Future Forward Landscaping

Sustainable, eco-friendly landscape and irrigation are not only ethical but are also beautiful.

Lawns are a waste; no to mention B_O_R_I_N_G.

Today, American lawns occupy some 30-40 million acres of land. Lawnmowers to maintain them account for some 5 percent of the nation’s air pollution – probably more in urban areas. Each year more than 17 million gallons of fuel are spilled during the refilling of lawn and garden equipment—more than the oil that the Exxon Valdez spilled.

Homeowners spend billions of dollars and typically use 10 times the amount of pesticide and fertilizers per acre on their lawns as farmers do on crops; the majority of these chemicals are wasted due to inappropriate timing and application. These chemicals then runoff and become a major source of water pollution.Last but not least, 30 to 60 percent of urban fresh water is used on lawns. Most of this water is also wasted due to poor timing and application.

The advantages of sustainable permaculture and xeriscaping

“People run after gold, but water is more precious!”

Houston has had more than its fair share of hundred years storms in the last several years. Our regional practice of vast front and back yards has only exacerbated the flooding that comes with these storms. At Right Angle, we believe the future of landscaping is the mitigation of water use and dynamic designs that control where water goes. This is otherwise known as 'xeriscaping.' Xeriscaping is the practice of designing landscapes to reduce or eliminate the need for irrigation. This means xeriscaped landscapes need little or no water beyond what the natural climate provides. Xeriscaping has been embraced in dry regions of the western United States yet has innumerable benefits in wet, swampy regions like ours. Xeriscaping reduces water and fuel consumption as well as the need for costly maintenance. These practices can also add 'insulative capacity' to your yard -- hence mitigating the entrance of water into your property during floods.