The main use of electrical power for an average landscape would be in any outdoor lighting or for ornamental water features or swimming pools.

Low voltage landscape lighting has always been much more efficient than the type traditionally used inside the house. You can use one 20 watt bulb to light a small tree, for instance (what you pay for on your electric bill is the number of watts used).

There is an even more efficient system that has just been perfected that uses LED technology. This has two main advantages. The first is that you would only use 3 watts for the same amount of light that you would get from the 20 watt light used in the traditional system. The second advantage is that the LED bulbs last typically for about 50,000 hours (15 years in normal use). For all practical purposes, this means that you don’t have to replace bulbs. While a traditional outdoor lighting system for a front and back yard, with 30 lighting fixtures, might cost about $300 per year to run at today’s prices, the LED system with the same amount of fixtures would be about $45 per year.

The light fixtures do cost more than traditional fixtures, but there are some cost savings in things like the transformer and the cable requirements since it is a more efficient system. There is also the fact that you don’t have to buy replacement bulbs. Considering that it also puts about 85% less drain on the electrical supply, it is very green and definitely worth looking into.

There are solar landscape lights, but the technology is not yet up to the point where this type of system really lights a landscape. For dim lighting of pathways for a few hours after dark, these can be used.

For ponds and waterfalls, there are some pumps that are much more energy efficient than others. The way to determine this is to compare the number of gallons per minute against the amperage required to run the pump. Installing a timer is another option so you don’t forget to turn it off when you are not there to enjoy it. Part of the trick with waterfalls is to design the stonework so the sound is maximized without the need to have Niagara Falls pouring over the rocks.

Swimming pools are much more efficient with a variable speed pump system. The idea here is to avoid having to run the pump at full speed for normal circulation needs.

A note on irrigation controllers. The power required to run these is so low that it is hardly worth considering. There are solar controller systems available, but these are expensive and are normally only considered for areas that are inaccessible by electricity such as farms or median strips on highways.

Of course, the ultimate green approach to electricity is to install a solar collection system for all your electrical needs. This goes way beyond just heating a swimming pool or a water heater and the technology is already available to turn sunlight into electricity. I have heard that you can even sell power back to the utility company during peak loads (usually when the sun is the brightest and every air conditioner in the land is going full blast). Hopefully the ongoing research will get the cost of these systems into everyone’s price range someday.

GENERAL TIPS

There is a system available to inject earth friendly fertilizer directly into the sprinkler system. This means that you fill the tank up about once a month and all your plants and lawns get fed every time you water. This makes the plant material very healthy and sends the root zones deeper. It also avoids the chemical runoff that is normally associated with fertilizer pellets. Many cities are beginning to require this type of system for commercial projects as part of the effort to eliminate chemical buildup and algae growth in lakes and ponds. The system also allows the use of organic critter control. This is a flower extract that tends to drive away gophers, deer, rats and rabbits.

Sometimes, recycled material can be used directly in the landscape design. This could be using broken concrete pieces for building garden walls, using soil for contouring instead of hauling it away or rocks that are unearthed for ornamental features in the gardens.

Composting is a green approach for getting rid of yard waste.

Cutting your grass with a mulching type of mower keeps a lot of grass clipping waste out of the landfills and is actually good for the lawn.

Adding a layer of mulch cover over the soil in your garden beds will help hold in moisture and this means that you will not have to water as much. This could be bark chips or wood shavings. It is important to fertilize adequately if you use redwood chips as these use up nitrogen when they decompose and your plants will need more than normal.

Bruce Larsen
Larsen Landscape Construction & Design, Inc.
clients@larsenlandscape.com
www.larsenlandscape.com
800.805.LAWN (5296)

The salesman type person you are talking to might glibly smile and nod knowingly in a way that as much as promises five figure profits in no time. The guy that has been in construction all his life might shrug and say, “I have no idea, lady. Where do you want the barbeque built?”

