To help further define “sustainability” in the landscape, Landscape Resource has compiled four basic tenets to be treated as the guiding framework for sustainable landscapes.  To be truly sustainable, the design, construction, and maintenance of a landscape must answer to these tenets.  By doing so, such a landscape will offer compelling inspiration for others to emulate.

Cyclical Integration:  Many typical landscapes are linear:  Take, Make, Waste.  In contrast, energy and resources must be circulated and renewed through natural processes.

Waste Free:  All of the natural resources added to a landscape must enrich the soil, air, and water.  Man-altered resources integrated into the landscape should be capable of rapid and natural renewal by the earth (decomposition) or be candidates for re-using, re-purposing, or recycling.  Read the rest of this entry »

As Californians, we live in a time and place that demands radical thinking and sustainable action if we are to preserve and improve the quality of life for future generations.  Daily, we are confronted with ominous issues such as global warming, pollution, drought, habitat loss and a host of other problems that feel as if they are beyond our control.

But at Landscape Resource, we believe countless solutions having an immediate and measurable impact to these pressing issues can be implemented right in our front and backyards.

So what is Sustainability?

Since “green” and “sustainable” have become overly-commoditized in the recent years, much of the emphasis has been lost when the average person runs across these terms.  As market competition becomes tighter and fiercer, companies have had to adopt these terms in attempt to set their business apart form the rest of the crowd.  A touch of “recycled this” and pinch of “re-purposed that” are the essential ingredients of this tasteless trend.  But with critical observation, it becomes glaringly obvious in some cases that the “greening” of a company is little more than a sleight of hand and clever market re-branding.  However, it should be noted that scores of companies have fully embraced and integrated sustainable and green practices into their business.  These companies should be applauded for their efforts. Read the rest of this entry »