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…
Developing Healthy Landscapes
An unhealthy environment should not be the price of a beautiful landscape. Inappropriate plant choices and inadequate soil preparation can lead to a reliance on excessive use of water and on toxic chemicals to resolve problems. Ecological landscaping encourages practices that promote a healthy environment through conservation of resources, respect for biodiversity, and ecologically-sound techniques.
Transforming a Beachfront Landscape
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….
Composting: Turning Garbage into Gold
by Tara Mitchell John Engwer, owner of Groundscapes Express, and Butch Goodwin, Operations Manager, led Ecological Landscaping Alliance participants on a tour of Groundscapes’ composting facility in Wrentham, MA explaining…
Conservation and Preservation in Action: Working Hand in Hand on a National Landmark
by Lucinda (Cindy) Brockway This fall, The Trustees of Reservations will complete a five-year landscape restoration project of the Crane Estate’s Allée and Casino Courtyard located in Ipswich, MA. Thanks…
Adapting Plant Communities: Another Tool for Restoration
by Miles H. Connors According to Webster’s Dictionary, restoration is ‘the process of returning something to its original condition by repairing it, or bringing back something that existed before.’ Considering…
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…
When Goats Join the Restoration Team
Faced with a two-acre lot of nearly impenetrable thicket of multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora Thunb. ex Murr.), glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus), common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica L.), Asiatic bittersweet (Celastrus…
Forget the Debate! Let’s Get on with Planting Resiliency
by Kevin Staso If you listen to nightly news reports or read articles in Nature, The Journal of Ecology or The American Meteorological Society, the frequency and severity of drought…
Eco-Answers from the Pros: Helping Hydrangea Bloom
A combination of bitterly cold temperatures and high winds last winter has resulted in disappointing hydrangea blooms in parts of New England this summer. Are there sustainable options to safeguard…
It’s Time to Tell the Bees
by Michelle, Ray, and Sebastian Wright “Telling the Bees” is a beautiful, old English country tradition. In the 1800s, honeybees were an integral part of family and community landscapes. Informing…
Book Review: The Resilient Farm and Homestead
Written by Ben Falk Published by Chelsea Green Publishing, 2013 Reviewed by Kerry O’Kelly Another title for the The Resilient Farm and Homestead by Ben Falk could be “Permaculture in…
“Don’t Treat Soil Like Dirt!” or “Is Your Soil Healthy?”
by Thomas J. Akin I originally wrote this article for an ELA newsletter a little over 10 years ago; today I would call the article, “Is Your Soil Healthy?” Let’s…