The positive results of removing invasive plants are often evident in the return of native species to the area. But what happens to the plant material that has been removed? Does it have to be destined for the incinerator or landfill? Apparently not: artists and others are finding responsible ways to utilize the invasive plant material they remove.
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.
Soil Biology Basics: Part II
by Joe Magazzi, MS Soil Biology Basics: Part I introduced readers to some basic information on soil biology regarding all of the benefits plants, trees, and turf receive from building…
Nutrient Dense Hugelkulture: An Experiment in Land Management at Woody End
by M.L. Altobelli What do you do with an old, central Massachusetts farm – much of it poor-quality pasture with depleted soil – that has stayed within one extended family’s…
Recent Research on Biochar’s Potential in Soils
by Thayer Tomlinson There are many types of soil additives and fertilizers used to improve the structure and functions of soil. One that has re-emerged in the last five years…
Soil Biology Basics, Part I
by Joe Magazzi It is always difficult to understand concepts that we can’t see. Most landscapers understand the importance of healthy visible landscape ecology in terms of plants, trees and…
A Tale of Three Garden Shows: Progress?
This excerpt from a longer article is reprinted by permission of the author and Native Plants & Wildlife Gardens and appears in full at http://nativeplantwildlifegarden.com/a-tale-of-three-garden-shows-progress/. by Sue Reed I have…
Site Considerations When Reclaiming Previously Developed Land
by Anja Ryan Throughout New England’s cities and towns there are many uncovered opportunities to reclaim previously developed land. Forgotten over the years, old railroad beds, burned-out mill foundations, and…
Piloting the Sustainable Sites Initiative™
by CeCe Haydock The Sustainable Sites Initiative™, or SITES™ for short, was born from a need for a nationwide, voluntary rating system for landscape construction. The collaborative effort involved forty…
Conservation and Landscaping Professionals Working Together in Ecologically Sensitive Areas
by Theresa Sprague As the landscape paradigm continues to shift towards sustainable/regenerative design, ecological function, and land management vs. landscaping, it becomes clearer that collaboration between the conservation and landscape…
Planning for Resilient and Sustainable Communities
by Jack Ahern An original method for planning resilient and sustainable cities is presented here. The method builds on established planning methods and models. The method has five themes: (1)…
What is Sustainability?
by Ronald G. Dodson To my way of thinking, sustainability is an individual and personal ethic that informs, guides, and inspires actions in daily, personal, and professional life. Practicing the…
Restoration Enhances Ecosystem, Recreation, and Water Quality at Fresh Pond
by Thomas Benjamin Ecosystem restoration is often driven by a regulatory requirement, which makes the voluntary improvement of a 30-acre section of urban oasis including forest, meadow, and shoreline quite…
