Green Living in Nashville Landscape Design & Installation

Darren Bishop Landscape and Design, LLC
Nashville, Tennessee
A full-service landscape & lawncare company

Ideas For Implementing a "Greener" Landscape

Our relationship to the landscape is guided by the principle of stewardship, and as such, we believe we are responsible for finding ways to preserve what we have been given as a trust for future generations. The following are some basic, easy-to-execute methods of landscaping for clients interested in implementing "green living" into their landscape:

Soil Quality
"Feed the soil, not the plant". Healthy soil equals healthy plants. By boosting soil fertility through amending with organic matter (compost), we are better able to mimic the processes of nature without adding short-term, chemical fixes such as fertilizers to plants. As a result, plants are healthier & have longer life-spans, which saves the client money, time & resources, such as plant replacement costs and unnecessarily high watering requirements.

Irrigation Techniques
Consider your irrigation options. Drip irrigation releases a slow & small amount of water directly onto the soil's surface and around the plant's roots, which decreases water loss due to evaporation. Spray irrigation, while a much more common alternative, results in a substantial waste of water due to evaporation. Also, it is unsuitable for some perennials, which can eventually grow up to to block the sprayer's head. Drip irrigation far outweighs its alternative, and installation is faster and usually less expensive than spray irrigation.

Mulch
Mulch is inexpensive and may be the best investment you make in your new green landscaping project because it can keep weeds at bay much longer than compost alone. Mulch is simply a blanket of organic matter placed on the soil to insulate it and hold in moisture.

Recycled Materials
Choosing to implement recycled materials into your landscape- everything from mulch to soil amendments to recycled hardscape material- can dramatically reduce costs while providing environmentally-friendly alternatives. Ideal mulch is a mixture of 50% compost & 50% woody material. The organic matter- providing a rich source of nutrients- can be recycled from your green waste bin, yard clippings or the local coffee house (organic coffee grounds provide a rich compost).

Likewise, construction materials can be recycled into new hardscape (a term which refers to the stonework portion of a landscape). Old bricks can make a beautiful new patio or path. Similarly, broken-up concrete which is widely available from construction sites and always free, can make an attractive substitute for flagstone.