Schworer & Company Landscapes, Inc.

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NATURAL LANDSCAPES ARE LEAVING LAWNS BEHIND

American home landscapes have changed in many ways. From the post W W II period to present day, there has been an evolution toward a more manicured landscape, the centerpiece of which is most often, an ever- expanding lawn. The surrounding shrubbery is typically very rigid and maintained by regular pruning or shearing the plants into fixed shapes. Instead of working with the natural setting that is usually a property's greatest feature, landscape designs have been strongly influenced by, and frequently defined by, lines of driveways, fences, houses , garages, pool areas and tennis courts. The resulting visual effect of properties defined in this way is seriously compromised.

Over the years, there has also been a gradual movement away from naturally occurring contours or slopes within home landscapes towards progressively larger, leveled areas. One reason for this departure is that many properties need to accommodate septic systems. Another reason, and perhaps a more revealing one in terms of how we've come to view landscapes, is to make room for, and in many cases to maximize, lawn areas. On average, the modern American homeowner is maintaining more lawn area than is really needed. This would not be possible but for the continuous use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides, and the advent of lawn mowing machines and automatic sprinkler systems. And yet, despite these chemical treatments and modern lawn and yard tools, the American Landscape has evolved into one that requires considerable maintenance and which drains valuable resources ---natural, as well as financial!

Estimates by the National Gardening Association indicate that there are currently 58 million households engaged in lawn care in the US. These homeowners use up to 60% of the water supply in the west and up to 30% here in the east. In addition, lawn care equipment consumes 580 million gallons of gas each year nationally. And, According to the National Academy of science, ten times more chemical pesticides are being used on lawns per acre than on farmland. These figures are staggering when considering how modern consumers seem to have a heightened awareness about the importance of preserving the environment and conserving natural resources. Burning fossil fuels for lawn mowers only contributes to air pollution and the needless consumption of fresh water used to maintain lush, green lawns further threatens this most precious resource. More disturbing still, is that despite mounting arguments against the regular use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides which pose serious harm to the environment, animal life and human health, they remain an integral part of the lawn maintenance process.

Aside from the environmental impact of sustaining landscapes with large, manicured lawns, the concept of what today's landscape would consist of and look like still resonates post-W.W.II prosperity. The size of lawn areas continues to increase along with the size of homes, driveways, garages and the number of cars per household. Perhaps the design of home landscapes today and the desired size and look of lawns surrounding them are not the result of any real need. Instead, the American landscape is a byproduct of a more affluent America -- a population that has become less and less connected to, and respectful of, the earth.

Post-W.W.II prosperity however, is not solely responsible for the way Americans have come to view their home landscapes. The picture of the modern landscape has also been drawn by large chemical fertilizer companies, the manufacturers of lawn mowers and home power tools for the yard. The images they have used to sell their products have also reinforced the association between the larger, manicured home landscape and a more affluent America. In fact, images of big homes with sprawling green lawns have almost become synonymous with success and happiness.

It seems as though the advertising campaigns by the large chemical companies and lawn care equipment manufacturers have been successful in prompting American homeowners to buy into this 'landscape vision' of large, lush lawns. No where else in the world today is any other populations devoting so much in chemicals, machines, gasoline and financial resources to maintain it. The reality is that American homeowners and chemical lawn care company manufacturers alike, bear some mutual responsibility for the current ecological quagmire.

In an effort to bring American landscapes back to nature and to make important strides in conserving precious resources, some Americans have begun to change their way of thinking about home landscapes. They are choosing home landscape designs that reflect their actual needs over landscapes built upon perceived needs or those once easily distinguished by massive lawn areas. In fact, the idea of a more attractive and ecologically sound landscape is gaining ground over the expansive lawns of the past.

Natural landscaping is a subtle and sometimes dramatic departure from the landscape designs of the last 50 years. It represents a movement away from landscapes characterized by manicured lawns and sheared shrubbery towards a more natural, casual landscape --- one without the high-level maintenance and costs we've grown accustomed to. Although the natural landscape seems to be less formal, it is by no means random or disorderly. In fact, achieving a successful, attractive, natural landscape requires carefull planning and execution.

