There’s a growing demand for businesses to be associated with environmental certification programs, which include everything from box-store-created green grow programs to government-sponsored programs. The public is increasingly drawn to businesses and products that meet a set standard for environmental awareness and stewardship. In many cases, certification by one program or another is required to be considered for participation in a project.
All green-industry professionals must become educated as to how these programs work to become better positioned for collective growth. Business opportunities are created by understanding these programs and how they tie to other industries.
What is LEED? The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System as the national benchmark for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. LEED provides building owners and operators with the necessary tools to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance.
LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas:
1. Sustainable site development.
2. Water savings.
3. Energy efficiency.
4. Materials selection.
5. Indoor environmental quality.
LEED and SSI.
To attain certification, a project must first be registered. The project must meet all prerequisites and achieve the minimum number of points to earn Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum status.
The LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) credential represents the individual’s knowledge of the LEED Rating System and its application in practice. LEED APs facilitate the integrated design process and streamline LEED certification.
In addition to the LEED system, there is the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SSI) rating system. SSI specifically addresses the landscape aspect of green building. SSI is managed by three organizations: the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and the U.S. Botanic Garden. SSI developed a set of voluntary standards and guidelines leading to more sustainable-managed landscapes.
Similar to LEED, the intention is for the SSI standards to become the basis for a publicly recognized rating system for design, installation and maintenance of landscapes around buildings, airports, streetscapes, parks, campuses and residential and commercial landscapes. The USGBC has indicated its intention to adopt the SSI standards into the LEED rating system.
Merging these two rating systems will bridge the gap between the green building boom and the landscapes around, within and on top of these buildings.
Plant design and LEED.
Plant design and use in LEED projects have the most direct effect on the nursery and landscape trades. LEED projects tend to incorporate plants into designs at the onset of planning, not as an afterthought. The result for green-industry professionals is a new market for increasing sales and services.
Traditionally, landscape plants have been used to transition from buildings or hardscape materials to the surrounding ground. There is an abstract shift occurring to the approach that our manmade environment is a separate entity from our natural environment. We now see a blending of the two into an eventual seamless environment. This is achieved by reducing impervious surfaces and increasing green space through installation of rain gardens, vegetated walls and green roofs.
Rain gardens.
A rain garden is a linear or abstractly shaped ditch that, when designed and planted correctly, helps capture, retain, filter and ultimately return storm water runoff back into the ground. Rain gardens restore natural watershed function by mimicking upland forest and meadowland hydrological functions. This helps to mitigate the effects of land clearing and use of heavy equipment.
Rain gardens are designed to be about one-third the size of the surface area providing the runoff. This is a considerable addition of area not previously used in traditional landscape designs.
The great thing about rain gardens is they move our perception of landscaping from adornments to necessities of a sustainable landscape environment. Although function does not supersede fashion with rain gardens, both function and fashion are inherent. Because of varying conditions within a rain garden, a large selection of plants is available.
Rain garden plant choices: Ferns.
Depending on the variety, ferns thrive in conditions ranging from dry, sunny areas to moist, shady areas. They are excellent choices for covering the differing areas within a rain garden.
* Dryopteris marginalis (leatherleaf woodfern) is a wintergreen, clump-forming native reaching 1-1 1/2 feet tall. It performs well in conditions ranging from moist, rich soils to sandy, dry soils.
* Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern) is a deciduous native that grows in full sun to dense shade. Its fronds are deeply lobed and yellow green. It thrives in damp to wet locations, and its creeping habit forms colonies 1-2 feet tall. Plants die to the ground at first frost, but it is hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 3.
* Osmunda regalis (royal fern) is a rather tall (2-5 feet), clumping native that flourishes in full sun to dense shade and prefers consistently moist soil.
Rain garden plant choices: Perennials.
* Solidago ‘Peter Pan’ is a compact goldenrod reaching only 2-2 1/2 feet tall. It’s covered with multibranched yellow inflorescences in late summer and fall. It is well adapted to many soils and is able to withstand extended drought conditions.
* Echinaceas are great in the drier areas of rain gardens because of their drought tolerance and extensive root systems. They encompass several flower colors and shades, including yellows, pinks, reds and white. They range in height from 1 1/2-3 feet tall in flower and prefer light shade to full sun. Echinaceas are a magnet to butterflies, and their seed is enjoyed by songbirds.
*‘After Midnight’ reaches only 12 inches tall. Although short in stature, its flowers are huge (5 inches across). They’re rich ruby-pink with black-red cones borne above deep-red stems.
* ‘Harvest Moon’ is an excellent, compact selection that flowers at a height of only 2 feet. Its rich dark-yellow, 4-inch flowers and golden-brown cones are held above upright stems.
* Eupatoriums (Joe Pye weed) are native to wet prairies, have deep, extensive root systems and are great for late-season color and attracting butterflies.
* E. fistulosum ‘Gateway’ reaches 5-7 feet tall. It is most pronounced when in flower. Its massive rose-colored flower clusters are borne in late summer to early fall.
* E. rugosum ‘Little Joe’ grows 4-5 feet tall and was selected for its compact habit. It is sturdy, upright and topped with large, mauve flower heads from June to July.
* Hemerocallis are a durable choice for the higher and drier portions of a rain garden. Their roots run deep and are quite extensive, which allows them to endure periods of drought while also providing an avenue for rainwater to filter back into the ground.
* No rain garden would be complete without iris. These plants are very adaptable to ever-changing conditions. Certain varieties grow in standing water and perform just as well after the water has receded.
