ORGANIC
Organic landscaping is inclusive of both lawn care and plant maintenance. Organic landscaping is the creation and maintenance of naturally sustaining systems whereby soil and plant nutrition and plant health are the byproducts of a chemical free management program based on a system’s approach. The basic principles of organic landscaping are principles of health, ecology, and care. To properly develop sound natural programs for managing landscapes, it is important to mimic natural ecosystems. Conventional landscaping practices are generally focused on product applications while managing the organic landscape focuses on building a healthy system. A systems-based approach focuses on soils and soil health, sound horticultural practices, and the use of natural, organic products when indicated or necessary - Organic Landscape Association
SUSTAINABLE
Sustainable landscaping is the practice of using multiple strategies to create an environmentally friendly and climate appropriate landscape. Major goals and benefits of sustainable landscaping include water conservation, improving soil health, reducing maintenance labor and organic waste generation, carbon sequestration, and creating habitat through appropriate plant selection - CALrecycle
Sustainable landscapes are responsive to the environment, regenerative and can actively contribute to the development of healthy communities. Sustainable landscapes sequester carbon, clean the air and water, increase energy efficiency, restore habitats and create value through significant economic, social and environmental benefits - the American Society of Landscape Architects
REGENERATIVE
Regenerate = Create again
Holistic planning and design where human activities are deeply integrated with living systems, continuously building biological diversity, living infrastructure, resilience, and community spirit.
Regenerative design = design process that strives to re-establish ecosystem processes/services at different scales, taking into account ongoing human and biological influences which have the power to degrade ecosystem process/services over time and prevent nature systems from re-establishing themselves - Cleveland State University, Regenerative Cities & Water Resilient Cities
NATIVE
California is an extremely environmentally diverse state. Different California native plants evolved to grow in areas of the state with very different temperatures, rainfall levels, summer drought periods, air moisture levels, and marine influences, among other factors. Because of this, it's always best to grow California native plants in the areas in which they evolved. They are easier to grow, healthier and require little or no artificial irrigation when they are planted in an area in which they evolved and naturally belong. Native California plants that aren't really native to that location will often struggle or die no matter how much you water them.
True native plants are the foundation for nature restoration. They attract butterflies, birds, reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, bees and other pollinators that evolved with those plants, and over time create a working natural ecosystem, without pesticides, and without artificial fertilizers. With the right plants, it's not hard for homeowners to create small patches of nature throughout even the developed part of the state - CALSCAPE: CA Native Plant Society
WATER-WISE
Water-wise landscapes are devised to use as little irrigation as possible and to use that water as efficiently as possible. This can be done by designing landscapes that capture and efficiently use rainwater; amending and improving soil so it retains moisture better and longer; grouping plants with similar water requirements together to most efficiently use irrigation water (also known as hydrozoning); and mulching around plants and in garden beds to hold moisture around plant roots -Sunset Western Garden
DROUGHT TOLERANT/RESISTANT
Drought-tolerant landscaping involves growing plants and flowers that won't wither without water. The word "drought" means: "a period of dryness especially when prolonged; specifically: one that causes extensive damage to crops or prevents their successful growth." The word "tolerant" means, in the broader sense: "capacity to endure pain or hardship," and, more specifically, "relative capacity of an organism to grow or thrive when subjected to an unfavorable environmental factor. The terms drought tolerant and drought resistant are often used interchangeably—and incorrectly so. While drought-tolerant landscaping and plants are able to grow or thrive with minimal water or rainfall, drought-resistant plants can survive for long periods of time without water. "Xeriscape" and "xeriscaping" are terms used to outline a landscaping style that uses drought-tolerant plants to help conserve water - The Spruce
MEDITERRANEAN
Much of California has a Mediterranean climate, characterized by cool wet winters and warm to hot, dry summers. Temperatures are influenced by cold ocean currents and remain moderate despite seasonal variation. Large subtropical high-pressure areas, influenced by inland deserts, suppress summer cloud development and precipitation. During the winter, when the temperature of the landmass cools, the high-pressure system weakens, allowing the moist ocean air to bring rain to the region. Only five regions in the world share this climate: California, the Mediterranean basin, western Chile, the south African Cape region and southwestern Australia. These exceptional and limited climate areas share similar geography and occur at approximately 30 to 40 degrees latitude North and South. They also share similar types and forms of vegetation specifically adapted to the precipitation pattern. Every Mediterranean climate includes plant communities comprising coastal scrub, chaparral, Foothill Woodland and montane Evergreen forest. Regular, deep irrigation of these plants during summer can actually reduce their lifespan. The plant communities found in these areas are dominated by large, woody, evergreen shrublands. Individual plants have small thick waxy leaves to help retain moisture through the dry summers and have developed adaptations to their native fire regimes. - CA Native Landscape: Greg Rubin + Lucy Warren & University of California, Agricultural & Natural Resources
PERMACULTURE
Permaculture is a design process, based in observation and systems thinking, that helps people to create ecologically and socially sustainable human settlements beneficial to the people and to the ecosystems within which they are nested.
The word Permaculture is a contraction of permanent agriculture and permanent culture, as cultures cannot survive long without a sustainable agricultural base and land use ethic.
The aim is to create systems that are ecologically sound and economically viable that provide for their own needs and do not exploit or pollute, and are therefore sustainable in the long term. Permaculture uses inherent qualities such as plants and animals, combined with the natural characteristics of landscapes and structures, to produce a life-supporting system for city and country using the smallest practical area - Occidental Arts & Ecology Center