by Rebecca McMackin Two months ago, Hurricane Sandy devastated coastal regions of New York and New Jersey. Much of Brooklyn Bridge Park (BBP) was underwater for four hours. Sandy was…
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.
The Buzz on Biodiversity
The following excerpt is reprinted with the author’s permission from The Holistic Orchard, Chelsea Green Publishing (January 10, 2012). by Michael Phillips Permaculture people speak of two classes of plants…
Ecological Design Creates Oasis at Urban Medical Facility
by Amanda Sloan and Dave Renzi As they make the left turn into the Providence, RI doctor’s office parking lot, some patients might set their jaws and steel themselves. The…
Current Favorites – Native…and Nearly Native
by Lorayne Black, ASLA I always like this time of year. The deadlines seem to be spaced out a bit more than during the spring and fall months. The last…
ELA Joins Sustainable Sites Initiative
by Tobias Wolf, ASLA The ELA Board is excited to announce that the organization recently joined the Sustainable Sites Initiative as a Participating Organization. The Sustainable Sites Initiative, also known…
Laurel Garden Design: Notes from the 2012 Season – Horticulture
by Darcy Paige I’ve been designing, installing, and tending gardens for 16 years. About two-thirds of my time each season is spent in gardens, with my trusty, dusty team. Each…
Laurel Garden Design: Notes from the 2012 Season – Design
by Darcy Paige Design Notes As a gardener, I am afforded a lot of design input as I care for gardens: re-doing beds, planting annuals and bulbs, and festooning containers…
Beautiful and Beneficial: Natural Swimming Ponds Offer Ecological Options
by Trevor Smith A low gurgle emerges from beneath the Mentha aquatica as clear water begins to make its way from the bog downstream between smooth boulders and over gravel….
Greening the Greenway
by Stu Shilaber The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway is Boston’s only organically maintained public park and one of a handful of organically maintained urban parks in the United States. The…
Mowing Less at Bird Park: Sustainable Stewardship with Community Support
by Russ Hopping Parks and other cultural landscapes require careful planning and stewardship to make them special places for visitors. The natural world includes equally special and unique places that…
The Place and Time
by Jack Pizzo The time of critical mass is approaching. All around us we see green initiatives. The kids see it at school; we see it at work; we see…
Spotlight on Native Habitat Gardens: An Interview with Ellen Sousa
Ellen Sousa, author of The Green Garden, is a garden coach who helps local gardeners build, maintain, and nurture safe, healthy, and beautiful landscapes. She writes and speaks about habitat…