With warmer weather finally making its way to Cochrane and area, many residents are eager to get their hands dirty in their yards.
But before you start up that lawn mower or turn on your sprinkler, consider a few greener ways to landscape this season.
Todd Simmer of Big Sky Landscaping, a Division of Simmer Project Solutions Inc., has been naturescaping for about six years. For Simmer, the natural landscape trend is all about lifestyle and being eco-conscious.
“The days of sod and the fence are over,” said Simmer, who owns the landscaping company with his wife, Rayanne. “People are beginning to use their yards as an extension of their house.”
Essentially, naturescaping is the creation of a garden or yard that is made up of materials and compounds that are native to your geographical area.
For Cochrane and the surrounding area, that includes trees such as Colorado Blue Spruce and Thunderchild Crabapple; shrubs like Mugo Pines and the Calgary Carpet Juniper. As for grass, there are thousands native to Southern Alberta, said Simmer.
“The main driver behind naturescaping is being environmentally responsible,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with sod, but we don’t need the whole yard to be sod.
“When you look at this in a nutshell, we bulldoze the trees, the creeks and the waters, and up goes 800 houses. And we don’t plant native grass that requires no water. We plant Kentucky bluegrass, which needs copious amounts of water to look nice.”
Cutting down on the size of your lawn — or just planting a native grass — is one of the easiest ways to make a difference environmentally. After all, our lawns are where we use the most water, the most chemicals to battle pesky dandelions and weeds, and the most equipment to keep unsightly long grass at bay.
“But naturescaping doesn’t mean that you can do your yard and then forget about it — that’s a misconception,” said Simmer. “It’s less, yes. But you still have to maintain and watch it. Weeds can grow through almost anything.”
Water harvesting is one other way residents can diminish the size of their carbon footprint. A rain barrel or an underground watering system can be used to catch rainwater and redirect it into the yard.
By keeping the ground moist, the amount of water required to maintain the yard is diminished.
For those who use a sprinkler system to water their lawn, keep in mind the water restrictions for Town of Cochrane residents. From May to October — unless indicated otherwise — water may only be used outside between 5-10 a.m. or from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Luckily, making the switch to a “greener” yard is within reach for the do-it-yourselfers among us. All you need, according to Simmer, is a bit of planning and a strong back.
He recommended paying a visit to a local nursery or greenhouse, and avoiding the department-style stores that bring plants in for the season. Bow Point Nursery, located north of Springbank Road on Range Road 32, is one spot that grows native materials in an attempt to reinstate the region’s natural ecosystem.
If doing-it-yourself doesn’t appeal to you, check out the offerings from Simmer and his crew at bigskylandscaping.net.
