Massachusetts Environmental Officials Highlight Sustainable Landscaping Care

With summer approaching, state agricultural and environmental officials are encouraging Massachusetts residents to use sustainable landscaping practices.

"Well-tended landscapes can have enormous ecological and aesthetic benefits to neighborhoods and communities," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr. "With a little extra effort and forethought, residents of the Commonwealth can ensure that their yards and gardens also incorporate environmentally sound practices that benefit local wildlife and precious water resources.”

Residents are reminded: Whether you are landscaping a half-acre lot or planting a small garden, choosing native varieties of flowers, shrubs and trees supports the Commonwealth’s natural environment. Naturally suited for the Massachusetts climate, native varieties tend to require less water and chemical fertilizers in order to thrive than do their exotic, non-native counterparts. Local Massachusetts nurseries and garden centers can provide expert advice on plants and seeds that are resilient and adaptive to New England climate variables. By consulting local nurseries and garden centers, gardeners can make a win-win choice: supporting Massachusetts businesses, while making ecologically smart choices for their yards and gardens.

Typically, Massachusetts lawns and landscapes need no more than 1 in. of water per week, including the water received from rainfall. Drought-tolerant plantings require even less, and native landscapes may require no supplemental watering once they’re established. By incorporating efficient irrigation practices--including installing rainwater collection systems to supplement rainfall and low-impact development practices such as drought-resistant landscape techniques and rain gardens--gardeners can have an aesthetically pleasing garden with the least impact on water resources.

In addition, plantings can help lower summer temperatures in urban environments, mitigating the so-called “heat island effect.” Through shading and as water is released from the earth into the atmosphere, lawns, trees and shrubs can reduce air temperatures in urban areas by up to 14°. From an air quality perspective, lawns and landscapes can prevent millions of tons of soil particles containing dust and dirt from being released into the atmosphere and re-deposited annually.

"From the aesthetic to the ecological, lawns and landscapes are often overlooked for the significant benefits they provide to our daily lives," said Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner Scott J. Soares. "I encourage residents to visit their local garden centers to learn more about good lawn and landscape care practices that are best suited to our environment and their lifestyles."

"In Massachusetts, as well as across the country, the movement from traditional water-intensive plantings to more environmentally sound landscaping practices is being incorporated into the fabric of our horticultural choices,” said Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Ken Kimmell. “A natural landscape is not only great to look at--it also cleanses and filters water.”

Source: Massachusetts DEP