Sustainable Landscaping and Irrigation
At D.Medford & Associates we care deeply about the environment. We support the tenants of Sustainable Landscaping and Irrigation and have aligned ourselves with suppliers and associates who, like us, are developing techniques and products which support this approach.
Most municipalities in the Greater Montreal area do not at this time enforce strict regulation of water usage. Many of us however, have come to appreciate that water is a precious natural resource and not to be wasted. The installation of a well designed automated irrigation system offers homeowners convenience and the comfort of knowing that they are using this resource responsibly.
It is possible to work with your landscaper and your irrigation company to ensure that you maintain your property while working towards sustainable landscaping and irrigation. Consider this...
1- Help prevent water loss through evaporation by using mulches. Add 3 to 4 inches around flower beds and under trees but avoid mounding mulch next to the trunk;
2- Group plants that have similar water requirements. If the plants in a grouping have different water requirements, the tendency is to accommodate those plants with a higher need. This practice negates any water saving benefit you might have achieved by planting the low-water plants;
3- Using technology to reduce water loss via evaporation or even poor design is also an important rule of sustainable landscaping. The homeowner may wish to consult with a certified irrigation technician or a certified landscape irrigation auditor and request a water audit of existing systems. Irrigation specialists can create appropriate designs using appropriate technology. For difficult-to-manage situations, consider drip or subsurface irrigation. If a system has been used for more than five years, newer technology is available including evapotranspiration (ET) controllers, soil sensors and refined control panels;
4- Even if the system is new, irrigation heads may need realignment and adjustment to prevent overspray onto the sidewalk or street. Sprinkler layout is important and the pattern of irrigation heads should be in triangles or squares. Irregular patterns will create dry areas interspersed with overly wet areas. Sustainable landscaping means using water appropriately and avoiding waste;
Source: Colorado State University Cooperative Extension - Sustainable Landscaping
(Excerpt)by J. Bousselot, K. Badertscher, and M. Roll1
2007 Delmar Medford & Associates©