Tag Archives: sustainable garden landscape

Friendly, striking, and sustainable; these are qualities that homeowners should learn to strive for in their outdoor landscaping. They are not only great qualities that will heighten the marketability of the property, but proper landscaping can also increase the energy-efficiency level of the home. Furthermore, while some homeowners have the luxury of time to tend their garden some are just too busy for the task. Enter xeriscaping. It’s a fairly new concept that an aesthetically appealing garden can also contribute to sustainability, but with xeriscaping techniques it is possible.

But how do homeowners practice sustainable landscaping around their homes? How extensive does xeriscaping have to be, or at the very least what are some of the elements that comprise a sustainable outdoor landscape? An extreme example of a sustainable residential garden is called “Project Living Proof,” a model for a sustainable landscape design situated in the sprawling front of a 99-year-old house in the Rockhill neighborhood of Kansas City, owned by the Metropolitan Energy Center.

With rain gardens and rain barrels being an integral part of the design, the garden also includes native shrubs and flowers, raised beds for vegetables, a patio for backyard picnics, a low-maintenance lawn and permeable paving in the parking area. Likewise, the garden uses reused and recycled materials wherever possible. “Whatever stage you are in your greenness and seeking — whether you are thinking about it or are in the midst of it, you want to see what’s available to you. In this project, it’s almost all there,” says Jim van Eman, architect for Project Living Proof.
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