Sustainable Landscape Construction and Plantings

This unit develops hands-on skills for installing and maintaining low-impact hardscapes and for selecting, planting, and caring for sustainable trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and lawn alternatives. Students build on foundational site analysis and safety from earlier units and prepare to integrate plant and hardscape elements into whole-site sustainable landscape plans in the final unit.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze site conditions, drainage, and material properties to select appropriate sustainable hardscape solutions (e.g., permeable paving, edging, and base systems) that meet functional and regulatory requirements
• Apply safe, industry-standard construction and maintenance techniques to install and maintain small-scale hardscape features, including base preparation, compaction, jointing, and routine upkeep
• Demonstrate correct selection, planting, and establishment practices for trees, shrubs, and smaller plants using water-wise and soil-building principles to promote long-term plant health
• Evaluate lower-impact lawn options and sustainable lawn alternatives and create a planting and maintenance plan that reduces water use, increases biodiversity, and aligns with overall landscape sustainability goals