Landscaping & Garden Development
Landscaping is the art of planning the drives, walks, lawns, shrubs, gardens, flower-beds etc. so as to form a beautiful setting for a building. The main purpose of landscaping is to create a joyful environment around the building and give the occupants a healthy breath of fresh air, good appearance and natural beauty.
- Air temperatures in a yard planted with shade trees can be up to 6 degrees cooler than an unplanted yard on a hot summer day.
- Well-placed trees can shade and cool the air above paved areas of a home landscape by up to 25 degrees.
- A well planned landscape can reduce air conditioning costs by 15-50% and heating costs by 2-8%
- Effective use of trees and shrubs as windbreaks can cut heating bills by up to 40%.
- A well-designed and maintained home landscape saves enough energy to pay for itself in less than 8 years.
- Trees placed on the east and west sides of the property can significantly shade the home and reduce energy costs.
- A foundation planting of evergreen shrubs 2-3 feet from the foundation acts as an insulating blanket around the home, reducing heating costs.
- Passive solar heating by deciduous shade trees can reduce heating bills by up to 15%.
- Shading an air conditioning unit with small trees or large shrubs can increase its efficiency by up to 10% (be sure to leave plenty of space for good ventilation).
- Home landscapes boost property values.
- Trees, shrubs and flowers improve curb appeal, improving home sales
- By lowering energy costs, plants contribute to an increased expendable income.
- One 25-foot tree can reduce your heating/cooling costs by up to 10%.
- Great landscaping can increase real estate’s appraised value by 8-15%.
- A house with trees is as much as 20% more saleable.
- Increase value as the years go by
Landscaping allows a property to be transformed by adding plants, shrubs, flowers, and trees in aesthetically pleasing ways. With all of these additional plantings, landscaping is clearly environmentally beneficial. The roots of trees, shrubs, grasses, and groundcovers trap and filter dust and other pollutants found in rainwater. This is not only important to the plants for the nutrients they absorb, but also to prevent these pollutants from becoming a source of water pollution. According to one study, one tree can remove up to 26 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually. This amounts to 11,000 miles of car emissions! The same roots that filter pollutants are also responsible for stabilizing soil and being a great source of erosion control. This is especially advantageous to us here on the coast!
- Ornamental plants combat climate change by absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. A single 10-year-old tree can absorb 48 pounds of carbon per year.
- Trees also reduce the “greenhouse effect” (C02 increases) by shading buildings, reducing energy usage and decreasing fossil fuel consumption.
- Trees and shrubs reduce air pollutants, including ozone, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxides, cadmium, lead, nickel and chromium.
- Well-planned and maintained landscapes filter dust and other pollutants out of rainwater.
- Plants purify the air of smoke, dust and other pollutants.
- Indoor plants remove organic, volatile chemicals from the indoor air.
- Trees and shrubs purify toxic soils.
- A well-designed and maintained home landscape reduces erosion, sediment losses and storm water runoff. A 5% increase of tree cover reduces erosion by 2%.
- Plants reduce noise pollution by absorbing sound.
- Trees, shrubs and flowers create habitats for beneficial wildlife, reducing the need for pesticides.
- Trees and shrubs feed, attract and sustain essential pollinators.
- One fast-growing forest tree can absorb up to 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per annum.
The roots are not the only parts of the plants that provide positive impacts. Large shade trees help to control temperature extremes and keep your property cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, cutting down on your electric bill AND decreasing energy usage to keep your home’s temperature regulated. And last, but not least, landscaping provides a natural refuge for wildlife. Birds, insects, squirrels, rabbits, and other creatures use trees and shrubs as protection from predators and a source of shelter and food year round.
So plant a tree or plant a garden, and start reducing your carbon footprint!
So plant a tree or plant a garden, and start reducing your carbon footprint!
- Gardening is a great source of exercise, burning calories, building muscle mass, maintaining bone density, reducing blood pressure and obesity etc.
- Gardening reduces incidences of diabetes and childhood obesity.
- Plants reduce mental fatigue, increase concentration and increase productivity.
- Gardening contributes to physical, emotional and psychological healing. Women recover from breast cancer faster when they garden.
- Gardening activities reduce depression and stress.
- Gardening is a great rehab tool, for physical injury, surgery, and drug and alcohol abuse.
- Gardening reduces symptoms of dementia.
- Gardening improves community involvement and neighbourhood well being.
- Plants improve our outdoor living spaces, connecting us with nature and enriching our lives.
- Just five minutes of exercise in a green nature setting can boost mood and self-esteem.