Good Ideas Seldom Die

Mark Moxley

There have been many changes in the landscape industry in the last decade or so. The rise of sustainable principles has created opportunities for some, stress for others and a host of questions for everyone. Too often the term "sustainable approach" is pitted against the term "traditional landscaping." I've heard the chatter: All this new stuff is crazy!

Is it? And I don't mean, "Is it crazy?" I mean, "Is it new?" Recently, I jotted down some design considerations commonly associated with sustainability. And I noticed that most of these concepts are based on very old—say, traditional—ideas. Here's a few of them:

• Rainwater Harvesting: Capturing water from rooftops can be traced back at least 2000 years. You probably have an older relative who can tell you about a time when many Americans stored rainwater for use around the house and garden.
• Green Roofs: Homes with sod roofs in Scandinavia go back hundreds of years. Some of them still exist. Claiming it was their idea, the Germans who invented the modern green roof are reluctant to give Sven his just due…I'm just sayin'.
• Soil Protection/Restoration: Ancient techniques for protecting soil have been recorded as far back as 7000 years. Some civilizations actually fell into decline because of their inability to do so. The surviving cultures relied on this vital natural resource.
• Native Plants: Well, they had to come from somewhere, right?!
• Biochar: Everyone is buzzing about the potential for this new soil amendment. My customers can't seem to get enough of this stuff. "It's a game changer," say the experts. Probably true, yet the original biochar makers were pre-Columbian Amazonians.
• Composting: Long before we found a way to do this behind the garage, ancient farmers tied composting to economic success. Their yields depended on it.

So what is the "traditional approach" to landscaping? These ancient groups weren't exactly landscapers, but they were gardeners, farmers, and innovators. True they made mistakes. True their effort to preserve was wiped out by industry. But so many of today's sustainable landscape systems are based on these old ideas. Doesn't that give sustainable landscaping a tradition that, unfortunately, isn't found in many conventional landscapes of the last 30 years?

Our ancestors deeply understood their relationship to the land. As an industry, we can demonstrate this heritage by building safe, clean, and lasting landscapes with cool ideas from both past and present. This kind of landscape works with the systems nature has put in place to protect the land and our resources, and creates quantifiable short and long-term value while protecting our planet.

Mark Moxley, Partner
Partner, Lake Street Landscape Supply

Mark supports sustainability at Lake Street by stocking and promoting green roof materials, organic soil amendments, rainwater cisterns, reclaimed/recycled products, permeable hardscapes and more. He joined MELA in 2007 and has been President of the Board since October last year.

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