The following list combines aspects that might be attractive to property owners or land management professionals:

Reduced costs – There’s often an increase in up-front costs that comes from installing a new landscape regime, but the long-term costs of a “green” landscape are almost always significantly lower than a manicured, exotic, turf-dominated property. Less expensive for the land owner and less costs for the land manager.

Less time and maintenance – Again, a larger time investment may be necessary at first, but once established, an eco-savvy landscape will take dramatically less time and maintenance.

Mowing, pruning, spraying, watering, fertilizing and mulching will all be noticeably reduced. This means more spare time for the land owner. For the land manager, more time to work on other properties and engage new clients and projects.

Reduced fertilizers and pesticides – Turf and exotic plants often require large amounts of fertilizer and pesticide. Many property owners, both private and public are trying to reduce the use of these products. In some jurisdictions, their reduction is becoming a requirement, if it isn’t already. Using less of these products improves environmental quality and creates healthier landscapes, as well as healthier people and pets. It also greatly improves water quality.

Improved air and water quality – The increase in naturalistic plantings along the edges of streams, rivers, ponds and lakes improve water quality on a local and region level, including the Chesapeake Bay. Reduction of pesticides and fertilizers does the same. Replacing turf with naturalistic woodland plantings creates less run-off, therefore reducing stream erosion. Air quality is significantly impacted by the highly-polluting engines and fuels used by the lawn mowers and string trimmers needed to maintain landscapes dominated by turf and manicured flower beds.

Attracts beneficial wildlife – When you use native plants especially good at attracting birds and butterflies, you double the color and aesthetics of a landscape, as well as guarantying pest control (birds) and plant pollination (butterflies and bees), thereby creating more flowers, fruit and generally healthier plants. Attracting and watching wildlife has become an incredibly popular pass time for millions of Americans, more so every year. An interest people are willing to support financially.

Expands clientele base, strengthens business structure and corners market – Every year more and more people become interested in native plants, wildlife watching, eco-friendly landscape options, butterfly gardening, Bay Scaping, etc. However, there are very few landscape companies and designers able to serve this growing demand. Any land manager, public or commercial, that becomes an expert in designing and maintaining these landscapes has an eager market waiting for them.

Maintains northern Virginia as desirable and popular place to live – Whether you’re managing a park, plant nursery or a landscape company you want Northern Virginia to continue to be a highly desirable place for people to live. Providing state-of-the-art, ahead of the curve, cutting edge eco-savvy land management services helps to ensure that this area will be an attractive, clean, healthy region for decades to come.

Check out related resources to get started!

1. Plant natives
2. Plant a native meadow to attract and feed native songbirds
3. How to approach eco-friendly land management
4. For the complete ASNV eco-friendly landscape paper, download this PDF
5. Gardening for Wildlife
6. Gardening for pollinators
7. Shade-tolerant, drought-tolerant, low-maintenance groundcover plants - see bottom of the page
8. Ten rain garden plants (PDF)
9. Other Web resources