This unit introduces core principles of sustainable landscaping and practical decision-making for residential landscape projects. Students learn to assess sites, choose appropriate plants and features, weigh DIY versus professional options, and recommend water-wise irrigation strategies to prepare for installation and maintenance units that follow.
Learning Objectives
- Analyze key principles of sustainable landscaping (e.g., ecosystem services, native/adapted plants, resource conservation) and compare them to conventional landscape practices in a written brief.
- Apply sustainability and site-compatibility criteria to develop a prioritized plant palette and landscape feature list for a hypothetical residential property considering climate, soil, maintenance, and ecosystem benefits.
- Evaluate project scope, required skills, cost, and safety factors to determine whether specific landscape tasks should be completed by the owner or contracted to professionals, producing a justified decision and budget estimate.
- Demonstrate basic site-assessment and design skills by producing a measured site map, identifying environmental constraints and opportunities, and recommending water-wise irrigation or watering options that support plant health and conserve water.
Curriculum
- 1 Section
- 7 Lessons
- 30 hours
Expand all sectionsCollapse all sections
- Unit 1 — Foundations of Sustainable Landscaping7
- 1.1Landscaping the Sustainable Way20 mins
- 1.2Making Good Decisions about What to Include in Your Landscape20 mins
- 1.3Deciding Whether to Do It Yourself or Call in the Pros20 mins
- 1.4Getting Better Acquainted with Your Property20 mins
- 1.5Brushing Up on Design Basics20 mins
- 1.6Plotting Your Sustainable Landscape20 mins
- 1.7Surveying Your Watering Options20 mins
Instructor
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