Meadowbrook Landscapes began as an ecological landscape design and consulting company. Our objective was to encourage homeowners to think about their properties from an ecological point of view rather than simply accepting the conventional landscape design wisdom of the day.
We have now retired from active service but are determined to maintain our website to provide information, ideas and assistance to those who care about the ecological productivity of their personal properties.
Take a quick inventory of your property. How much of your landscape is covered by turf and how much of it do you actually use? How much time and money do you spend maintaining it? Does your property have an abundance of trees and shrubs? Of the ones you have, how many are native to your area? Are trees strategically placed to take advantage of their summer cooling effect on your home or act as windbreaks during the winter? Does the plant material in your present landscape require supplemental irrigation, the use of chemical fertilizers and the use of pesticides?
Current horticultural practices such as maintaining large turf areas, minimizing the use of trees and shrubs and planting exotics and cultivars rather than native plant species, have a detrimental effect on our ecosystem. These practices reduce biological and genetic diversity and eliminate native plant and wildlife habitat. Turf, exotics and cultivars usually require supplemental irrigation which wastes our precious water resources. The use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers contribute to the pollution of our atmosphere, soils, rivers, lakes and ground water.
Our ecosystem is a thriving community of living organisms that is constantly evolving to accommodate changes in the environment. An ecosystem that is working well will provide us with clean air, pure water and fertile soil. Our very existence depends on it. As we reduce native habitat, reduce biodiversity and add pollutants to the atmosphere, water and soil, we are simply reducing nature's ability to provide us with a healthy environment.
If doing your part for our ecosystem includes an eco-landscape project, visit the links in the menu at the left for more details and ideas.
Remember, we are cohabitants of the environment,
not masters of it!
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