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The EcoLandscape Group Program is designed to be implemented in your landscape step by step. We hope they help you to gain real tool you can use in your life and reduce your carbon footprint and landscape maintenance costs.

The system is simple and easy to follow. Most landscape maintenance programs consist of artificial fertilizers, lots of mowing, and lots of watering. It seems like these few steps would make maintenance simple. However, too much fertilizer, water, and mowing causes so many problems that this 'modern method' is less efficient, more work,  and more costly.

The Five Steps are designed to focus on the main aspects of maintaining any landscape.

Soil biology and fertility - Active, live soil microbial life is the cornerstone of plant life and healthy ecosystems. Many soil bacteria and fungi actually create a situation that will self fertilize trees, lawns, and shrubs. By building the proper environment for soil microbes, your soil will come alive and your work load will decrease.

Biomass recycling and regeneration - Better known as composting, biomass recycling keeps natural nutrition sources created by a healthy soils on site and recycles the active biology back into the lawn and landscape. By adding biomass such as kitchen waste to your compost pile, you will boost the levels of nutrients without using petroleum based fertilizers.

Water and irrigation management - Water is the main reason plants grow. It's the main building block of all life on Earth. In most situations the more water that is applied, the more plant growth will occur. This is a problem when the growth is greater than the landscapes ability to recycle the biomass back to the soil. Thatching mowers can't handle too much grass. A compost can only take so much yard waste. Too much water prevents oxygen from penetrating the soil for healthy root growth. Soggy soils drown soil microbes and create a foul, stinky muck like a bog, or swamp.

Proper pruning and mowing - Poor practices with pruning, trimming, and mowing are like having a bad cut on human skin that can get infected. Even if a plant is thriving in a healthy environment, improper pruning can lead to pest and disease infection. Trimming certain plants into shapes or sizes that don't fit their natural growth habit creates a situation that requires regular pruning. Pruning equals work. Power pruners equal carbon emissions.

Pest and weed control - Weeds and pests are result of unbalanced natural systems. They are natures clean up crew. When natural disasters occur in nature like floods, landslides, fire, and drought, pests kill of the weak and sick plants, and 'pioneer species' we call weeds come in to re-colonize the area and establish a new balanced ecosystem. If a landscape has constant pest problems, there is a larger problem that is not being addressed.

Proper design - Most landscapes are not designed with nature in mind. They're laid out according to a human perspective and in relation to architecture rather to what the micro environment needs. Square hedges, topped trees, tightly mowed lawns of only one species, exotic, over bred flowers with huge unnatural blooms all contribute to an unbalanced environment that triggers the 'clean up crew' (pests) to whipe out the sick and weak for the 'pioneer species' (weeds) to come in and start over.

As the system is laid out in easy to follow steps, the simplicity of sustainable landscaping will become apparent.

1. Learning Basic horticulture and establishing your score. Understanding some key horticultural principles is the first part of the system. By learning what plants need to thrive we can better provide those ingredients. Measuring and calculating your current landscape energy use will enable you to see the areas that need to be worked on or reduced.
2. Understanding soil biology and regulating nutrition and irrigation. Water and nutrition are the key ingredient for soil biology and health.  By controlling irrigation and enabling plant communities to live in environments that match their evolutionary requirements, less energy and work will be needed to maintain a healthy landscape or garden. Using natural nutrition reduces emissions and petroleum use in the landscape.
3. Practicing proper maintenance techniques. Proper pruning and mulching helps plants resist attack from weeds, pests and disease. Improper pruning and especially mowing upsets the balanced hormonal and physiological processes that keep plant communities healthy.
4. Controlling weeds and pests. If these first criteria are met, pests and disease are less of a problem or non existent.
5. Re-Design. When all else fails, re-design may be needed. Be sure to match the need of the micro environment when designing a landscape layout and place the plant materials appropriately.

As a ‘hands-on’ gardener as well as freelance writer and landscape/garden consultant, I test plants/plant accessories at my Central VA garden site. Because I assume you likewise struggle with the affect of climate change, I thought the results of my 2008-9 effort would be useful. For details of ongoing activities, link to web site www.TheWrightScoop.com.