Natural landscapes seek to incorporate a diversity of shrubbery, trees, perennials and ground covers largely determined by the site itself. While the shrubbery and plants can be indigenous or native to the area, can also be combined with varieties that are later introduced, and which are common to most landscapes today. Plant varieties in the natural landscape are selected based on the orientation of the property, subsoil type, the amount of sunlight or shade, and the natural moisture available. However, the functional aspects of the property and aesthetic considerations also greatly influence the choice of plants and how they are organized.

The diversity of plants typically found in natural landscapes attract birds and other wildlife since they offer a better source of food, cover, and nesting sites. In addition, a multitude of plants enhances the property bearing a broader spectrum of blooming times and fall foliage variations. But perhaps one of the most distinguishing features of natural landscapes is way in which plantings are composed so that they promote a casual, rather than manicured appearance.

Natural landscapes are also distinguished by their interesting land contours. These are the slopes or grades which exist naturally, or which can be created to look as though they occurred in nature. In working with land contours to produce a natural look, large stones and water features are often incorporated into the landscape to achieve further interest and dimension.

Another major characteristic of natural landscapes is the way in which existing lines and structures that might otherwise negatively impact a landscape, are modified, obscured or softened. For example, a structure such as a house, garage, tennis court or pool, can be sited so that do not dominate the landscape. The plantings can be arranged to help the visual transition from these structures to the surrounding land. Similarly, where fence, walkways and driveways lines may be straight and obtrusive, in the natural landscape these are converted into curves wherever possible. These natural landscaping methods help to shift some of the focus or visual importance away from large structures back to the landscape or natural setting. The idea is that a home and its grounds should blend in with adjacent woodland, meadows and other natural land features.

Defining the role of lawns in natural landscaping

In the natural landscape, lawn areas may still play an important role but the size of the lawn is determined by how much lawn is actually needed. An area that would have previously been dedicated to lawn in the post W.W.II area, today might be converted into a combination of lawn, meadow, woodland, or plantings of shrubbery, ornamental grasses and ground covers. The lawns found in natural landscapes are built on a clayey subsoil rather than on a sandy or gravely subsoil. This is critical for retaining moisture and thereby reducing, and in many cases eliminating, the need for watering the lawn at all.

Perhaps one of the most misleading concepts of contemporary landscapes is the myth of the 'healthy' lawn. Flooded with images of plush green carpets of virtually weed-free, manicured lawns, homeowners have been convinced that a healthy lawn can only be achieved by regular watering and applying chemical fertilizers and pesticides. In reality, chemical herbicides and insecticides are not needed, and therefore are never used to maintain lawn areas in natural landscapes. The truly 'healthy' lawn is virtually self-sustaining, requiring little or no additional watering, and is resistant to insect and weed invasions on its own. Organic fertilizers, naturally occurring minerals and rainwater are all that is needed to sustain a healthy lawn. It is ironic that the image created by the media is not of a healthy lawn at all. It is a picture of a lawn that cannot sustain itself, that is dependent on artificial support, and whose healthy look was achieved by means proven to be unhealthy to the environment and to one's own health.

Too long preoccupied by false images of what landscapes should look like, homeowners today need to weed out the myths from the reality and to reassess their actual landscape needs. It is clear that landscapes should not be dominated by large lawn areas. Instead, landscapes should be naturally more self-sustaining, less expensive and maintenance intensive, and free of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Not surprising, these landscapes are more inviting to birds and other wildlife.

Homeowners, as well as large chemical companies and lawn care equipment manufacturers, need to assume a greater responsibility for the environment and their part in preserving it. Natural landscaping is an attractive alternative to contemporary landscape methods. The natural landscape offers homeowners a more casual, less manicured landscape that is easily maintained. More importantly though, natural landscapes enable homeowners to be committed to conserving resources and to reducing the use of chemicals and pollutants proven harmful to the earth and to ourselves.

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