An Ecological Landscape Design for Your Fairfield County, CT, Yard

Ecological design is a framework for design that seeks to improve the health of our environment and maximize ecosystem services. Ecological design works toward sustainable longevity of landscapes, by selecting beneficial species in both plant and animal life to increase biological diversity and ensure resilient landscapes that are adaptable to changing conditions.

Simply put: "the benefits people derive from ecosystems." The definition arose from the United Nation's Millennium Ecosystem Association's need to evaluate the effects of ecosystem change on human society and to better quantify the value of ecosystems in human terms, in order to curb environmental degradation. Ecosystem services can be divided into four major categories. (Derived from The Economics of Ecosystems & Biodiversity.)

Regulating Services

• Air Purification and Temperature Regulation – This is provided by trees and vegetation – particularly valuable in urban environments to mitigate Urban Heat Island Effect.
• Carbon Sequestration and Storage – Carbon is sequestered and stored by vegetation, particularly trees and prairie grasses – extremely important in our fight against climate change.
• Water Filtration – Wetlands are our natural water treatment systems, protecting water quality and absorbing water during storm events.
• Erosion Control – Plants with established root systems help stabilize soil, preventing erosion. This is extremely important as it can take hundreds of years to create just one inch of top soil!
• Pollination – This is essential for food production and maintaining both plant and animal biodiversity.
• Biological Control – A healthy ecosystem can regulate pests and diseases with adequate populations of predators and parasites.

Provisioning Services

These include material outputs from the environment, such as:

• Food
• Water
• Raw materials (lumber, biofuels, oils, fibers)
• Medicinal plants

Habitat Services

• Adequate food, water, and shelter to support a diversity of species. The more biodiverse an ecosystem, the more resilient, healthy and valuable it is.

Cultural Services

• Space to recreate
• Nature tourism
• Artistic inspiration
• Spiritual experiences

• Create habitat to support a diversity of insects, pollinators, and animals. Support threatened species and create a healthier ecosystem through biodiversity. The National Wildlife Federation certifies habitat gardens based on their provision of food, water, shelter, places to raise young, and sustainable land practices.
• Treat and reuse water on-site. Reduce impermeable surfaces and implement water treatment / recycling systems such as rain gardens, rain water harvesting, and passive irrigation.
  • Implement layered planting with a mix of trees, shrubs, perennials, and ground cover to regulate climate and temperature, sequester carbon dioxide, and filter air pollutants. Reduce your lawn area to accommodate more garden beds and reduce maintenance emissions.
• Grow your own food – reduce the energy and emissions associated with food production by growing your own locally!

We have extensive documented experience in landscape design and construction throughout the tri-state area. Jay Archer has over thirty years’ experience designing and constructing ecological landscapes, honing his expertise in holistic stormwater management, steep slopes, wetland restoration, and native plant habitat gardens.

All plants secrete carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, but soil microbes are the key player in converting that CO2 to organic matter and storing it in the soil. Thus, fostering a healthy soil microbial community is essential in creating 'carbon sinks' on your property. Soil microbes evolved alongside our native plants; some microbes are specialists and are only hosted on the roots of specific local plants. Other microbes are generalists and can forge a relationship with a variety of plants. Landscape chemicals like synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are known to kill soil microorganisms and are therefore never used in Green Jay Landscape Design land management. Instead, we amend the soil with organic compost and biochar to inject microbes into the soil, boost plants' immune systems, and improve the soil's water-holding capacity, thereby reducing overall resource use. Among the many native plant choices, trees secrete by far the most carbon dioxide (given their size), and prairie grasses are the second-best option due to their deep root systems. To summarize, to make your landscape carbon-positive, choose native plants that are suited to your site conditions and maintain your property organically.