Description of 2008-9 Season - The 2008 spring planting season followed a Central VA winter water deficiency and then, experienced a late season snow (Easter weekend). When it was time to plant warmer season annuals/veggie garden, skies were overcast; temperatures cool and the area experienced too much rain. Next, periods of drought and 100 degree VA dog-days followed and by late August/early Sept a 3-week 100 degree spell compounded by drought occurred. Needless to say, this was a less than an optimal growing season.

Reacting to the persistent drought, I opt to winter-over (cut back and cover with 1 inch of compost) my perennial areas, forego watering the lawn and placed my focus on supporting the survival of trees/shrubs. Although we next experienced a winter of severe cold nights vs. unusually warm days, my garden experienced little or no plant loss. For details of eco-chic landscape/garden strategies, see http://richmond.housetrends.com/article.php?id=145, an article published with Richmond’s HouseTrends magazine.

During the spring of 2009, spring rains balanced the winter water deficiency, temperatures gradually warm and because of the somewhat ideal planting season, volunteer Japanese Maple tree, hellebores and peony seedlings occurred. And, due to the enticement to 'dig in the dirt', I acquired what I refer to as ‘hoe’ instead of ‘tennis’ elbow.

While I regularly haunt retail garden sites for cool plants, I specifically extend sincere THANKS to developer and/or vendors that offer the opportunity to ‘test plant/seeds’. For the results of my 2008-9 season, see below.

Brent & Becky Bulbs, www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com – Bulbs from this vendor are always a treat – durable unique blooming plants that bear well. For the fall of 2008, in addition to gladiolus and iris, alliums were supplied and are presently in bloom.

David Austin Roses, www.davidaustinroses.com – hearty plants, abundant blooms through out the growth season and limited susceptibility to traditional VA black spot and fungus.

Hound Dog, www.hound-dog.com – thank you for my ‘hand-held’ garden cultivator (weasel). It’s a great tool for breaking up compacted soil.

PDSI, www.encoreazalea.com - During prior seasons, I received shipment of Encore Azalea and experimented with exposure placement. I found related to Central VA that either a NW or NE exposure works best. Plants installed in the spring of 2007 worked-well until the winter of 2008-9. Due to the alternating 40 degree day vs. 20 degree night – Loropetaium experienced significant freeze/frost damage. On the other hand plants shipped the fall or 2008 (Southern Living Line/Encore Azaleas - Oakland Holly Ilex hybrid 'Magland' PP#14417, Robin Holly Ilex hybrid Conin PP#9486, Spring Sonata Indian Hawthorne Raphiolepis indica 'Wilcor' PP# 17972, Autumn Angel™ (Rhododendron Hybrid) Azalea x 'Robleg' PP#15227, Autumn Belle™ (New) Azalea x 'Robleo' PPAF, Autumn Moonlight™ (New) Azalea x 'Robler' PPAF, Autumn Sundance™ (Rhododendron Hybrid) Azalea x 'Roblef' PPAF) survived without damage and appear to adjust to the warming temperatures of late spring.

Proven Winners, www.provenwinners.com – perennials, hydrangea and roses ** as a special note - not only did the supplied 2008 begonia perform well in the heat and bloom all summer it survived the winter. Presently, the emerging plants are in leaf stage. Another personal favorite is the hardy ever-blooming hedge rose. These plants are also presently providing a colorful display.

Renee Seeds, www.reneesgarden.com – regardless of cool or warm season – veggie, flower or herb, I encounter almost 100% seed germination regardless of flux in temperature and at harvest, bountiful results.

Rich Earth, www.richearth.net – while I give full credit to Brent Heath of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs for inspiring me to compost, it is difficult to produce enough compost for extended gardens. So, when I was offered the opportunity to test Rich Earth products, I was appreciative. Not only did I find this product to ‘jump start’ deficient soil, I understand many developers and/or growers use the product in their plant initial growth stage.

Skagit Gardens, www.skagitgardens.com – perennials – 2008 shipment of rare and unique plants faired well through the winter and 2009 shipment recently arrived and is installed.

Weeks Roses, www.weeksroses.com – While I’ve purchased Week’s line of ‘knock out’ roses as container plants and they work-well, I’ve experienced problems with testing 'bare-root’ plants. Basically, I discovered ‘bare root’ plants shipped prior to the Christmas holidays do not survive and those shipped mid January, survive. Most likely the issue is too early shipment.

I hope you find the results of my 2008-9 Central VA plant testing useful. Please feel free to post what has or has not worked for you!