Green roofs installed on several Boston bus shelters received a Greenovate Boston Award at the Greenovate Boston Community Summit held at Northeastern University on June 6, 2015. Funded by an…
Designing Ecological Landscapes
Landscapes that mimic natural systems deliver important ecosystem services and are also aesthetically pleasing. Guided by principles that reduce resource consumption, ecologically designed landscapes provide natural solutions when land is disturbed by the construction of buildings or roadways, and they support landscaped communities from tiny rooftops to grand urban parks.
Native Shrubs to Consider for Ecological Landscapes in the Northeast
by Anthony J. Zemba Now that spring is here and our migrant songbirds have returned to our yards, gardens, and woodlands it is a time to consider giving something back…
California Native Plants Gain Popularity among Suburbanites
by Bernadette Balics Thanks to mandatory water use cutbacks, turf removal rebates, and media reports on the plight of monarch butterflies and European honeybees, California homeowners are in search of…
Mass-produced Materials and the Garden…or What I Found Across the Street
by Benjamin Crouch Here in Massachusetts we fondly use the abbreviated form of our state name – Mass. A common trait among all peoples seems to be fidelity to and…
A Wild Garden in the Middle of Brooklyn
by Jenny Blackwell It’s hard to imagine what New York City looked like before settlers arrived and cleared the way for development, but a new one-acre garden in the middle…
The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Diversity in the Home Garden
by Rick Darke and Doug Tallamy Taken from The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden (c) Copyright 2014 by Rick Darke and Doug Tallamy. Published…
From Nursery to Garden: Establishing Plants in the Landscape
by Kate Stafford and Mark Richardson There’s little mystery to successfully establishing plants in the landscape. Most plants will thrive when given the right growing conditions. But, it’s our job…
Tree Growing Contracts: The Solution to a Steady Supply of Quality Trees
by Matthew Stephens New York City is on the verge of completing a major tree planting project through its MillionTreesNYC initiative. It is expected that by the fall of 2015…
Preserving Trees Through Collaboration
by CJ Lammers
Preserving large trees in a new or renovated landscape is a complex task that requires the collaboration of many different professionals to be successful. The problem is that not all of these professionals will take the time to learn about trees, so it’s the landscape designer’s job to understand all aspects of the other professions, their vision for the project, and how they will conduct their work on a site, to ensure that the trees can survive and thrive.
How Will Climate Change Affect Our Plant Palette?
by Peter van Berkum As the climate warms up, we are faced with some daunting facts. Our frost free season is getting longer. Our winters are warmer, at least sporadically….
The Green Alley, the Water Table, and the Ostrich
by Heather Heimarck Boston Architectural College’s “Green Alley” was built with the intention of creating a replicable model that would ameliorate negative environmental impacts caused by urban streets and high…
LandscapePerformance.org: Resources to Demonstrate Impact
by Heather Whitlow The Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) is pleased to announce the launch of its new LandscapePerformance.org website. With 90 Case Study Briefs, over 100 Fast Facts, and dozens…