The truth is that there are two factors. You have limited control over the first one. It is the overall market, itself. We have done gorgeous landscapes that have made houses easier to sell in tough market conditions. In a buyer’s market, you have to outshine the competition a lot more than usual and in the matter of getting a buyer to fall in love, it can be a big help. In the matter of getting your money back, it depends on how well the money is spent and that brings us to the second factor.

What you get for your money. Money experts have stated that landscaping is among the best potential home improvement investments in California since the patio and entertainment parts are extra living space with our climate and the plant parts of it literally can grow more value over time. However, someone could use the same twelve tons of stone and concrete, ninety trees and shrubs and various assortments of light fixtures, etc. and create something that people stop their cars to take pictures of or something that makes you wonder how much a demolition crew costs.

It’s kind of like hiring a car designer and the factory workers yourself to get that new sports car you always wanted. In looking it over I see three main ingredients in the factory you hire. They are Design, Capability and Honesty. The design is what they are going to do with their twelve tons of stone, etc. Capability is how good the design actually comes out in real life and honesty is really giving you all that you paid for.

How do you get all three? I recommend going to look at what they have already done. Talk to their other clients, both from years before and recently. Go look at some of the projects and see what you think. If it looks great after three or four years, it was probably done right. If the current client is happy, then the company is still on track. If you love what you see, then the factory workers and the designer will probably be able to give you the sports car you always wanted. And if people are stopping to take pictures of your yard it is a good bet that you will get your money back if you ever sell and maybe even that five figure profit once it’s all grown in.

Bruce Larsen

Bruce Larsen is the president of Larsen Landscape Construction & Design, Inc. He and his wife, Debbie, have been designing and building landscapes in the Los Angeles and Ventura County areas for 25 years.
800.805.LAWN (5296)
www.larsenlandscape.com

If you count the general enhancement to the environment and to the people living in it, a landscape also has a pure value in terms of quality of life. Just remember the last time you traveled through one of the downtown concrete, glass and asphalt jungles. It’s no wonder that those who work in that kind of environment can hardly wait for the next vacation.

Given that a nicely landscaped environment is a positive thing, we come to the main point. How do we achieve that with a minimal use of natural resources that cannot be replenished and how can we keep toxins out of the picture completely?

Most of the problem is tackled with the installation of a new landscape. Let’s take a look at the first aspect of this:

Watering

The whole approach is to use a minimum amount of water and still have healthy plants. The idea of collecting water and saving it in a tank to use in the landscape is still a ways off in the future, unless you have a huge budget available. The problem here is that even a five or ten thousand gallon tank, plus all the equipment to collect water into it is very expensive and when a typical irrigation system runs at the rate of perhaps 15 gallons per minute, this only gives you a little over 5 hours of watering for a five thousand gallon tank.

For a large residential property (the kind usually owned by someone who could afford the system) with only 15 sprinkler valves running 15 minutes each, this is enough water to handle the watering for one and a half days. Most of the water for storage comes from rain and during all the months that it doesn’t rain, only a small percentage of the water needed for the tank can be collected from excess water in the yard.

To give you some idea, an average swimming pool that is six feet deep would water our hypothetical property mentioned above for 7 to 10 days (maybe for a month if you water twice a week).

Using grey water from the house (wastewater from sinks and showers) to fill a tank might be possible if you can afford the special plumbing setup and some way to remove soaps, etc. that are not good for the garden.

There are currently a few areas that provide treated grey water for landscaping use, but this is a service that the utility company provides. If it comes to your area, then absolutely use it for your landscape watering.

So what does the usual homeowner do to save water in the landscape? There are some surprisingly simple ways to do this.

First, have your plant designer lean toward those type of plants that have lower water requirements. Using a variety of leaf color for beauty can be very effective and there are some flowering plants that do not need a lot of water. For this to be really effective, all of the plants in a given sprinkler zone will have to be in the low water category so you don’t have to over water the whole garden to keep the thirstier plants healthy. If you want a few beds of annual flowers that take more water, run the sprinklers to this area on the lawn zone or separate it out with its own valve. This way, you do not have to over-water your drought tolerant plants to keep the thirsty flowers alive.

