by Laura Kuhn At ELA’s 2014 Season’s End Summit, Laura shared the transformation of a barrier beach landscape from open turf and over-sized driveway to a private and protected retreat….
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.
Keep Winter Gardens Working with Permaculture Strategies
by Lauren Chase Rowell I was asked to come up with five permaculture suggestions as to what could be done with the spaces in our gardens that remain empty after…
A Meadow Comes to Stoney Creek: The First Year
by Silvana Valiani What started out as a routine after dinner dog walk in the spring of 2012 resulted in the implementation of our municipality’s first Meadowscape to avoid annihilation…
7 Reasons You Should Be Using SITES v2
Lisa Cowan, PLA, ASLA Although the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITESTM) Rating System may first appear to be just another green rating system, ELA members should know that SITES can be…
Eco-Answers from the Pros: Reining in Raspberries for Wildlife
We have raspberries growing in our field and would like to promote their growth to feed the wild birds and mammals. Can you tell me “best practices” for mowing the…
Eco-Answers from the Pros: Choosing a Tree for Habitat Value
I have room for one new tree in my landscape (6 hours of direct sun, well-drained soil, zone 5). What tree would you recommend for the greatest ecological and habitat…
The Case for Native Medicinal Plants in the Landscape
by Todd Lynch In the wellspring of DIY that has made permaculture and edible landscapes household terms, native medicinal plants are outside many conventional conversations about edibles. Although institutions and…
Three Hardy Additions to the Edible Landscape
by Dan Furman At Cricket Hill Garden, we have sought over our two decades of operation to introduce American gardeners to Chinese tree peonies. In addition to these imperial flowers,…
Pink Pearl Apple: An Heirloom Surprise
by Joy Albright-Souza Revised from an article originally published in The Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 2013. Designing edible landscapes is a privilege. During the design process for an edible garden I…
Growing Permaculture at Greenfield Community College
by Shannon Dry and Abrah Jordan Dresdale Permaculture can be explained as a two-step practice: 1) observing the beneficial relationships, patterns, and processes found in ecosystems, and then, 2) mimicking…
Patty Laughlin Integrates Edibles into Every Project
by Kathy Litchfield A version of this article first appeared as a post on the NOFA AOLCP website. Every landscape Patty Laughlin plants has at least one low-bush blueberry. She…
2014 Community Project: Arcola Park Rehab
Tucked away off a side street in the Hyde Park Square area of Jamaica Plain, Arcola Park was a rough-cut gem until July 22nd when the Ecological Landscape Alliance (ELA),…