Close-up view of a blue and white lawn mower on green grass, with blades of grass partially cut in the foreground and trees and a blue sky in the background.

Maintenance

Sustainable maintenance can improve aesthetics and protect the environment.

Smarter Care, Lasting Impact

Reduce waste and maximize value

Sustainable landscape maintenance supports the long-term health of your garden by working in harmony with nature. Thoughtful practices help reduce waste, conserve resources, and promote both environmental and economic benefits.

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Many common practices consume excess resources and disrupt natural systems, but sustainable approaches work with nature to support long-term garden health.

By reducing water use, minimizing fossil fuels, and protecting soil and air quality, sustainable maintenance enhances both garden beauty and environmental function.

Smart maintenance choices reduce material and labor costs, support healthier environments, and align with the evolving needs of the landscape.

Hands holding dark, rich compost soil next to a pile of food scraps including vegetable peels, lettuce, and eggshells, representing composting and soil enrichment.

Why is sustainable maintenance important?

Many common forms of maintenance are incredibly harmful to the environment. Sustainable maintenance practices, on the other hand, work with the environment to achieve various benefits. Thoughtful, sustainable maintenance is key to the success of a landscape. This means working with nature to support living systems and striving to diminish negative impacts by reducing water consumption, reusing or recycling waste, protecting air and water quality, and minimizing the use of fossil fuels. As stewards of our landscapes, we can make meaningful impacts that enhance the beauty of our garden and its ability to provide ecosystem services.

The role of maintenance in a sustainable landscape

When thinking about sustainable maintenance, remember the interdependency between the environment, human health, and the economy. The economic benefits associated with landscape maintenance are most easily found when materials or maintenance hours are reduced. All too often, maintenance practices don’t reflect the needs of the landscape, but rather a set schedule that is determined by seasons or habit. This results in the unnecessary use of materials and labor. Sustainable landscape maintenance considers both the short and long-term goals of a garden and is informed by careful monitoring of garden conditions.

A metal wheelbarrow filled with garden waste, including uprooted plants and flowers, resting on a grassy lawn in front of a dense green hedge. A wooden-handled tool is placed across the top.

Sustainable vs. unsustainable gardens

sustainable GardensUNSustainable Gardens
Reduce the release of chemicals into our environment by using organic fertilizers such as compost and implementing pest management strategies that minimize hazards to people, property, and the environment.Limit the use of materials that can introduce pollutants into our waterways, and also manage stormwater so that it can be cleansed and reused on-site.
Limit the use of materials that can introduce pollutants into our waterways and also manage stormwater so that it can be cleansed and reused on-site. Pollute water when chemicals used in maintenance contaminate streams and aquifers.
Depend on the regular use of mechanical lawn and garden equipment that emit considerable amounts of carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and nitrogen oxides, increasing air pollution.Use over-the-counter fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides that can have negative impacts on the health and well-being of people and the larger natural world on which we depend.

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