Environmental Landscape Management
by Dr. Robert Black, Consumer Horticultural Specialist

Florida's landscapes vary greatly from those made up of cold-hardy plants in north Florida to those composed of subtropical plants in south Florida. There are formal landscapes and natural or informal landscapes. Although the plants and design may differ, they all provide the same important functions. They enhance the beauty and boost the value of our homes by up to 15 percent. They also moderate the climate around the home by protecting it from extremes of wind, heat, cold and glare.

It's important for every Floridian to realize that the way we design and manage our landscapes can have significant affects on the environment of our state. We must learn to use sound landscape management practices if we are to protect our fragile environment and preserve our limited water supply.

The University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has developed a program that could help you design and maintain a healthy, attractive landscape in an environmentally responsible manner. The program is called Environmental Landscape Management abbreviated as ELM. The goal of ELM is to encourage the development of environmentally sound landscapes by appropriate design and maintenance practices. We have used research-based information to develop landscaping techniques that conserve energy and water, and provide for environmentally safe and effective pest control.

The ELM approach treats the landscape as a system because plant selection and placement, irrigation, fertilization and pest control interact with each other. The characteristics of the landscape site usually determine the kinds of plants we can grow and this determines how often we need water. Irrigation practices can determine how often we need to fertilize and this affects the occurrence of pest problems.

An environmentally sound landscape should begin with a good design. Whether designing a new landscape or renovating an old one, low maintenance should be a primary concern. A low maintenance design considers how the plants are arranged on the site as well as proper plant selection. Plants should be placed together in beds instead of scattering them throughout the lawn. This will greatly reduce time required for mowing, watering and other maintenance practices.

Also design the size and shape of the landscape beds so they can be irrigated efficiently. Trees and shrubs should be placed to shade the home. Shading the windows on the east and west sides of a house gives the most benefit. The shade provided by plants combined with good building insulation can reduce energy consumption in the Florida home by up to 30 percent.

Don't use turfgrass in narrow strips that are difficult to irrigate or on steep slopes and other areas that are difficult to mow. Group plants with similar water requirements so that they can be irrigated together. This will avoid wasting water on plants that don't need it. Locate plants with high water requirements like annuals near the home or near a water source so they can watered by hand or with a micro-irrigation system.

The key to a successful environmental landscape is matching appropriate plants to your site. Try to match the requirements of the plant with the light, soil, and other characteristics of the specific areas on your site. If your soil is alkaline, azaleas would be a poor choice since they grow best in acid soils. Choose salt tolerant plants such as Indian hawthorne for exposed coastal landscapes and water tolerant plants like wax myrtle for poorly drained soils.