The landscaping shift is here

Clients still want their projects to look nice, but landscaping goes way beyond foundation plantings and curb appeal. These specialty contractors also provide sage advice for careful site prep, stormwater management, and climate resistance and resilience.

Award-winning landscape architect Preston Montague, ASLA, PLA—who’s also on the steering committee for the Cullowhee Native Plant Conference—gives us an overview of trends in the industry and how GCs and other trades can collaborate more effectively with landscaping pros to win business, drive loyalty and create a competitive advantage. 

-Bianca Prieto, editor

What’s the most pressing issue facing landscape pros? 

Labor availability and retention, as well as brand differentiation, are big concerns for landscape professionals right now. I’ve differentiated myself by focusing on ecological landscape design strategies, as well as my training in the arts and horticulture, to help owners reduce their maintenance over time and provide a better user experience. I’m also seeing an uptick in inquiries from builders who want to differentiate and add value to their projects by working with landscape professionals who have expertise in native plants, lawn reduction, habitat creation and post-construction maintenance reduction. 

What do you think is driving that?

I believe this interest in what is essentially green infrastructure is trickling down from owners and architects, who are encouraging builders to recognize the value in these often cost- and labor-saving practices, which also happen to be gentler on the land. Social media has increased public awareness of how conventional development practices affect both people and the planet beyond individual property lines—including rising heat loads and stormwater volumes that influence our shared comfort and cost of living in towns and cities. 

What does that mean for contractors?

This growing awareness is now reaching city officials, property owners, designers, subcontractors and end-users, creating pressure for builders to evolve alongside a more informed and environmentally conscious public that is more savvy about the costs and maintenance they inherit from conventional development approaches. A reckoning is coming, though at a glacial pace, and those builders that embrace better land stewardship will be more likely to attract business and retain [clients] than those that don't. 

When's the best time to engage landscaping contractors? 

Call prospective landscape professionals the same day you call prospective architects and engineers. Assemble a team in a way that shows respect for every craft and the importance of their role in the project and you'll get better results that will benefit both [you] and the owner. When you invite landscape architects and designers into the process at the beginning, they help you save money, craft a user experience, discourage high-maintenance landscape decisions that get passed on to owners a year later, [plus] other benefits that reveal themselves post-build.

How do specialists like you help make the built environment more responsive and resilient to climate change? 

The answer to this question depends on where you live, but here in the Southeast, we're grappling with increased heat, heavier rainfall during storms that overwhelm stormwater infrastructure and cause flooding, and a continuing loss of wildlife habitat.

There are several ways to help reduce these impacts. For example, reduced tree removal during site preparation. We can also improve soil conditions for new trees so they grow faster and stay healthier, prioritize the planting of keystone tree species like oaks—especially in areas like parking lots—and reduce the amount of turf grass by default, instead sowing native plant seed along the edges of properties to create grassland margins.

[These] all contribute to lowering urban heat loads, easing pressure on municipal stormwater systems, and supporting habitat for displaced songbirds, butterflies and other wildlife. Right now, I’m working with the City of Raleigh at Dix Park on landscape projects that aim to demonstrate how grasslands [do that] while also serving as successful case studies to inform future policy and municipal code updates. The goal is to improve our shared environment without vilifying builders and developers, but rather by showing what’s possible through thoughtful design.

Interview by Margot Lester

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The Level is curated and written by Margot Lester and edited by Bianca Prieto.