What products do you specify to save energy, water, labor, or use recycled materials?

[Bob Luther]

I am looking to start a discussion on products (specific, in production products) that we as designers may not know about. I am thinking of items that will make our designs better by saving electricity, water, labor, or materials. Please also include any web sites so we can look at the manufacturer’s literature on the product.

[Bob Luther]

After the big Xeriscape discussions this morning I would have thought everyone would have some items that the would add to this discussion… I will start

I love to use…

subsurface drip tubing
Individual drip emitters at each shrub (if I cannot use sub surface drip)
Deep well bubblers on all trees and Palms
Annual color on its own zone with Xeri-pop sprays
Et Irrigation controllers
Leit Solar Controllers are a great idea but not as practical as I would like
Decomposed granite mulch with cobble accents
Agaves and Cacti when appropriate

[Roland Beinert]

Here’s something called an olla, which I bet a lot of us have never heard of: http://www.highcountrygardens.com/catalog/product/99804/ . I know it’s not a flashy modern product, but the simplest method is usually the cheapest, right? I bet on small garden areas it might work well, limit the amount of irrigation and add a decorative element. Here’s a longer article on them: http://www.sfmga.org/olla.htm
Here’s something called the RainXchange, which harvests rainwater below ground and allows reuse in several different: ways: http://www.frontierponds.com/RainXchange.pdf . I’m sure there are a lot of similar products out there.
As you probably already know, how you design things to save electricity, water, etc. is often as important as what products you use. It’s always cheaper to find a way not to use a product or to find one that can serve more than one purpose at a time. For example, if you dig a swale and then plant trees on the south side to shade the plantings around the swale, you get less evaporation. So the trees are performing a function other than just looking good, and you didn’t have to pay any extra for it.

[J. Waldron, RLA]

I generally practice good use of xeriscaping techniques coupled with the use of bio swales, and natives. I also recommend rain barrels to homeowners and larger capturing systems to my larger, commercial clients.

one of the bigger “recycling” things I like to do on larger developments is use recycled concrete and asphalt from on site demo, on site excavated stone for rip-rap and earth retainage, and have the timber contractor double grind cleared timber for mulching and stabilization.

[Bob Luther]

I love the recycle concrete tip… nice!

[Bob Luther]

I will look into fiber wattle…cool!

[J. Waldron, RLA]

They are much better than gravel bags when used as inlet protections. they also come in customizable lengths that can be cut to fit in the field. I prefer the grass straw or coconut fiber varieties.

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