* Iris ensata ‘Variegata’ tolerates wet feet and grows 1-1 1/2 feet tall. Its green-and-white-striped variegated foliage remains vibrantly colored throughout the growing season. In addition to its outstanding foliage, it’s topped with purplish, early-summer flowers.
* I. versicolor ‘Gerald Darby’ is water tolerant with multicolored foliage and flowers. The foliage begins dark purple in spring and changes to a mixture of green and purple by mid-June then by midsummer converts to soft blue-green. In June and July the multicolored foliage is topped by purple-blue flowers with yellow-white centers.
* Panicums are another group of plants that extend roots deeply into the ground. They bind the soil and perform well under drought conditions.
* Panicum virgatum ‘Cloud Nine’ is an outstanding sturdy selection and ranks as the largest of the switch grasses. This sturdy, tight, vase-shaped cultivar reaches 5-7 feet tall and is adorned with golden flower panicles from late summer to early fall.
* P. virgatum ‘Hanse Herms’ is a compact selection (2 1/2-3 1/2 feet tall) with rich-green leaves until midsummer when they start to turn red. This coloring continues until fall when the foliage turns to burgundy and is topped with florets that provide a wispy red accent.
* P. virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’ is well known for its metallic blue foliage. In summer it’s topped with open purple florets. In fall, the foliage turns to a nice shade of yellow.
* Sporobolus heterolepis (prairie dropseed) is an American prairie plant that grows in full sun to moderate shade. This fine-textured plant is medium green and reaches 1 1/2-3 feet tall in flower. In fall, the foliage turns deep orange and then to light coppery tan in winter. Flowers begin in late summer as an airy topping to the light flowing leaf blades, providing a relaxing motion in the wind.
Vegetated walls.
Vegetated walls can be cement block landscape retaining walls with planted, soil-filled cavities between the blocks, plastic soil holding modules attached to exterior building walls or even interior building walls. When these areas are planted they enhance aesthetics, improve air quality, provide insulation, dampen noise and reduce impervious materials and runoff. They can be planted with groundcovers, perennials, vines, herbs and even edibles such as strawberries, melons and squash.
Vegetated wall plant choices.
* Disporum sessile ‘Variegatum’ performs best in light to dense shade. This underused, slowly spreading, rhizomatous, variegated variety displays an arching habit perfect for vegetated walls. Its sturdy stems carry deep-green, creamy-white-striped, 3-inch, oval long leaves. In spring, bell-shaped white flowers hang from the nodes of the leaves.
* Geranium sanguineum ‘Alpenglow’ is a well-behaved, semi-evergreen, carpet-forming geranium. From late May through June it is consistently covered in 1-inch, long-lasting, iridescent lavender-pink flowers. Its leaves turn red and yellow in fall.
* Hedera helix ‘Walthemensis’ is a small-leaved form of English ivy with medium-green leaves with white veination. Its trailing habit is ideal for vegetated walls. Because of ivy’s tendancy to winter-burn in exposed sites, ‘Walthemensis’ is best used in north- or east-facing walls.
* Lamium maculatum ‘Purple Dragon’ is a robust selection that requires light to moderate shade and produces the largest, deepest purple flowers of any Lamium. This color contrasts starkly with the bright-silver foliage.
* Sedum ellacombianum is a nice deciduous selection for sun exposed walls. Quick to grow in spring, its full, light-green foliage is topped with lemon-yellow flowers in June.
Green roofs.
Green roofs replace traditional roofing materials like asphalt, stone and cement with plants. Think of the millions of potential square feet this adds to the area traditional landscapes encompass. There are many aesthetic, environmental and financial benefits to increasing green space in this manner. Green roofs are better looking than roofs made from traditional materials. They help to cool the air, and the plants and soil act as acoustic insulators to reduce noise. Succulent green-roof plants reduce the risk of fire, and green roofs absorb excess rain and reduce storm water runoff.
Extreme drought resistance is one of the most important characteristics when selecting plants for green roofs. Other characteristics include disease and insect resistance, low maintenance, longevity and aesthetic attributes.
Green roof plant choices.
* Allium senescens subsp. ‘Montanum’ (mountain garlic) reaches 6-10 inches tall and adds vertical dimension when interplanted with sedums. Its foliage is clean, medium green, thick and vertically oriented in tight clusters. During mid- to late summer it’s covered in dozens of 2-inch clusters of vibrant pink-purple, lollypop-looking florets 8 inches above the foliage.
* Sedum album ‘Coral Carpet’ is only 1/2 inch tall. It’s evergreen with a flattened growth habit, and its tiny oval, beanlike leaves turn bright red in hot, dry locations and during winter. Additionally, it displays a cover of white flowers in early summer.
* S. floriferum ‘Weihenstephaner Gold’ grows 2-3 inches tall and displays yearlong appeal. In spring it starts with deep-green foliage, then produces bright-yellow flowers in early summer, followed by deep-purple leaves in fall.
Care and maintenance. In addition to completely new territory to plant, green roofs, rain gardens and vegetated walls bring more areas that require ongoing maintenance. This includes the management of fertility, soil, weeds, trimming and cleaning up. These are opportunities for diversifying and expanding your business.
Do your landscape customers know how to design, install and care for rain gardens, vegetated walls and green roofs? Are you actively pursuing these opportunities? Municipalities and private groups are increasingly providing information and funds to homeowners and business for these types of green-space projects.
The fact that the landscape trade is part of the broader green industry can lead to a degree of complacency, even expectancy, that it’s already positioned for the continuously evolving demands of the green movement. After all, landscaping is green. Right?
Chris Howe is assistant general manager of Hortech in Spring Lake, Mich.