the planning stages of the project. Plants can be selected by temperature zones, and therefore using locally sourced plants would mean that they do not require heat or special care, resulting in reduced on-going maintenance costs. By using such plants you are working towards creating a sustainable landscape.

4  The top dressing

Top dressing the soil is usually a good option to consider, the main advantages of it are that it allows the plants to retain more water and suppress weed growth. The other main advantage is that by using a top dressing, the appearance of the landscape becomes more modern and aesthetically pleasing.

A variety of different finishes are available, from natural products to fully recycled products. The natural products include bark, stone and aggregate where the recycled products include glass, which is made safe by various smoothing methods and even shredded tyres making a product very similar, in its look, to forest bark.

5  Maintenance

After planting takes place, all plants will require initial irrigation until they are established. It is critical to establish with your contractor a ‘defect clause’ with a specified timescale as this would normally incorporate the first year’s maintenance and any plant replacement.

A significant proportion of your budget will be allocated to initial planting. Traditionally, landscapers would opt for high-density planting; the main problem of doing this is that the on-going maintenance is more labour intensive and therefore significantly more expensive. I would advise that larger specimens are selected, as the planting is then reduced and the on-going maintenance becomes more cost effective.

6  Contractor selection

This is a vital component in the success of your project. As previously stated landscaping architects and contractors can be selected using Bali, a recognised and respected industry association, of which GP Plantscape has been an influencing member for many years.

7  Implementation

A programme of works should be developed and implemented. The availability of irrigation/watering systems should be established and defined clearly
for the technicians that are maintaining and creating the landscape. Don’t forget that the selected contractor should always seriously consider selecting locally sourced plants in order to reduce their carbon footprint as well as the plants being more adaptable to the climate.

Key points

• Decide on the ‘look’ you would like to create

• Define the goals/objectives of the projects

• Plan each stage of your project, focusing on budget and operational aspects

• Consider and define the plants and material to be used – are the plants to be sourced locally? This would be influenced by the budget for the project and the on-going maintenance of the site

• Select a top dressing; with consideration given to using a natural product or a fully recycled product. More water will be retained and weed growth suppressed by top dressing

• Using larger plants is initially more expensive but reduces the on-going maintenance costs, whereas a more densely planted area would have higher on-going maintenance costs

• Seek advice from an experienced landscape architect/contractor who can give expert and professional advice

• Schedule a programme of works as this will contribute to the success in project managing your sustainable landscape

Jimmy Gilchrist is managing director of GP Plantscape