This is the first blog in our 6-part series on Climate Resilience Gardening.
Ecoscaping is a term to describe landscape design that considers the ecology of the system to reduce inputs. It is a related concept to Xeriscaping, which refers to landscapes designed to use little to no water, but takes it further in considering habitat, landscape management practices, and maintenance requirements.
What are the benefits of Ecoscaping?
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It saves water, in a lot of cases removing the need for irrigation.
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It protects the soil biome by keeping the soil covered, which reduces evaporation.
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It eliminates the need for fertilizers and pesticides.
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It saves money (no irrigation with potable water, less labour/maintenance hours)
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It encourages habitat for birds, insects, etc.
There are 9 key points to creating and implementing an ecoscape design for your yard:
Build your soil. Soil microorganisms, much like larger organisms, need water, food, and shelter to thrive. For life in the soil, this means consistent moisture levels, lots of organic matter, and protection from extreme temperatures.
- Plan to prepare your soil in the fall and plant in the spring. Fork lots of compost and fallen leaves into your soil, add some Effective Microorganisms (EM), and then mulch well for the winter. This gives your soil microbes the food and protection they need to do their work breaking down organic matter to feed your plants.
- Each year, replenish your mulch and add compost to keep feeding your underground workhorses.
Choose drought-resistant plants. Drought-resistant plants have low water needs due to adaptation to dry conditions. Plants native to your area are more likely to thrive, and often serve as food and habitat for native insects.
- Don’t stress about all of your plants being native, but chat with a reputable plant nursery and/or a local native plant conservation group for suggestions.
- You will likely need plants for both dry sun conditions and dry shade conditions (for under trees or near buildings), so ask for suggestions for both.
- Before making your selections, be sure you know your plant hardiness zone (updated listings can be found here https://www.planthardiness.gc.ca/?m=1).
Place plants appropriately. Always choose a location for your plant that matches its needs. A full sun Artemisia will thrive on a south slope, but will rot in a cool, damp, low area.
- If you fall in love with a plant with higher water-needs that can be incorporated into your design, choose a low spot in your yard or the spot where your rain barrel overflows. This will allow that plant’s needs to be met without much supplemental watering.
- If you want to choose a plant that is a little out of zone for your location, plant it near a rock that will shelter it and hold some heat from the sun so that it has a slight microclimate.
- If your yard is sloped, place your most hardy, drought-tolerant plants at the top.
Mulch your soil. The term “mulch” means anything that covers the soil.
Only plant areas of turf grass where you really need it. Turf grasses tend to have high water needs and high maintenance. We all love to have some grass to walk on, or for our dogs and kids to play on, but we don’t need acres of lawn that goes unused.
Compost or compost-in-place. Compost any surplus plant material and then add your compost under your mulch in the drip zone of your plants to feed them and the soil organisms. You can also make compost tea and spray your garden with the dilution. I use a pump sprayer to do this, and I apply it to the plant foliage too, to help combat bad bacteria and fungi.
- When your plants lose their leaves in the fall, let them lie at the base of the plant, forming a mulch (and eventually compost) layer that will add organic matter, insulate the plant roots, and provide shelter for beneficial insects.
Collect rainwater for when you need it. Add a few rain barrels to your yard so that you can water when necessary without using potable water. All plants will need a bit of watering until they are established (1-2 seasons usually.)
- Direct an overflow pipe from your rain barrel to your higher water needs plants so they get a good soak when it rains.
- If you need hard surfaces (paths), try to choose a permeable surface so that rain water infiltrates the soil and doesn’t run off to the storm sewer system. This keeps your water in your soil and allows it to soak it deeper.
- Rain gardens and bioswales can keep water on site for plants with higher water needs.
Consider habitat for all. Habitat means water, shelter, food and connectivity is available.
- Water could be a birdbath or bee bowl, or plants with wide leaves that collect dew.
- Shelter could mean adding a fallen log, shrubs, trees, etc.
- For food, flowering plants that are allowed to go to seed is a great starting point.
- Avoid using pesticides and allow natural predators like ground beetles to move in and control the prey insects.
- Connectivity could mean planting so that small creatures like birds can travel around your yard while protected. Or it could mean using fencing that allows passage through your yard.
- It depends on your particular yard and situation. And don’t forget that you are a part of the space! Consider how you can blend your needs with those of the other members of your environment.
Plan before you do. Make plant wish lists by poring over gardening magazines for your zone (the library is a great source), ask your neighbours about gorgeous plants they have in their yard, etc. Really look at some of the yards and designs you see around you and clarify what you like and don’t like about them. Any style of garden can be built using ecoscaping principles.
- Consider how much time you want to spend in your garden, both recreationally and maintenance-wise. Your plan doesn’t need to be implemented all at once, but it is a good idea to have a whole plan at the start to work from. Think about hiring a designer to do your plan if it all seems overwhelming, even if you want to build it yourself- it will save you money in the long run to do it right the first time.
Re-thinking your yard from an ecological perspective will help to build some resilience in the face of unpredictable weather due to climate change. How? It will improve water retention in your soil to combat droughts. It will allow heavy rains to soak into your soil, reducing the chances of flooding. It will build a pocket of habitat when habitats are being lost. It will improve soil health and diversity, and lock carbon into the soil. Imagine if every landscape was built with these priorities…
Ecoscaping is not just good for your yard, it’s good for the planet. And you might just start a trend when your yard is thriving despite the weather!
Sources and Resources
Books: (in no particular order)
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Gaia’s Garden, by Toby Hemenway
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Resilient Agriculture, by Laura Lengnick
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Gardening in a Changing World, by Darryl Moore
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The Ecological Landscape Professional, by Erik Ohlsen
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Planting in a Post-Wild World, by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West
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Dryland Gardening, by Jennifer Bennett
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Ecological Gardening, by Marjorie Harris
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The Basics of Permaculture Design, by Ross Mars
Websites:
Written by Jennifer Burns-Robinson.
Jennifer is an online facilitator at Gaia College. She instructs the Organic Horticulture Specialist and Landscape Design Basics with SketchUp courses. Prior to be a facilitator, Jennifer worked as a Landscape Architectural Technologist and managed her own residential landscape design business.