While landscaping has the potential to be part of the solution to certain environmental problems, the quest for beauty can also produce effects that are harmful to the environment. Sustainable Landscaping: Principles and Practices examines landscape practices that adversely affect the environment, which occur in the process of constructing, implementing, and managing residential and commercial landscapes. It explores ways to change these practices to have a more positive effect, describing the principles of sustainable landscaping and proposing solutions to challenges that can arise.

This book covers a wide range of landscape practices that fall under the broad subject of sustainability, providing detailed coverage of principles including the following:

• Conducting sustainability audits
• Using plants to maximize their benefits
• Regulating solar heat gain and loss with seasonal climate changes
• Directing wind using plants to minimize heat loss in winter and maintain cooling breezes in summer
• Addressing water quantity and quality
• Managing storm water
• Understanding and improving soil health
• Minimizing the impact of pesticides and herbicides
• Conserving energy and reducing air pollution
• Managing resources and reducing waste

Each topic is introduced by providing background information and terminology, followed with practical solutions that are being implemented by landscape professionals. Written for a general audience—from students of landscaping to homeowners and professionals in the landscaping industry—this book provides background information and practical solutions, offering sustainable approaches to the way landscapes are designed and managed.