Green Landscaping
As our nation continues to pursue new and better ways to be good stewards of our environment, we at Wisteria Landscapers want to do our part to improve the health of Earth’s natural systems. If we’re going to make a difference on a large scale, it’s going to take each property owner and company, large or small, taking initiative to do their part. Those little habits we each change and smarter choices each of us make will add up!
Here are some of Wisteria Landscapers’ corporate practices that we believe help to make a difference.
In the landscape…
- We are one of a tiny fraction of landscaping companies that recycle bio waste, and from it, create our own compost on site, right here inside the Beltway.
- We have put together a more effective method of plant care that does not rely on the traditional model of periodic spraying of pesticides. Instead, we use vertical mulching, cultural practices, and growth regulators as the base of our plant care efforts. If pest control beyond this is required, we use systemic root drenches and injections, targeting only the offending pathogens.
- We encourage the use of healthy trees and planting beds rather than expansive lawns, as plant life helps clean the air and reduce CO2 while providing much needed shade and a natural wind barrier for your home and property. Furthermore, these types of landscaped areas require far less resource consumption as compared to the same area planted as a lawn. Properly designed landscapes also reduce the run‐off and erosion responsible for much of the degradation of the Anacostia River, Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.
- We are a partner contractor with the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) for the RiverSmart Homes Program, where DC residents can receive up to $1600 credit for the installation of a rain garden on their property, or up to $1200 credit for other landscaping geared toward improved water quality such as BayScaping, permeable paving or a rain barrel. For more information visit DDOE’s website: RiverSmart Homes Program.
In our offices…
- Our locations inside the beltway reduce drive time and fuel consumption as compared to the majority of landscape companies which are located much farther out.
- The majority of our accounting and record keeping is done digitally to reduce paper usage, and when we do require paper in the office, we use 100% recycled paper whenever feasible.
- All waste materials at our office and from our production center are separated into recyclables and bio waste with only a small percentage of waste remaining for traditional land-fill disposal.
- Our offices are maintained using non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning products derived from all natural plant oils and extracts.
- Since we maintain some plant stock on site at our production center throughout the year, in 2010 we will be installing rain barrels to collect rain runoff from other parts of our facility to be used in irrigation. This will reduce our municipal water usage, plus it will be better for the plants since rain water doesn’t contain any treatment chemicals.