Benefits of Native Plants in Landscaping

This assignment delves into the advantages of utilizing native plants in landscape design. It emphasizes the crucial role of native species in preserving ecological equilibrium and highlights their significance in urban landscapes facing water restrictions. The text discusses factors influencing plant selection, such as soil type and drainage, encouraging designers to consider these aspects when planning. It also underscores the impact of effective marketing and public awareness campaigns on the growing popularity of native plants.

Native Plants in landscape
Architecture

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Native plants are considered as growing wild in a region at the time scientific collection
began in that area. Some wild flowers have become domesticated over the years and there so
many cultivated varieties available that differ from other species.
The interest of people is growing towards native plants but stills it is not been considered
as attractive garden plant. It has been found that some native plants can be assertive in growth.
Various factors in the study are included that are required by Gardner to consider while planting
native plants. It has been analysed that there is continuous increase in the demand of native
plants in certain regions of Australia. Also, it has been identified that native plants are being
considered as emerging nice market in agriculture industry.
Landscape architecture refers to the design of outdoor areas, landmarks and structures in
order to achieve environmental, socio behavioural and aesthetic results. Landscape architecture
includes the systematic investigation of social, ecological and soil condition. It also involves
various processes in the landscape and design of intervention that produces desired results.
Report will have focus on the importance of native plants in landscape architecture. The
project emphasizes on determining the reason for rise in demand for native plants. The
assignment include analysing the current native plant trend. The objective of the study is to
understand the way landscape professionals view opportunities and elements of current
Australian native plant market.
MAIN BODY
Plants are essential for sustainable landscape and by adopting native organism drought
tolerant plant life and edible flora is the easiest way to promote a more ecologically sensitive
land.
Native flora refers to those plant that occurs naturally in specific area from which they
are originated. These occurs naturally without human intervention. Such plants have ability to
survive in the soil and environmental condition. These plants have potential to provide food to
native wildlife. These plants do not require any fertilisation process and additional water. The
less watering, fertilizing and chemical requirement by these plants lead to prevention of essential
resources and that further results in environmental balance. There are two categories of plants
which are Adaptive and Invasive. Adaptive plants referred to non-native specices. Invasive
plants are defined as non-native species that occur to the habitat by human that spreads and
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causes damage by situation of eliminating or destroying native species. These leads to reduce the
biodiversity altering features and characteristics of soil and increasing risk of fire.
Restoring native plan habitat is essential in order to preserve biodiversity. Landscape
designing have meaningful effects on the population of birds and animals. Gardeners can benefit
birds and other wildlife by selecting natives plants at the time of making decisions relating to
landscaping. By developing native plant garden, each plot of habitat becomes a part of collective
efforts towards nurture and sustaining the living landscape for birds and animals.
Using native plant species in landscape architecture assist in preserving historic
biodiversity of particular region and the country. Purpose of designers, landscapers, architectures
and gardeners include changing the look of an area. Native plants are naturally grown and suited
to the integral area (Mottle and Yocom, 2017)
There are various reasons behind increase in demand for native plants. The basic reason
is growing population and communities. Another reason is public awareness and use of effective
marketing techniques as the main reasons for increase in demand for natives. The native plants
can be used for various projects such as public garden, residential, commercial and resort
landscapes. Native plant can be used by designer according to give response to situation of
various type of project that include fire rehabilitation, mines reclamation, controlling invasive
species, enhancing biodiversity, developing wildlife habitat, etc. It has been identified that most
of the professionals drive their revenue from sales of native plants.
Various plants require a lot of water for completing their fertilisation process these and in
this process lot of water get waste. As native plants required less water in will lead to less of
water pollution and further helps in prevention and effective utilisation of water resources.
Native plants provides greater food a habitat sources to birds and other animal. Developing
native plants gardens leads to greater biodiversity, it helps in reducing disease and pests. These
plants assist in preventing soil erosion and land degradations. It also helps in minimising
negative impacts of greenhouse effect. Natives plants enable Gardner to maintain and increase
productive capacity of land for longer time. It provides shade and shelter to all animals and
human beings. It helps in protecting and maintaining the quality of water. Native plants provide
various genetic resources and assist in maintaining a distinct or unique Australian Landscape.
