Sustainability in gardening and landscaping has been a bit difficult to define and to explain to the home gardener. But increasingly, sustainability has become a major issue as gardeners are urged to join in efforts “to protect and conserve our water and other natural resources.”
The last phrase is a direct quote from the University of California’s website on Central Valley Friendly Landscaping (www.uncanr.org/CVFriendlyLandscaping). The Fresno County Master Gardeners UCCE have joined with the cities of Fresno and Clovis, the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District and the Clovis Botanical Garden in recognizing homeowners who have installed sustainable landscapes and who follow sustainable gardening practices. Photos on the website portray gardens of the winners of the 2011 CV Friendly Landscape Awards. The landscaping styles of the gardens vary considerably; all are beautiful, as might be expected. It’s what is not shown in the photos that is most impressive.
The website includes an application form for entering the competition. The list of nine required sustainable practices on the application is a real eye-opener — mostly because the practices follow basic common sense and are so easily implemented — and because consistently adhering to these fairly simple practices can have such a beneficial effect on our environment.
Sustainability begins with 1) choosing only plants that require minimal water, suitable for our arid climate (“Sunset Western Gardener’s” Zones 8 and 9). 2) Hosing off hard surfaces and allowing water, debris and pollutants to run into the gutters or street drains is not allowed. 3) Lawns, if any, must be mowed at the appropriate height for the grass type so that no more than one-third the blade is removed at each mowing. 4) Fertilizers are applied by need, not by schedule, and only organic or slow-release fertilizers can be applied. 5) Irrigation is also by need and on the city’s mandated schedule. 6) Sprinklers are turned off during rain storms. 7 and 8) Irrigation systems are monitored monthly to make adjustments and check for problems, and repairs are made promptly. 9) Any irrigation by a hose or a manual system is on on a timer, such as a kitchen timer.
Homeowners must also choose among other sustainable practices such as converting sprinklers to drip irrigation or soaker hoses, channeling and saving rain water for use in the garden, discontinuation of the use of pesticides and herbicides, buying plants from local sources, using hand-powered tools (rakes, shears, etc.) or electric hedgers and mowers or blowers, installing water-permeable hardscape materials, and placing all garden debris into the green waste bins or into a compost pile.
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