Landscaping
LANDSCAPING
Non invasive, exotic, deciduous trees can perform a vital valuable role in regulating the heating and cooling of a home. When planted to the south of a home they shade in summer and admit sunlight in winter. Try to choose varieties that will attract native wildlife to your garden.
SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPES
- Sustainable landscaping refers to putting back much of what was in place before development.
- Sustainable landscaping is not only about planting native plants but can include food gardens and shade trees.
- Plant low water-use indigenous vegetation to reduce water consumption.
- Indoor plants can be used to filter and improve indoor air quality
- Vegetation can be used for screening, as a windbreak and to frame select views.
- The topography of a garden should ideally reflect the original relief to minimise the impact on drainage patterns
SITE
- Sustainable landscaping is about more than planting natives, it is about designing landscapes to fit the new ecology created when buildings are constructed. It can include food producing gardens irrigated by captured stormwater and landscaping practices like 'Permaculture'
- Sustainable landscaping includes such diverse approaches as restoring creeks where development has trammelled or annihilated their previous course, or creating roof gardens to replace the productive capacity of the land taken up by a new building.
- Sustainable landscape may be used to help take up carbon dioxide and contribute to restoring and maintaining biodiversity.The location of vegetation can influence choices about building orientation: a tree may shade part of a site and limit solar access but be an essential part of retaining soil, providing habitat and creating shelter.
- When choosing a site, take account of existing vegetation for windbreaks, shading and views.
- Design landscaping to be experienced inside and out. Sustainable landscaping can be employed to create shade, or to enhance or frame views. It can be attractive to look at and also provide privacy from surrounding buildings. It can also supply food and help create pleasant areas for recreation.
ENERGY
- Appropriate landscaping can enhance passive heating and cooling. Used as an integral part of passive design strategies, windbreaks can reduce wind chill or the impact of hot winds. Vegetation can cool and filter air as part of a passive cooling strategy.
- Shading needs to be seasonal and is best provided by deciduous plants. It is best to assume that most native vegetation will give permanent or semi-permanent shade.
- Sustainable landscaping favours native and indigenous species but sometimes, for the purposes of growing food or providing seasonal shade, it is reasonable to use non-native vegetation. In these circumstances landscaping should be designed as part of an inter-related system. For instance, captured rainwater is used to irrigate deciduous plants that contribute directly to a building's passive solar performance.
- Sustainability does not stop at the front door. Your lifestyle will have an impact far beyond your immediate home environment. This section deals with the wider implications of the living choices you make. Understanding the impact of your choices empowers you to make the best possible decisions about your home, your future and your environment. It is the outcome of these decisions that will contribute to your community and make it a better place.
Shading
- Shading of glass is a critical consideration in passive design. Unprotected glass is the single greatest source of heat gain in a well insulated home.
- Shading requirements vary according to climate and house orientation. In climates where winter heating is required, shading devices should exclude summer sun but allow full winter sun to penetrate.
- This is most simply achieved on South facing walls. East and west facing windows require different shading solutions to south facing windows.
- In climates where no heating is required, shading of the whole home and outdoor spaces will improve comfort and save energy.
USING PLANTS FOR SHADING
- Match plant characteristics (such as foliage density, canopy height and spread) to shading requirements. Choose local native species with low water requirements wherever possible.
- In addition to providing shade, plants can assist cooling by transpiration. Plants also enhance the visual environment and create pleasant filtered light.
- Deciduous plants allow winter sun through and exclude summer sun.
- Trees with high canopies are useful for shading roofs and large portions of the building structure.
- Shrubs are appropriate for more localised shading of windows.
- Wall vines and ground cover insulate against summer heat and reduce reflected radiation.