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Increase in population native plants are being replaced with Skyscrapers and roadways
that has led to loss of plants that can have negative impact on food chain and on ecosystem
(Hallett, Chapple, Bickart and et.al., 2017)
Ecosystem is defined as conglomeration of interacting organism and their abiotic
environment. Ecosystem refers to the community of living organism in conjunctions with the
non-living components of their environment. These biotic and abiotic components are
considered as interlink with each other through nutrient cycle and energy flows.
Balance in ecosystem may get disturbed by the introduction of new species, sudden death
of some species due to natural hazards or man-made causes. Australia is such example of what is
happening to the ecosystem because of increasing population and various development activities
that has great impact on land mainly through deforestation and increased use of Pastures.
Native plants require low maintenance. They provide attractive flowers, produce
colourful fruits and seeds that can be consumed by both humans and animals. Lawns and other
landscapes are notorious to involve abundant amount of artificial fertilizers and synthetic
chemicals, pesticides and herbicides that has negative impact on environment as well as on
living beings. Native plants assist in creating healthier place for human beings and animals.
These also have a positive impact on birds as well as on animals. Landscape with native plants
has potential to change the climate. It also reduces the carbon pollution. Native plants are used
for development of food, medicines and other industrial products. They have developed their
own defence against pest and diseases. Reducing use of pesticides keeps toxins out of water that
helps in maintaining the quality of water. It provides an opportunity for people to experience and
appreciate rich natural heritage. They enable people to connect with nature. Native plants play a
significant part in natural web of life. They are being lost at an alarming rate. Removing a certain
native plant from the landscape will eliminate the insect that feeds on that plant which in turn
may lead to certification of bird that feeds on that insects. This is an example of importance of
native plants. The loss of various species may have negative impact on entire ecosystem.
Removing of native plants from an ecosystem is like taking rivets out of an air plane wing.
Healthy and balanced ecosystem helps in reducing and eliminating air and water pollution.
Native plants play a significant role in providing foods to living beings. Native plants garden
demonstrate the endless opportunities for learning about seasonal cycles, wildlife and plants life
cycles. Various landscapes outside can be used for art and reading classes. It also helps in
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preventing the soil erosion. Soil loss can be minimised by using plants with strong, deep roots in
place of turf, rock. Native plants hold soil, absorb water and slow down the flow of water over
surface. The native plants can be used for resistance to deer browse. Deer are adaptable and eat a
wide variety of plants. There are various characteristics of native plants that reduce the
maintenance. These are longevity this include plants that live for long term. Three four seasons
interests, plants that are appealing most of the year. Variable conditions, it tolerates the wide
range of light and moisture conditions. It requires small and compact space to grow. The native
plants grow into dense grouping and eliminates weeds.
Native plants provide suitable habitat for native species of insects and birds with other
wildlife animals. It provides more varieties in garden by offering myriad alternate to the often
planted species, cultivars and invasive species. They create foundations of their native habitats
and ecosystem. Such gardens are often being benefited from the plants that are being evolved
and habituated to the local climate, pests and soil conditions. The benefits of native plants have
been quickly recognised by municipalities due to municipal budget elements and reductions. It
has been analysed that now public is being benefited from the implementation of natural
landscaping techniques in order to save water and create more personal timer with nature.
There are some edible native plants that include nut producing and fruit trees such as
Service berry, Papa W, blueberries and several native herbaceous plants. Vegetable gardens
provide supplement source of food for living community (Si, Wu, Chen, Jun, Bao, Yan and
Yang, 2017).
