Designing Eco-Friendly
Gardens –
Following Mother Nature’s
Lead
by Risa
Edelstein
landscapes and gardens are
changing
The green building movement is
exploding
more attention to our health issues
...and
the
health
of
our
pets
ecological issues
food security
We want to part of the solution
Eliminate chemicals + pesticides
ROUNDUP FACTS
• Most commonly used non-selective (it kills
everything) garden weed killer
• Estimated $44 billion business for
Monsanto
• Scientists are proving that it causes birth
defects, infertility, etc.
Is it worth the risks?
Backyard Composting
Natural Mulch
Fake Mulch
MULCH FACTS
• Best option - leaf mulch
• Leaf mulch becomes compost with a lot of nutrients = free fertilizer
• Mince in the fall – with a mower or leaf blower
• Leaf mulch stays in place – good during rain showers
• Second option – undyed mulch (no red or black please!) Check source.
I need
your
leaves!
compost + leaf mulch = healthy
soil
healthy soil = nutrients + soil life
Reduce Lawns +
Go Organic
LAWN FACTS
• During the season, 50 million lawns are mowed
• EPA estimates that 80 million homes dump 90 million lbs of pesticides & herbicides on lawns
• Americans spend $30 billion a year on lawn care
• Predictions that 50% of our lawns will be organic in next 5 years!
• Visit lawnreform.org or safelawns.org for more info
• Visit ELA & NOFA AOLCP for providers
Going Organic is Easy –DEMAND IT!
Plant more wild gardens
Plant Natives
Natives = Habitat + 4-Season
Beauty
local pollinator conservation
POLLINATOR FACTS
• Bees are the preeminent pollinators in NA
• Scientists are documenting dramatic
declines in native pollinator populations
• Pollinators are essential for flowering -
supports plants that birds and animals
need for food
• any size yard can support local pollinators
Source: gainsheritage
Source:randy son of
robert
Dutchman’s Pipe
hosts Pipevine
Swallowtail
Common Milkweed
hosts
Monarch Butterfly
Source: in2n8r
Virginia Creeper hosts
Sphinx Moth +
fall color
Edibles are HOT!
bird friendly + four season color
Natives – small trees + focal point
Attracting Native Pollinators, Xerces Society
Bringing Nature Home, Douglas Tallamy
Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East, Carolyn
Summers
1. Food Source - For example: Native plants, seeds, fruits, nuts, berries,
nectar
2. Water Source - For example: Birdbath, pond, water garden, stream
3. Places for Cover - For example: Thicket, rockpile, birdhouse
4. Places to Raise Young - For example: Dense shrubs, vegetation, nesting
box, pond
5. Sustainable Gardening - For example: Mulch, compost, rain garden,
chemical-free fertilizer
130,000 yards certified!
http://www.nwf.org
N
A
T
I
V
E
P
L
A
N
T
S
water
conservatio
n
smart irrigation
SMART WATERING
• Always watch the weather!
• Rule of thumb: 1” per week
• Rain sensor
• Drip irrigation in beds
• Audit system each season for leakage and damage
• Seasonal adjustments – spring, summer, fall
• After 3 years – exception not the rule!
rain gardens
RAIN GARDEN FACTS
• Runoff # 1 cause of water pollution
• Rain gardens reroute runoff from
downspouts & parking areas
• Rain gardens are shallow depressions that
allow stormwater to percolate and
recharge groundwater
• Percolation allows water to be filtered from
contaminants
• Lots of info online!
Garden in the Woods
local materials & recycling
Case Studies
Front Yard
Backyard Makeover
hillside
meadow
plant
diversity
supports
wildlife
habitat
Front Yard Makeover
Why is this an
ecological
design?
• Saved 2
native trees
• Removed all
of the lawn
• Recycled &
local
material –
granite,
fieldstone,
brick
• Compost
• Leaf mulch
• Drip
irrigation
• 50% Natives
fall color
Fortune – Best Place to live screen
shot
Park Makeover
dry
creek
one step at a time
edible trees
woodland habitat + recycled
brick
recycling granite
Risa Edelstein
ecological landscape
designer
www.risaedelstein.com
617-710-8157