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Xeric Landscaping
I've talked for years about the wisdom of hotels planting xeric gardens. People tend to think of gravel and rock landscapes when xeric landscaping is mentioned, but that's not what I'm talking about. Yes, gravel can be a good mulch, but filling the space with colorful native plants is the idea I'm focusing on.
Xeric hotel gardens are beautiful and attract butterflies and birds. When planted with xeric, or water wise, plants you save money and precious natural resources. What a great step in running a sustainable hotel.
Xeric gardens not only look great, but also save money. Money is saved by not watering, or at least not very much. And when gardens aren't over watered, which tends to be the case with most landscaping, they don't attract pests which means you don't have to apply pesticides, and that saves you money too.
Xeric Landscaping Video
Let me review the ways xeric landscaping saves money. You avoid, or at least minimize:
- watering
- weeding
- pesticide application
Avoiding these issues also lets you put your employees to work doing other things that will benefit the hotel and its guests. Or if you use a landscaping service you can reduce the number of visits they make.
Also, since pesticides are poisons, not using them protects employees and guests alike from the dangers associated with them.
Another benefit of not using pesticides is that you are reducing reliance on oil reserves, often foreign oil. And when poisons like pesticides aren't used birds and butterflies are attracted, adding beauty yet again to your landscaping.
There's increasing talk of water shortages. I actually think the shortages have always been there but they have been masked by subsidies and purchases. We can't continue to borrow from tomorrow, as we've done with water for a century or more. It's past time to start taking care of our natural resources, conserving and reusing as we can. A xeric landscape is one action to that cause.
Save money. Save time. And have a beautiful landscape at your hotel. That's the way to green your operations and have a sustainable hotel.
Posted by Kit