A very important way to cut down on water use is to stir polymer crystals into the soil before a lawn or garden is planted. These are tiny plastic sponges that swell up about 100 times their original size when water is added. They hold this water for about a week until the roots draw it out as they need it. One lawn we installed with polymer crystals on a partially shaded side of the house didn’t need to be watered at all for 4 months out of the year because the rain water did it all. During the other times of the year, the sprinklers had to be run much less often. The water savings were enormous. These are also very helpful for plants in pots.

Faux lawns are catching on in some areas. Some of these look so real that you can’t tell they are not real even standing right next to them. The downside of this (besides being fake) is that they do not cool down the air and are actually hot to the touch in the summer. They are also a lot more expensive to install than regular lawn. It is one option though.

Proper preparation of the soil allows for deeper rooting. Deeper roots are also assisted by good fertilizing habits. Plants with deep roots can use water that is lower into the soil zone.

As much as possible, it is better to water less often and let the soil dry somewhat between waterings. This keeps fungus from developing and allows the root zone to breath. It also tends to send the water deeper into the soil and therefore drive the root zones deeper. After the plants are established, stretch out the watering times until you reach several days between each one while keeping an eye on the health of the plants (the exception to this is those very hot spells in the summer – then you can set your controller for a short watering cycle to keep things cooled down once a day and still water the longer cycles several days apart – this is particularly important for lawns).

Wherever possible, design the sprinkler system to water the shady and sunny areas separately. This might mean investing in a few more sprinkler control valves, but it makes a difference in the long run.

There is a type of irrigation control box which has a miniature weather station as well as a rain override system The cost of these has come down and they probably pay for themselves the first year if not the first few months. Remember driving past houses during a rain storm when the sprinklers were going full blast?

It is amazing how many lawns I walk across when visiting properties where I hear a squishing sound as I walk and my shoes are soaked when I get to the other side. This is the most obvious overuse of water and is more common than you might think. This is not only expensive and a waste of water, it is not good for the lawn either.

Bruce Larsen
Larsen Landscape Construction & Design, Inc.
clients@larsenlandscape.com
www.larsenlandscape.com
800.805.LAWN

www.larsenlandscape.com
Larsen Landscape Construction and Design, Inc. was started in 1983 by Bruce Larsen. The company blossomed as his reputation for quality service grew, and Bruce Larsen’s wife Debbie joined the company as a plant and garden consultant. Debbie Larsen is now considered to be one of California’s best when it comes to plant design. The company boasts a loyal client base, established in large part by referrals from highly satisfied customers. Bruce Larsen and Larsen Landscape are the only landscaping company listed as a qualified contractor by the LaRocca Home Inspection Company, the leading home inspection company in Southern California. Bruce is also a current member and past officer on the Board of Directors of the California Landscape Contractors Association of Ventura County, CA.

This company was built from the ground up with the customer in mind. Friendly and high quality service are the principles upon which Larsen Landscape was built and continues to grow. We firmly believe that our success is dependent upon the happiness and satisfaction of our clients, and go to great lengths to ensure a pleasant and rewarding experience. We feel that our highly satisfied customer base and the repeat business we receive every day are testament to our customer-oriented philosophy. We invite you to explore our testimonials and awards sections at www.larsenlandscape.com to see what others have had to say about our service.
Bruce Larsen and the highly trained professionals at Larsen Landscape specialize in providing the highest quality products to beautify your home. With services ranging from gardens, masonry, patios, driveways, as well as many others, our caring professionals are sure to be able to make your home as beautiful as you want it to be. We encourage you to browse our photos section at www.larsenlandscape.com to view a sample of the scope and quality of our work. Please feel free to contact Bruce Larsen or any of our capable staff for a free personalized estimate.

Bruce Larsen and his team can handle jobs of all shapes and sizes, from drainage problems causing foundation or mold damage or a simple patio and plant design all the way to large estate design and management for some of the area’s top celebrities. Our first class team of professionals are knowledgeable, polite, thorough and discreet. We enjoy taking a space and making it the most it can be!

www.larsenlandscape.com
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