Sustainable gardening

Sustainable Sites Initiative:
– Commercial accreditation body in the USA
– Certifies landscapers and sites using guidelines and benchmarks
– Founded in 2005
– Defines sustainability based on the Brundtland Reports
– No uniform national standard for sustainable landscaping projects in the USA

Site Principles:
– Do no harm
– Use the precautionary principle
– Design with nature and culture
– Decision-making hierarchy of preservation, conservation, and regeneration
– Support regenerative systems for intergenerational equity

Measuring Site Sustainability:
– Quantification of sustainability through performance benchmarks
– Environmental impacts categorized for different purposes
– Methods include BREEAM, Leed, and Oxford 360 degree sustainability Index
– Environment usually prioritized over social and economic factors
– Professional landscapers use more complex metrics than home gardeners

Impacts Assessment:
– Impacts can be direct or indirect
– Assessments can be made over various spatio-temporal scales
– Guidelines focus on enhancing ecosystem services
– Integration of environmental, social, and economic demands is essential
– Metrics provide a rating system for sustainability

Sustainable Gardening Practices:
– Use xeriscaping to reduce water usage
– Focus on minimizing negative and maximizing positive environmental impacts
– Performance benchmarks distinguish sustainable sites
– Three common methods for measuring sustainability: BREEAM, Leed, and Oxford 360 degree sustainability Index
– Environmental impacts usually given priority over social and economic factors