The landscaping industry has been constantly evolving during recent years and is expected to continue to see good growth in the coming years. Wondering why? The answer is simple – because people are becoming more particular about maintaining their yards and environments, both for their own enjoyment and also with a view to increasing the value of their home. A clean, well-kept property is easier to sell and will achieve a higher sales price than a property that is poorly maintained.
But it’s not just private owners – public places are an integral part of the picture, too.
Because let’s be honest, our quality of life clearly depends considerably on the environmental conditions in our immediate surroundings and beyond (green infrastructure). And a good landscaping solution not only serves to enhance the appearance of a space, but also introduces a host of other landscaping system benefits that a well-developed landscaping solution can bring – especially if we are talking about landscaping in arid areas:
- Good water conservation practices and reduced evaporation
- More vigorous plant growth and better resistance to environmental stress
- Control over soil erosion
- Stormwater management and less stormwater runoff, reducing local flooding
With all of this in mind, beautiful lawns and gardens can also exist in the arid desert or in particularly dry climates, and many desert gardens become incredibly vibrant and full of plant life. The keys to successful desert landscaping or particularly arid conditions are knowledge, the right system and planning.
The Urbanscape Green Solutions Team has tested its green landscaping solutions in Kuwait… and the results are astonishing!
Photo 1: Urbanscape Landscaping System
About Kuwait:
Kuwait is a small, desert country, located in the northeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, famous for its very hot and dry climate. The flat, sandy Arabian Desert covers most of Kuwait. The summer months (April – October) are extremely hot and dry (it never rains during summer months) and while the normal day temperature is 33°C, it rises up to 51°C, i.e. 124°F, during the months of June, July and August. Winters (November to March) are cool with limited rain. Due to Kuwait’s harsh climate we find very little vegetation anywhere in the country, where only drought-tolerant plants can survive without any additional irrigation.
Case study 1: Creating beautiful lawns in the middle of the desert
Procedure:
Vegetation used: Passpalum grass
Test plot: 10 cm regular soil on top of 4 cm Urbanscape Green Roll, covered with sod on top
Control plot: 50 cm regular soil (existing layout)
Urbanscape Green Roll is a multifunctional layer made of volcanic stones and employing a structure that boasts a particularly high water retention capacity* of up to 29 liters per 1 m2.
*Significantly reduced water consumption is just one of the primary advantages of the innovative Urbanscape Landscaping System incl. Urbanscape Green Roll, which is designed to meet the many challenges associated with water management.
Landscape maintenance regime:
The same maintenance regime in terms of irrigation and grass cutting was used for both plots, but there were significant differences observed in terms of water content (in vol.%) in the upper 10 cm layer of soil. In the first stage, the soil was watered (15l/m2) on a daily basis, while in later stages watering was reduced to every second day, and in final stage reduced to every third day.
Results:
After examining the results it was clear – water savings of up to 40% were achieved in Test plot vs. Control plot.
See the difference:
Photo 2: Control plot: Existing soil only Photo 3: Test plot: 10 cm soil w. 4 cm Urbanscape Green Roll
Case study 2: Planting trees and shrubs in arid climate zones
At the same time a forestry project involving the planting of shrubs and trees was executed in Kuwait. And the Urbanscape Green Solution Team added its valuable piece to the complex mosaic:
Procedure:
Test plot: In order to plant the trees a planting pit was made corresponding to the size of the plant. The inside of the plant pit was lined with 4 cm Urbanscape Green Roll and the bottom was covered with an additional layer of Urbanscape Green Roll, which is known to absorb large quantities of water. Later, the trees were fixed in the planting pit with a commercial soil mixed with small Urbanscape Green Cubes made of volcanic mineral fibers.
Photo 4: Planting pit with Urbanscape Green Roll
Control plot: At the same time the same quantity of shrubs and trees were planted as a control component in the project. Planting pits were prepared not with 4 cm Urbanscape Green Roll but only with commercial soil.
Landscape maintenance regime:
Maintenance regimes were the same for both plots: regular feeding and watering, until fully established, irrigation as usual over entire plot, fertilization as usual all over planting pits. The watering regime was designed so as to reduce water consumption: daily watering at the beginning of the trial to establish good rooting, while in later stages watering was reduced to every third day for both the test and control plots.
Results:
Photos 5 & 6: Planting pits with Urbanscape Green Roll and planted trees
The experiment provided us with great results: Water savings of up to 30% was achieved in the Test plot vs. the Control plot - in sandy soil, excess water was absorbed by the Green Roll in very quickly and stayed there for plants to be taken when necessary, so less watering was required. And trees and shrubs saw better growth on the Test plot as well.
Urbanscape Landscaping case studies show very positive results. Interested in Landscaping system which can make the lawns, trees and shrubs look beautiful even in very dry conditions?
Download our brochure below to learn more about the Urbanscape solutions and the benefits of Landscaping System we can offer or check our website.
