Habitat Restoration and Native Reforestation
At Blacklotus, we see the opportunity every landholder has to contribute to the conservation and restoration of the many important habitats we have here in the Pacific Northwest. We also recognize our role as a landscaping company in supporting these projects of restoring the environment, particularly with native species of plants and reforesting areas with new healthy trees. Whether you are a homeowner, HOA, business, non-profit, or government organization, we can partner with you to return part of your land back to native landscapes including reforesting an area previously clearcut, turning lawns into native prairie meadows and restoring native plants to the forgotten corners of your property that have been taken over by invasive species such as Scotchbroom, English Ivy, and certain species of Blackberry.
Humanity and the environment are inextricably linked. Both strongly impact the other. As a community, we can support improvements in the quality of our soil, water, and air, as well as our many diverse species here in the Pacific Northwest, so that this place we call home thrives for generations to come. Every landscape has the potential to be part of this process on a small or large scale.
Habitat Restoration Services:
We are here to help you restore your property’s habitat. From reforestation, native prairie meadows, pollinator gardens, eco lawn alternatives, edible and native plantings, and ecoponds.
Reforestation
Reforestation involves planting native trees and understory plants in an area previously logged or otherwise disturbed by human activities. Through this intentional planting, we re-establish an ecological system that provides the important functions of forests, including their roles as:
Carbon sinks combating climate change (forests sequester 25% of human emissions annually!)
Habitat that supports biodiversity, especially those species threatened by land development.
Soil stabilizers and water filters prevent the erosion that clouds and pollutes our waterways.
Key players in the water cycle are absorbing water from the soil and releasing it into the atmosphere, which can cool the Earth’s surface and help regulate rainfall patterns.
Producers of essential resources like breathable air, healthy topsoil, quality building materials, and even sources of medicine.
The more we learn about the roles of the forests, the clearer it becomes that healthy forests are a foundation of a healthy planet.
Prairie Meadows
The prairie meadow is an ecologically important and culturally significant ecosystem in Washington state that has become one of the most endangered habitats due to land development, changing climate, and the spread of invasive species.
For the landowner, a prairie landscape is an economical, low-maintenance alternative to a lawn that reduces water, fertilizer, and chemical use while promoting healthy soil and water, supporting pollinators, and participating in the native prairie conservation movement. Prairies can be a great option over a septic drainfield and can turn large or unmaintained sites where invasive plants like blackberries or scotchbroom thrive into more aesthetic and functional spaces with minimal maintenance. They can also be used for erosion control, preparation for reforestation, or serve as a riparian buffer to protect water quality.
Overall, a prairie provides functional benefits to households, businesses, farms, and our natural systems while also providing amazing forage and habitat for mammals, songbirds, pollinators, and many threatened meadow wildlife that have seen their native habitats dwindle.
Pollinator Gardens
A pollinator garden is a landscape designed to attract and support pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds by providing essential food and habitat. Pollinators are crucial for the health of ecosystems as well as our human food production. In fact, one-third of the food we eat relies on animal pollination. A backyard garden that supports these essential workers also helps maintain the genetic diversity of plants, ensuring resilience to diseases and environmental changes. Thankfully, pollinator gardens are also aesthetically beautiful to us humans as well, since they are filled with a foundation of native greenery and colorful flowers.
Lawn Alternatives
Grass lawns, along with all the chores, water, fertilizers, and weed killers that go along with their upkeep, have become a normal expected feature of most home landscapes. However, you can reduce your yard maintenance chores and budget while at the same time giving back to the planet by replacing some or all of your lawn with one of the many beautiful and functional lawn alternatives, including:
Native plant gardens friendly to local pollinators and wildlife, combined with functional ground cover plants and/or cedar arborist chips as soil-building mulch.
Edible landscaping, such as vegetable gardens, food forest orchards, and berry patches.
Native prairie meadows and wildflower gardens.
Pollinator-friendly “lawns”, clover, or no-mow, drought-tolerant “lawn” mixes that provide a similar function and aesthetic of a lawn but still reduce water and chemical use while providing more benefits to soil and pollinators.
