Exotics can have a profound negative effect on the landscape. Therefore, this landscape plan utilizes only native plants. Energy conservation in landscape management is a key issue. The American fascination with the mowed lawn is incredibly energy intensive. 3,000,000 tons of fertilizer is used annually in maintaining American lawns.
Theses polluting machines require millions of gallons of fossil fuels annually.
Large quantities of pesticides are applied to force this artificial environment into this monoculture of grass. With this in mind, the Earth House landscape design features a very reduced mowed area. Species diversity is an important consideration in the landscape. With this in mind, the Earth House landscape plan utilizes a diverse plant screen from route 32, which tapers down in height from 10 ft. This screen then blends into a meadow area, followed by a small mowed area.