Landscape Planning and Design in Mountain Environments IS Different! - Part Two

In some ways Landscape Design in warmer climates is similar, but in many ways, it is VERY Different!  A number of factors play into the planning and design of mountain landscaping.  Following are areas where the differences affect design and planning so that Mountain Landscape Projects can not only survive but thrive. 

In Part Two we discuss contemporary and global concerns of landscape planning and design and how they fit into the scheme of mountain landscapes.

How Do Water Conservation and Irrigation Intersect?

• Water seems plentiful in the mountains with all that snow and the abundance of lakes streams and river running everywhere
  • Mountain communities are often subject to the same state mandates for conservation as the larger urban regions
• Through Conservation – Efficiency – Technology
  • Companies have been hard at work creating control and distribution systems that
    • efficiently deliver water to varied types of plant material
    • manage frequency and duration of applications based on weather and seasonal variations
• Issues of water management vary from Region to Region, Municipality to Municipality as do restrictions.  It is important to know regulations for your community
• Scarcity on the Planet – thinking Globally vs Locally and current global water supply concerns

• Native Plants are indigenous to the region one is located
• Adapted or Adaptive Plants are non-native plants that are well suited to the climate, use and environment one is located and are not invasive
• Invasive Plants are those which pose a danger to soils stabilization, they impact nutrient, water and light supply to Beneficial (Native and Adapted) plants, and may be noxious or toxic to people, animals, soil organisms and other plants
• Choosing site appropriate plants can influence many aspects of a Landscape Plan
  • Aesthetics
  • Soil Stability
  • Water and nutrient requirements
  • Site Design – privacy, definition, shading, solar gain,
  • Views – creation, optimization, enhancement, screening
  • Requirements for pest and fertilizer management
  • Attracting Pollinators - Birds, Bees, Beneficial Bugs, and Butterflies – especially for crop production if you have a vegetable garden and fruiting trees
  • Invasive Non-Native plants can cause harm to other plants and soil Stability
• Cost of Water – depending upon your jurisdiction, the cost of water will vary especially if you live in dry regions of California which will influence your choices in irrigation methods, plant materials and intensity of landscape planting

What are Defensible Space and Wildfire Buffers and Why do I Need Them?

• Wildfire in the West, and especially Mountainous Regions is a very real concern as Climate Change continues
• How vegetation and landscapes are managed influences fire behavior – that is as long as fire remains at ground level
• So many variables determine Potential Dangers to the Landscape and Human Habitat
  • Vegetation – existing and introduced
  • Water – availability and accessibility, proximity to water bodies, sources such as wells, reservoirs,  etc.
  • Hardscape – paving and landscape walls
  • Wind - direction, speed and terrain influencers such as canyons
  • Humidity – high elevation climates tend to be dry and fire likes dry air
  • The previous winter’s Snow Fall – influences how long fuels can resist catching fire
  • Terrain – fire will typically travel faster up steep slopes
• Tree and ground plane vegetation management according to documented Defensible Space Zone regulations have been established by local and state Agencies
  • CalFire in California - https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/get-ready/defensible-space/
  • Idaho Firewise - https://idahofirewise.org/firewise-landscapes/
• The goal of these standards is to minimize potential hazards and damage to Lives and Property
• Buffers are fringe areas that are lean, clean and green
• Appropriate spacing of native and adapted landscape plants
• Plants Heavy with water – wetland plants including wildflowers, willow, dogwood, Aspen – help to slow ground level fire and create a curtain so to speak, between homes and wildland.

Balancing Act

• The big question in any Landscape Planning Effort revolves around a Balancing Act between following aspects that may conflict with each other:
  • Vegetation Use and Introduction Choices
    • Plants that complement and fit with the native flora
    • Invasive or noxious species to be avoided
    • Use of native plants when and if, available
      • Many native plants are difficult to grow in cultivation, and not in high demand in larger development contexts as they are not well suited to non-mountain environments so may be difficult to obtain, especially toward the end of growing and construction seasons
  • Native Vegetation Management
    • Selections for landscapes within defensible space zones
    • Spacing of existing trees and shrubs to prevent spread
    • Eradication of volatile species such as Snow Brush (Ceanothus velutinus, aka ‘CV’)
    • Erosion control and soil stabilization
  • Water Use – Conservation
    • The best Defensible Space plants are those that use and hold a lot of water
    • Irrigated zones provide the best defensible space buffers
  • Landscape Screens and Defensible Space
    • Privacy and protection – views to, through and from the site must be balanced with Defensible Space standards while conserving water
  • Stormwater Management using plants and mechanical means to stabilize soil, retain water on site
    • Plant choices and spacing that works well holding water and soil in place without creating defensible space challenges
    • Installation of rock armoring or riprap holds soil in place, is fire safe yet may not fit with design aesthetics
  • Optimize User Experience
    • Having a beautiful satisfying landscape that optimizes the goals of the end user may conflict with Water Conservation, Defensible Space, Stormwater Management and Aesthetics
  • Being a good neighbor and prevent intrusion on neighboring spaces, views,  personal wellbeing and safety
    • Lighting, sun, shade, uses –
      • We will talk about lighting in the Part Four
    • Plant choices and positioning
      • In Part Three we will discuss what grows in mountain landscape and making appropriate choices

In the end Landscape Architects must determine priorities and weigh the cost of meeting the goals of some elements while sacrificing others – a true balancing act.