http://www.nativegrowers.com Sustainable landscapes and native gardens Sun, 03 May 2009 17:39:41 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Scientists have identified why excessive fertilisation of soils is resulting in a loss of plant diversity. Extra nutrients allow fast growing plants to dominate a habitat, blocking smaller species' access to vital sunlight, researchers have found. As a result, many species are disappearing from affected areas. A team from the University of Zurich, ... http://www.nativegrowers.com/?p=39 This week, the Sears Tower in Chicago collapsed, London was swallowed by the Thames and Atlanta was taken over by wild beasts on a television show called Life After People. Ordinarily the History Channel, which aired it, uses old footage and photographs to bring the past to life. But last ... http://www.nativegrowers.com/?p=37 The US has lost vast portions of its regionally distinctive flora and fauna to lawn-based yards. Lawns and traditional landscapes composed of relatively few ornamental plant species across the country have homogenized our nation. Landscape architects and installers across the country still use a limited palette of few species all ... http://www.nativegrowers.com/?p=33 via The Bradley Method. Strategy. The basis of this method is the native species ability to recolonize by tipping the ecological balance away from the weeds and toward the native plants. If one begins by clearing out the weeds from the most heavily infested areas, the weeds will come right back ... http://www.nativegrowers.com/?p=30 Every morning, garbage trucks swing by the Hotel Nikko, the Palace Hotel and MoMo's, picking up food left on dinner plates and in San Francisco chefs' kitchens. Green crews hit neighborhoods from the Mission to the Sunset, collecting oatmeal, chicken bones and dead tree leaves. Images View More ... http://www.nativegrowers.com/?p=27 One hundred ten ways to save water #1 There are a number of ways to save water, and they all start with you. #2 When washing dishes by hand, don't let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water. #3 Some refrigerators, air conditioners ... http://www.nativegrowers.com/?p=23 One definition: A landscape that minimizes the inputs of natural resources, maximizes recycling of materials, and minimizes outputs that have negative effects on the environment – while still supplying the social need of aesthetics and utility. Sustainability — Practices that would ensure the continued viability of a product or practice well into ... http://www.nativegrowers.com/?p=21 notes from :: A Visual Tour of San Diego’s Sustainable Urban Landscapes presented by Marian Marum, ASLA •Mediterranean habitats account for 8.5% of land in California, and comprises20% of the Earth’s named vascular plant species •Within a single day in this county, we can experience numerous ‘enviro-zones’ •Canyon habitats surround us with ... http://www.nativegrowers.com/?p=19 Many people say that when we dig ourselves out of the current economic mess, the world will look very different. But how will people adapt? Daniel Gross writes at Slate that "if the economy is going to recover, Americans need to start taking risks again." Many of those risks involve ... http://www.nativegrowers.com/?p=17 Native plants "spring" to life in early winter during the winter rains, with flowering periods starting at that time and running throughout spring. As things heat up in the summer, some of the local natives, those that are not evergreen, go dormant, which some people consider a disadvantage. In one ... http://www.nativegrowers.com/?p=10