Home  •  About NGA  •  Grants & Awards  •  Sponsors  •  ADOPT A GARDEN 

In My Garden Blog

July 20, 2006
Middle South
By Suzanne DeJohn,
Candler, NC

This big ol' maple tree shades the southeast side of our house.

Commonsense Landscaping

I've been watching the progress of the new development going in next door to us, and as is so often the case, the first thing the developer did was cut down the trees and strip the area of all plant life. Now, the first two houses are in, and I'm struck by how stark they look, and also by how the summer sun beats down on them unrelentingly. A few well-placed shade trees would do so much to not only improve the look of the properties, but also cut down on cooling bills. Sadly, I don't see evidence of any plantings other than struggling lawns.

Contrast this with our 90-year-old house. Someone had the sense to plant the right trees in exactly the right spots -- or perhaps leave certain existing trees in place. Maples provide shade in the heat of summer; evergreens act as winter windbreaks. Both are a boon to the aesthetics and the energy efficiency of the house.

Landscaping to Conserve Energy
In the era before homeowners could flip a switch to turn on the heat or air conditioning, landscaping played an important role in the comfort of a home. People planted trees and shrubs in strategic locations to mitigate hot summer sun and cold winter winds, while making the most of cooling summer breezes and radiant heat from the winter sun.

What happened to this commonsense approach to landscaping? Perhaps it's simply expediency -- it's easier to strip the land rather than maneuver heavy equipment around existing trees. Perhaps it has to do with our legacy of cheap electricity and fuel. When electricity was inexpensive and heating oil was fifty cents a gallon, conserving them wasn't a high priority. It can be hard to convince people of the importance of conserving natural resources until their pocketbooks and wallets are affected. So, that brings us back to the trees.

Using Trees and Shrubs Effectively
Our house is a perfect example of landscaping to conserve energy. There are tall deciduous trees on the southeast and southwest sides that shade us from the morning and late-afternoon summer sun. Once leafless in autumn, these trees allow the winter sun to reach the house. Due south, the yard is treeless, so the midwinter sun, which is low in the sky, can warm the house unimpeded. (In summer, the midday sun is so high in the sky that trees on the south side wouldn't provide much shade unless they hovered over the house.)

On the northwest -- and windiest -- side of the house there are evergreens. Two huge hemlocks and several 15-foot-tall yews situated about 20 feet from the house break the wind and offer a visual barrier between us and the houses next door. Rhododendrons near the house further insulate us from the cold, and grace us with a beautiful show of flowers, too.

What a contrast, both aesthetically and practically, to the new, treeless development!

How Much Can You Save?
According to a page on the EPA Web site, "Strategically planted trees alongside buildings can decrease indoor temperatures by more than 15 degrees on hot, sunny days, and allow window air-conditioning units to operate up to 10 percent more efficiently."* A study conducted in California concluded that cooling energy savings ranged between 7 and 40 percent when container-grown trees were located in different positions around a house.** These savings add up, especially now that utility rates are skyrocketing.

The Other End of the Spectrum
In addition to the new, treeless development next door, there's a huge, high-end development going in about a mile away. Here the builders left most of the trees standing, and homeowners must get permission from the association to cut one down. Although brand new, the development already looks established because of the presence of so many large trees, and is much more in keeping with our wooded mountain environment. The downsides are that most homeowners can't have vegetable gardens because the lots are so shady, and there is little natural light to brighten the indoors of the homes.

There has to be some middle ground, between stripping all the trees and prohibiting the removal of any of them. Although, if I had to choose, I'd choose the latter.

*See "Tree Planting Program in Los Angeles" on http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/greenhouse/greenhouse14/short.html

**See "How Much Energy Can Shade Trees Save?" on http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/strategies/vegetation.html

The information provided by Suzannd DeJohn, aabout the plantings
around her home and what is happening around her in terms of
development is evident every day here on the coast of North
Carolina.  Lots and land are totally stripped of natural,native
plants in order to install septic tanks and septic repair fields. 
We have seen old live oak trees cuts down and have worked with local
officials to establish some type of tree ordinance.  When we have
rain storms and last year's tropical storms, there is flooding in
areas that never flooded before.  

Oak Island, NC    

I also live in NC, in Louisburg.  My lot was covered with pines and
serveral were lost during storms.  I have planted crepe myrtles and
lelands on the north side, wax myrtles on the south side, have
shrubs, crepes, butterfly bush and saucer magnolia on the east and
on the west I replaced the pines with lelands, oaks, dogwoods, have
existing cedars and planted a beautiful magnolia. Many of my trees
were obtained from Cooperative extension giveaways in conjunction
with the arbor day.  After 8 years of hard work, people walk down
the street and marvel at the beauty of the trees. In addition, I
still have enough sun so I can have a garden.

Trees are beautiful and also provide shelter for wildlife.  I have
rabbits and deer that come daily.  I feed the deer so they do not
disturb any plants or trees.

I live in coastal Virginia and here to we are seeing housing
developments springing up that are barren and lack sensible
landscaping. One such development knocked down all the trees in that
area. I found it amusing that when named it included the word
"forest" in the title. 

I live in north Mississippi and a few weeks ago a developer wanted
to build some condos and the board jumped all over him for not
having enough trees and showing trees on his plans that were not
even on his lot.
A major retailer had his expansion plans turned down because he cut
down trees that he had ptromised not to cut down wnen he first
build.

It's nice to hear that I'm not the only one wishing for more trees
to be left in developments or at least planted after the building is
completed. I didn't even mention the problems we're having with the
runoff from the new development -- during heavy rains the water
washes out our gravel driveway and floods my flower fields. I had a
local official from the county come out to see the damage, and he
insisted that the developer hadn't done anything to alter the
drainage pattern, since the area already sloped to our property.
When I remarked that by stripping off all the foliage the water ran
off rather than soaking in, he denied this cause-and-effect. So we
are left to clean up the mess, re-grade the driveway, and forego
planting in the newly flooded areas.

Contact Us | Advertising | Content Licensing | Custom Publishing | Research | Press Room | Jobs