10 ECO LANDSCAPE GOALS
The Top Ten List for a Sustainable Landscape
1. Hold Your Water
Water is the essence of growth and life around us. By making sure that water goes back into the ground and ecosphere around it and not into the sewers, you not only contribute to a healthy garden in your backyard but everywhere around you. Sewers will back up when holding too much water, effectively wasting it. 
Rain barrels are a great way to conserve water. Anything can be used - whether it be store bought or found on craigslist, these barrels effectively trap a large amount of re-useable rainwater. Rain chains are another such product - removing rain leaders from your eaves allows these chains to slowly let the water drip and be absorbed into the ground.
Many have also integrated rain gardens into the process. A natural way to irrigate and filter your water, it reduces flooding and allows constant absorbing into the soil. Another such idea is in permeable paving - concrete that allows infiltration of rain water into the ground.
2. Bring Back Nature
Being able to recreate a setting with conditions similar to that of the natural world is key. Creating mini - ecosystems is a start, allowing organisms to flourish in a natural habitat. Using plants and not feeders is key - it creates an independent food source and doesn't allow animals to become reliant. 
Even simples steps make a difference - bring a water source into your garden and watch natural life flourish around it. Shelter is also important for harboring life - physical structures such as mason bees and birds nest or simply just plants; it's these small steps that allow your garden to become a sulf-sustaining environment.
3. Create Living Buildings
It's important that we realize the importance of creating our own sustainable environment as well. By customizing your home and fitting it to co-exist with the natural ecosystems in the area, you effectively help reduce the damage done by building a home in the middle of a pre-existing habitat. 
Green roofs provide one such solution. By fitting out your roof either extensively (6" soil or less at the base) or intensively ( > 6" soil at the base) you contribute to a much more sustainable atmosphere. Flowers, crops or simply greenery can be planted on top of the roof, allowing for birds and insects to live in their natural state without your home negatively affecting their environment. Living walls also create a positive environment - whether they be in the soil or climbing plants such as vines, you effectively cool your home in the summer, sustain life and contribute to a working system.
4. Inspire our Children
The 21st century has created a standard of commercialization and rapid expansion. Our children are going to experience the drastically negative affects our current actions are having on the environment before they can realize the severity of it.
Lifetime bonds with nature are generally established by the age of 12 years, and therefore one should make an effort to introduce a healthy, environmental standard of living to our children. A more positive attitude towards gardening allows a healthier lifestyle, as well as the ability to make conscious decisions that will have a positive effect on the environment.
5. Get Your Lawn off Grass
A lawn with strictly grass is a very devastating ecological idea. Not only does it look less natural - a straight cut lawn with very little to see or enjoy, but it also damages the diversity and ability of your backyard to maintain a healthy ecosystem. Ecolawns and groundcover are a much better idea - supplement these with wild plants and trees to help create a more diverse environment.
6. Right Plant, Right Place
As is to beexpected with any sort of organism, your plants require adequate surroundings. Many books and guides can be purchased to match and create a healthy communit - many plants are not compatible. By making sure that all plants will thrive off of one another, you increase the probability your garden will flourish and become self sustaining.
7. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
As obvious as they may seem, these three principles are extremely important in preserving our environment. Even with the simplest of actions such as re-using yard trimmings instead of disposing of them helps preserve the environment. It doesn't only have to be the wildlife that we reuse - even planters and pots can be substituted with a crate or boot!
If cost of the plants has ever been a big issue, dividing the cost with your neighbour is a viable solution. Many plant stores have huge sales at the start of peak season, perfect for filling up that empty garden.
8. Eat Your Way Through The Garden
While a garden can be a delight to look at and enjoy, there are also limitless possibilities in terms of food production. use your garden to its fullest extent - grow that fruit or vegetable that you thought too expensive to buy organically in store. Not only will your family and friends appreciate naturally grown food; local animals and insects will thrive off of it.
9. Be 'Au Naturale'
Plants and wildlife thrive with minimal intervention - such had been the state of the earth for millions of years before humans came along. When planting your next garden and considering what pesticides to use -- don't! These generally cheaper, widespread products are extremely harmful to the environment and generally do nothing more than kill off helpful and supportive organisms.
If you find yourself in a real need for products - buy natural alternatives! They may come at a slightly higher cost, but incrementally they make much more sense. These can also be bought from local producers, meaning you're using a healthy and locally produced alternative to garden growing.
10. Think Long Term!
The 21st century has been one marked with an eco-friendly mindset. By using more durable plant materials, we ensure that replacement won't be constantly necessary and that they will last a respectable period of time.
Using recyclable material is also key to living sustainably - by allowing your plant materials to be recycled youcontribute to creating a better overall system for all life involved. So take that extra effort and buy the organic material - it will save you type and aid the environment in the process.
