How

Propane Power—A Greener Alternative

Marilyn Witney

Eric Hansen, owner of Competitive Lawn Service, is the first in the nation running 100 percent equipment and trucks on propane power. Using propane saves him one dollar per gallon, plus it gives him a competitive edge with large commercial customers who are engaged in sustainable practices. [full article]

The Sustainable Landscape: Does Turf Fit In?

Linda Kiscellus

Americans love their lawns and our customers don’t hesitate to tell us so. Turf provides a space for play and recreational needs. And properly cared for, turf stabilizes soil from water and wind erosion, and infiltrates water from surrounding impervious surfaces with little run-off. Unfortunately, turf has become the poster child for poor landscape practices. Using the right amount of turf, natural care practices or new turf blends can make for a beautiful and functional turf for your clients. [full article]

Dig In

Marilyn Witney

All the essential activity for living things occurs in the soil, including temperature regulation, oxygen and carbon exchange, water absorption and transfer of all the nutrients necessary for growth.  Plus soil is the point of entry into the system of a sustainable landscape.  With experience and know-how, a more natural approach to soil management can produce more vigorous plants and more beautiful landscapes. [full article]

Talking to your Customers about Sustainable Landscaping

Marilyn Witney

More and more homeowners and commercial and municipal property managers are requiring sustainable practices because of concerns about the environment, health and safety and long-term cost savings. But some are still wary of the “green” movement. It’s up to you to educate them about sustainability in a way they can understand. [full article]

Materials: What’s Sustainable?

Mark Moxley

Native plants are one of the most sustainable choices for the built landscape and are typically where designers will start if they are interested in environmental responsibility. What about other materials? How can you ensure that all aspects of the landscapes you install will contribute to environmental sustainability? [full article]

Liquid Snow and Ice Removal—Cheaper, Faster, Sustainable

Marilyn Witney

Tim Caldwell, Landscape Architect and owner of The Savanna Group in North Aurora, uses liquid snow and ice removal techniques for the winter snow removal. Find out more about Liquid Ice Melt Solutions and how you can benefit from what Caldwell has learned. [full article]

Plastic Progress

Mike Nowak

Business after business—whether landscape contractor or garden center or grower or distributor—has become aware that the industry must learn how to deal with the overwhelming amount and variety of plastics that have become the norm in the trade. Find out what four MELA member companies are doing to recycle plastic. [full article]

Defining the Sustainable Landscape

Garth Conrad

View this presentation about the draft Sustainable Sites Initiative and how it will potentially be the LEED for landscapes in the immediate future. [view PDF]

Designing LEED Buildings

Lois Vitt Sale

Read about challenges and successes of the LEED system for buildings, and find out what the landscape sustainability effort can learn from it. [view PDF]

Biorationals: An Environmentally Friendy Approach to Pest Control

Shawn Kingzette

Biorationals are synthetic, organic and inorganic pesticides that exhibit low toxicity and low impact on the environment. [view PDF]

A New Approach to Stormwater Management

Geoff Deigan

A combination of traditional paving and permeable pavers, coupled with bioswales and naturalistic “rain gardens,” is a new cost-effective, environmentally friendly approach to stormwater management in this article by MELA member Geoff Deigan, President of WRD Environmental. [view PDF]