Landscape refers to integral highly visible resources present in environment. It has to be
thoughtfully designed and maintained. The purpose of landscape architecture is to use and
maintain native and non-native plant species. It is essential for designers to analyse and consider
the benefit of native plants. They also need to have their focus on negative effects that invasive
plant species can have on ecosystem. Landscape architecture must be both empathetic to the
needs and wants of their clientele and knowledge about ecological system as well as cultural
history. Landscaping with native plants provide various methods and tools that are required to
create and maintain successful native plant garden. The objective of Architecture design is to
reduce the cost of land maintenance. Natural landscape design not only minimises the negative
effect on plants but make a positive contribution in surrounding environment as well.
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Naturally designed landscapes can also become functioning ecosystem that are capable of
providing food and shelter for animals and other small creatures that assist them to perpetuate
many native plants whose habitation are being minimised through development. There are ten
elements of natural design. These are cultivating an appreciation of beauty in nature, minimising
disturbance of existing native growth, determining the closeness of design that will emulate the
native landscape, allocating locations of woodland, open spaces and transitional areas,
identifying the native plant communities in similar conditions in surrounding areas, planning for
natural process of change in order to modify landscape, occupying the space, increasing ground
water level by preserving rain water and employing all alternatives to high maintenance lawns.
Last but not the least.(Hicks, 2017).
Traditional landscape relies heavily on fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides to keep them
disease and pest free. When it rains, these chemicals get washed off and run off into water
supply that leads to increase in the pollution of drinking water, streams and rivers
Replacing traditional landscaping with sustainable and native plants has reduced the need
for land resources and landscape maintenance supplies. This has led to important contribution to
health of environment by considering the fact that ecological system has a great impact on the
results of various procedures associated with manufacture, transport and use of such products.
These various processes are extraction of raw material that is required for producing herbicides,
insecticides, fertilizers, chemicals, etc. It also includes the transportation of raw material to
production facility, synthesis of various landscape, packaging, transporting, distribution and
disposal of waste material generated in manufacturing procedure.
Native plan landscape design delivers ecosystem services that traditional or exotic
systems do not offer. These services are established for maintaining natural ground water, and
facilitating the infiltration and on site sequestration of storm water. Provision of natural roosting
sites and providing specific food sources that can be utilized by living beings. It also protects
and supports population of beneficial insects and other small creatures.
Among various social benefits of ecological based landscape, the most significant is
promotion of sense of stewardship of nature and facilitating emotional attachments to natural
ecosystem as places of health, peace and beauty. There are various other advantages of this
landscape designing. It serves as living laboratory and museum for natural history education.
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Ecological based landscape design helps in generating awareness of humanity role in the
ecosystem process. This design promotes greater appreciation for natural and artificial plants.
As development consumes more land resources that is once occupied by ecosystem there
in increasing demand for landscape architecture those who possess the knowledge, skills and
desire to pervade their work with properties of nature. The disruption of ecosystem is possessed
by development in fostering the pace at which the environment is losing its capabilities to cope
with by-products of modern civilisations. That is pollution, depletion of resources, and loss of
biodiversity. Ecological based landscape design provides human beings an opportunity to
connect themselves with nature. The framework of natural ecosystem and biotic communities
provides designer a template for ecological design which can be used for both new habitation
and re-habitation of degraded species. The benefit of landscape design include maintenance of
biodiversity and perpetuation of ecosystem processes on developed sites.
Morden landscaping practices have more focus on ecological principles than traditional
landscape practices that has emphasis on the efficient use of natural resources. As plants require
water, sunlight and soil nutrients in order to germinate and grow, so idea behind landscape
designing is to provide these resources to plant for their development. The area of ecological
design provides fertile ground for restoring connection between human and nature. Ecological
based landscape framework serve as the principle motivator and helps in providing direction in
developing the ecological based landscape. It has been identified that Native plants' species is
the part of balance nature that has developed thousands of year in ecosystem.
From the landscape architecture point of view, use of native plants has a lot of benefits
due to their ability to adapt local weather conditions. These plants have capability to survive in
all types of environmental conditions. Being an inhabited element in the world, Australian soils
depend on native plants for food in order to maintain stability and fulfilling nutrient
requirements. Poor conservation of soil and increase in land degradation can have a negative
impact on native plants (Shaw, Miller and Wescott, 2017)
Native plants can be used around home and gardens to create sustainable landscape. In
Australia, an estimated 66 percent of native vegetation has been cleared. Around 1.1 million
hectares of plants are owned by individuals and 7.4 million hectares of land belong to
government. On the other hand, 30% of significant locations for threatened species are on
private land, placing increased significance to home towns and landscape architects in order to
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preserve native plants from degradations. Around 60% of native plants garden are privately
owned that are under the threat of extinctions.
