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What
is River-Friendly Landscaping?
"River-Friendly" offers a holistic approach to landscaping that works
with nature to reduce waste, prevent pollution and support the integrity
of one of California's key ecosystems, the Sacramento River watershed.
Why should I hire a Green Gardener Trained
Professional?
A Green Gardener Trained professional has attended a ten-week intensive
professional training. Green Gardener Training focuses on conserving water,
protecting the soil and reducing the use of pesticides.
The curriculum covers the following topics:
- River Friendly Principles - An intensive introduction to the 7 principals
of River Friendly Landscaping.
- Soil Health - This covers soil composition, soil fertility, and a
review of tools and methods to evaluate and improve soil health.
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - This focuses on pest management
approaches that reduce risk to the environment, including monitoring
of physical, cultural, biological and less toxic chemical controls.
- Right Plant, Right Place - Selecting the right water conserving plants
for our local climate and the size of each customer's landscape.
- Fertilizers - This covers plant nutrition requirements, fertilizer
ingredients and money savings through "grass cycling"
- Irrigation I - This focuses on coordination of soil needs and plant
requirements
- Irrigation II - Trouble shooting the entire landscape irrigation
system
- Irrigation III - Covers assessment of system and repairs.
- Pruning for Plant Health - Covers plant anatomy, pruning styles and
techniques, such as boxing and topping. Overall long-term plant health
is the focus of this session.
- Mulches and Compost - Focuses on the various methods of composting
at the work site and how to apply compost in the landscape.
Green Gardener Trained Professionals
Choosing
a Landscape Professional
Don't be afraid to ask a few questions to help glean more information:
- Are they licensed and insured for the jobs they do? Some licensing
or certification programs include:
- Contractors State License Board
- Licensing and Certification Program, Department of Pesticide Regulation
(Certified Pest Applicator)
- California Landscape Architects Technical Committee,
- California Architects Board
- International Society of Arboriculture Certification
- Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control
- Are they affiliated with any professional associations?
- American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)
- Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD)
- California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA)
- " Ecological Landscape Association (ELA)
- Pesticide Applicators Professional Association (PAPA)
- American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA)
- Irrigation Association (IA)
- Can they provide references,
especially for comparably scaled designs or sites?
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