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Sustainable Landscapes
Ramsey County Master Gardeners
Advantages of
Sustainable Landscape Practices
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Improve environment by conserving resources and
reducing chemical applications
Reduce labor inputs, making it less expensive to
implement and maintain
Possible with modest planning efforts
Five Considerations for a
Sustainable Landscape
Functional
 Maintainable
 Environmentally Sound
 Cost Effective
 Visually Pleasing
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Functional Design
Allows for easy movement, work, recreation,
and leisure in and around the landscape
 Thus, specific to how landscape used (e.g.,
family home, public place, business) and how
people move in/through it
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Non-functional elements
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Steep steps with improper rise
Non-functional elements
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Narrow service roads, limited space for turning
Non-functional elements
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Turf areas on steep slope difficult to maintain
Maintainable Design
Related to function, but more involved with
taking care of the landscaped area
 Provides for reduced maintenance, lower
costs/efforts, reduced inputs (e.g., fertilizers,
pesticides, water)
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Maintenance problems
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Sidewalks too narrow for snow removal
Maintenance Problems
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Turf areas too difficult to mow and maintain
Maintenance Problems
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Edging that interferes with mowing
Environmentally Sound Design
Addresses quality of landscape over time
 Takes into consideration growing conditions
needed by plants and stresses they can
tolerate
 “Right plant, right place” and “right plant, right
purpose”
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Problems, environmentally
sound design
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Structures make safe application of fertilizers or
pesticides difficult.
Problems, environmentally
sound design
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Lawn clippings discharged on hard surfaces/phosphorous
run-off.
Cost Effective Design
Impacted by processes, plants, and hard-goods
used in the landscape and the quality of each
 Takes into consideration costs of both
installation and maintenance
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Designs that aren’t cost effective
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Overplanting and improper spacing
Designs that aren’t cost effective
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Wall lacks function and will make maintenance difficult
Visually Appealing Design
Previous four factors provide a framework to
create a visually pleasing landscape
 Requires integration of more variables but
shouldn’t negatively impact the final
outcome/design
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Design lacking visual appeal
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Poor foundation planting, no key plants, no open space, no
concept lines
Strong visual appeal
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Use of retaining wall to reduce slope
Strong visual appeal
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Proper plant spacing along foundation
Strong visual appeal
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Use of edging to eliminate mowing problems
Base Plan
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Builds from the five design elements and
incorporates information from six sources:
 Interviews
 Site Survey
 Site Analysis
 Plot Plan
 Site Plan
 Structure and Utility Blueprints
Interview and Site Survey
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Interview gathers information from client/gardener
and provides a needs assessment with a focus on
sustainability
 Who will be maintaining property?
 How will space be used?
 How much time/labor is available to maintain?
Site survey includes an evaluation of the space
(existing plants and structures, soil, drainage,
topography, measurements)
Site Analysis
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Addresses challenges
and potential benefits;
combination of sketches,
plans, and notes
Plot Plan
Drawn to scale;
shows structures,
property lines,
sidewalks, etc.
Site Plan
May be the same as,
or include updates to,
the plot plan
Structure and Utility Blue Prints
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Includes information important to design plan (gas,
electric, sewer, etc.)
Strategies for Maintaining/Managing
Sustainable Landscapes
Composting (home, community)
 Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
 Managing/saving water
 Rain gardens, rain barrels
 Mulching
 Soil Testing
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Composting
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Process of “composting” is decomposition of plant
remains and other once-living materials into
compost, a dark, crumbly substance with an earthy
odor
Compost is an inexpensive soil amendment that :
 Supplies nutrients and
organic matter
 Improves soil structure and
water holding capacity
What Can Be Composted?
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Clean paper and paperboard, newspapers
Cotton rags, dryer lint
Coffee grounds and filter, tea bags
Hay, straw, wood chips, sawdust
Leaves
Garden debris (old plants)
Grass clippings
Egg shells
Fruit and vegetable waste
Nut shells
What Shouldn’t Be Composted
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Black walnut tree leaves or debris
Coal or charcoal ash
Diseased or insect infested plants
Weeds with seeds
Dairy products
Fats, grease, lard, oils
Meat or fish scraps
Pet or human wastes
Yard trimmings with chemical pesticides
Plastic wrap and aluminum foil
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
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Considers all aspects of interactions between people
and pests to find the easiest way to resolve a pest
problem with the lowest overall risk to people’s
health and our environment.
Uses a combination of cultural, physical, biological, and
chemical pest management strategies
Four Basic IPM Components
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Monitoring – consistently inspecting and monitoring
for pests to determine the location and degree of
infestation
Setting Action Levels – determining what number
of pests can be tolerated before action is necessary
Applying IPM Control Strategies – integration of
several strategies to combat a particular pest
Evaluation – review monitoring data, actions taken,
treatment impacts, and effectiveness
Residential Rain Garden
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A shallow sunken garden that recycles rain
 Less than 8” deep
 Gently sloping sides
Rainwater runoff is directed toward it
Runoff soaks in
Functions of a Rain Garden
Diverts runoff from paved surfaces (driveways,
roofs, streets, patios, walks)
 Water moves “sideways”
 Keeps runoff on site instead of flowing
untreated into streams and storm sewers
 Soil acts like a living sponge
 Water moves “down”
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Benefits of a Rain Garden
Soaks up 30% more run-off than lawns
 Filters polluted runoff
 Recharges groundwater
 Helps prevent flooding
 Provides habitat/food for butterflies, birds
 Beautifies a low spot in the yard
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Rain Barrel
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Container used to catch water flowing from a downspout
Provides alternative to tap water for lawns and gardens
Benefits of Rain Barrels
Help reduce peak volume and velocity of
storm water runoff reaching lakes and rivers
 Help reduce peak water demands during
summer
 Help improve the health of gardens, lawns, and
trees
 Naturally “soft, and devoid of minerals,
chlorine and other chemicals often found in
city water
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Mulching
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Consists of covering soil with material that provide
a variety of beneficial gardening results
Materials may be organic (e.g., compost or wood
chips) or inorganic (e.g., plastic sheeting)
Benefits:
 Conserves moisture
 Reduces weeds
 Decreases soil compaction
 Moderates soil temperature
 Over time, builds a better soil structure that
helps increase plant health and vigor
Soil Testing
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Why test your soil?
 Takes the guesswork out of fertilizer
recommendations
 Makes good economic sense
 Ensures fertile soil without excess fertilizer
application or pollution of the environment
Taking and Submitting a Sample
How to prepare a soil sample:
 Take samples from several places in a yard or
garden.
 Mix thoroughly and place two-cup subsample in a
clean container
 Results will include a recommendation for fertilizer
needs
 Doing a test every five years generally adequate
 U of M Soil Testing Lab can be reached at
[email protected] or 612 625-3101
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Sources:
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SULIS, University of Minnesota Extension
http://www.sustaland.umn.edu
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U of M Soil Testing Laboratory
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Minnesota Department of Agriculture