The native plants are very essential as they assist in developing functional and beautiful
ecosystem. When landscapes are designed with native plants that consist of variety of layers and
are planted in drifts and mass. It just adds beauty to that region. The landscape can become more
functional in a way it can gain potential to intercept water. Native plants help in purifying and
filtering the air. It provides micro climates for human beings who have less capacity to tolerate
extreme heats and cold. Native plants provide small creatures and birds in habitat.(Zeunert,
2017).
Plants evolved in natural associations with animals n order creating plants communities.
These communities further serve as model to create design with native plants that develop
healthy balanced ecosystem. The residential landscapes, business headquarters, urban planting
strips, institutional and commercial landscapes can be develop to create sustainable landscape.
The planning of designing landscape is required to identify various factors such as
climate, sun and shade, soil texture, soil acidity, drainage and terrain. The Environmental factors
factors include selecting plants that can survive in climatic condition in specific regions. It is
essential for landscape designer to draw environmental condition map that can divide country
into geographic region based on the climates. Considering the amount of rainfall tends to get in
particular area. Individual person while planning for designing landscape should not forget that
direction of sun changes throughout the day. Differenttypes of soil is required by various types
of plant. It is required by designer to check the type of soil and its texture and then select the
place. It is required by the farmer to check Ph level of soil. The designer can do so by adding
soda or vinegar into soil. Farmer can use measuring tool kit in order to estimate acidity level of
soil. Some plant species tend to prefer well drained soil. If the region had poor drainage its tends
to form pools of water in certain places then it is required by farmer to identify plant that can
handle wet soil. Designer has to analyse the surface of land in order to avoid planting trees and
plants on rocky places (Lucido, 2017).
CONCLUSION
It has been concluded from the study that native plants play a significant role in
maintaining the ecological balance. This has also been identified that invasive plants have
negative impact on the environment. It has been analysed from the report that native plants prove
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to be a significant part in web life cycle. It has been concluded from the report that increase in
number of Australian cities and communities with water restriction for landscape has promoted
the use of native plants. Another reason that has been identified is the use of effective marketing
technique and public awareness which is another reason for increase in demand for native plants.
The project has suggested that it is essential for designer to identify various factors before
making plan for designing landscape.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Rottle, N. and Yocom, K., 2017. Basics landscape architecture 02: ecological design.
Bloomsbury Publishing.
Hallett, L.M., Chapple, D.E., Bickart, N., Cherbowsky, A., Fernandez, L., Ho, C.H., Alexander,
M., Schwab, K. and Suding, K.N., 2017. Trait Complementarity Enhances Native Plant
Restoration in an Invaded Urban Landscape. Ecological Restoration. 35(2). pp.148-155.
Shryock, D.F., Havrilla, C.A., DeFalco, L.A., Esque, T.C., Custer, N.A. and Wood, T.E., 2017.
Landscape genetic approaches to guide native plant restoration in the Mojave Desert.
Ecological Applications. 27(2). pp.429-445.
Shaw, A., Miller, K.K. and Wescott, G., 2017. Australian native gardens: Is there scope for a
community shift?. Landscape and Urban Planning. 157. pp.322-330.
Zeunert, J., 2017. Landscape Architecture and Environmental Sustainability: Creating Positive
Change Through Design. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Lucido, J., 2017. California Mission Landscapes: Race, Memory, and the Politics of Heritage.
Architecture, Landscape, and American Culture Series. By Elizabeth Kryder-
Reid. Western Historical Quarterly. 48(4). pp.459-460.
Hicks, S., 2017. Re imagining the local. Landscape Architecture Australia. (154). pp.65.
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