Professional landscape designers perform a valuable service for homeowners; not only do they develop and sustain a pleasant and aesthetically pleasing environment , but their work elevates property values and increases occupancy rates. To illustrate this point, according to the 2012 Husqvarana Garden Report, 63% of people are more likely to buy a house or condo when the lawn or surrounding outdoor areas have been developed by professional landscape designers.
The professional landscape design industry is expected to grow in value to approximately 80 billion dollars by the year 2015. This is due in part to the uptick in sustainable landscape design. 23% of professional landscape designers, many of whom focus on sustainability, are self employed. The rest work for a landscaping design company or another organization. An estimated half of all landscaping companies report that they plan on hiring more professional landscape design workers during 2014 due to the demand for more sustainable landscapes. As well, high end landscaping has become ubiquitous in wealthy communities, and increasingly there has been a shortage of sustainable landscaping professionals who have the time to take on new clients.
Sustainable landscaping, a recent trend in professional landscape design, incorporates a number of distinct environmentally friendly practices in all aspects of organic lawn care, from the design phase to construction and implementation, and finally, maintenance. Professional landscape designers can offer their clients landscape tips to further eco-friendly lawn care in the post-implementation phase.
One example of sustainable professional landscape design is the restoration of lawns to their original ecosystem; this is a practice that is advantageous for naturally occurring flora and fauna, and for homeowners. As a professional landscape design strategy, restoration cuts down on expenses for property owners because money need to be spent on expensive tactics to beat back nature. Sustainability is a professional landscape design tactic that works in conjunction with the true ecology of the area.
Other sustainable practices that professional landscape designers utilize are composting, water wise gardening techniques that limit unnecessary water waste, bio filtering waste vis a vis constructed wetlands, choosing permeable paving materials to reduce storm water runoff, and relying on recycled materials to fashion such professional landscaping accessories as paving stones and fountains. These practices are not only ecologically friendly, but cost effective and aesthetically pleasing. Sustainable landscaping is a rare example of economics, ecology, aesthetics, and fashion all coming together to create something that is not only pretty, but is less costly than the alternative while being morally right.