Compared to the typical turf lawn, all of these lawn alternatives drastically improve the ecological benefits your yard is providing to the planet in the form of carbon sequestration, soil building, pollinator & wildlife support, water filtration, and more.
Rain Gardens
A rain garden is a landscaped, shallow depression planted with native plants that collects rainwater from impervious surfaces like roofs, pavements, driveways, patios, parking lots, or waterlogged yards. The water is then slowly filtered back into the ground. By slowing the travel of water and filtering it through the roots of plants, a rain garden prevents erosion and reduces pollution running into our waterways. They can play a huge role in guarding our waterways against non-point source pollutants (NPS) such as motor oil, gasoline, fertilizer, chemicals, herbicides, pesticides, and pet waste. Rain gardens and other earthworks that guide water slowly through the landscape in a desirable way can assist the homeowner with water issues such as pooling or sogginess in unwanted places. As with all these eco-conscious ideas for your backyard, including a rain garden in your yard is not only functional but can be designed as a beautiful landscape for the homeowner to enjoy.
Native and Edible Plantings
By highlighting the true beauty and function of native plants in your yard, you can utilize your role as a landowner to serve in the efforts to restore and conserve our native habitats so that they can continue to offer all their services to the water, soil, and air of our planet as well as to pollinators, wildlife, and human populations. Additionally, native plants tend to thrive in our local soil and climate with less time, water, or amendments required than some of the non-native ornamentals.
Incorporating edible plants in the form of food forests, vegetable gardens, orchards, or other edible landscaping allows you to become intimately intertwined in a natural system in which you interact with and rely on the plants outside your window rather than them just being a pretty scene to look at. You become empowered to produce healthy food in a sustainable way as an alternative concept to the global food system that results in massive amounts of pollution and waste. This daily relationship with nature not only provides us with the beautiful bounty of healthy vegetables, fruits, and herbs to feed our families, but it also reminds us that we are a part of rather than separate from nature. This shift in thinking across our communities can have profound effects on the way humans interact with nature in our larger-scale systems, laws, and culture.
Ecoponds
Ecoponds offer a beautiful and eco-conscious water feature to your landscape through a self-sustaining water system designed to mimic natural aquatic environments. They utilize biological filtration to keep the water clear and healthy, supporting diverse aquatic life, including plants, fish, and beneficial microorganisms. While typical ponds installed on landscapes use plastic liners, an eco-pond avoids the added plastic and maintenance hassle of these artificial liners by using bentonite clay as a water sealer. Whether large or small, an ecopond can provide habitat to wildlife like frogs as well as serve as a watering hole for pollinators, birds, reptiles, and mammals in the hot months of summer. Ponds are often used for water storage to meet watering needs when rain is scarce and can be incorporated into a larger system of rain catchment and irrigation to maximize efficiency of our precious water resources.
Seamless Installation Services
In addition to our design expertise, we offer landscape installation services to bring your landscape to life. Our landscape project team of skilled landscape installers can take your landscape plan from paper to installation with precision and care. We ensure that every element of the design is executed to high-quality standards, creating a seamless transition from the design phase to the final installation. You can read more about our landscaping projects here.
Continued Year-Round Maintenance
Let Blacklotus Landscaping do it all so you know it's done right.
Periodic paid Landscape consultations.
Enhancement services to keep the landscape thriving over time, such as aesthetic hand pruning, tree pruning, mulching services, lawn and meadow restorations, irrigation enhancements and repairs, vegetable garden planning and planting, and overall general cleanups. Many customers schedule these on a recurring basis, depending on their needs, with 2-4 visits per year being typical and extremely useful for ensuring the longevity of the landscape.
Contact Us Today
If you're eager to transform your outdoor setting into an exceptional landscape, contact Blacklotus Landscaping today about your custom design package. Our professional landscape designers are eager to work with you, combining their expertise and creativity to create a customized design that reflects your unique style and preferences. Let us help you bring your vision to life and create an outdoor space that you'll love for years to come. Schedule your landscape design today!