Smartscapes™
live in harmony with nature
Smartscape™ a term inContour coined and trademarked in 2021, which describes our unique approach to designing sustainable landscapes. As a discerning individual, you know the importance of ecologically friendly and sustainable landscapes. That's why we offer curated, sustainable landscapes and developments that not only meet your needs now but also responsibly address future concerns. Our high aesthetic standards ensure that you'll not only enjoy your surroundings, but also appreciate the beauty of your landscape knowing that your thoughtful design is enhancing and supporting the local ecosystem.
Our Smartscaping™ approach entails:
Plant selection: Our planting plans consist of native, drought-tolerant, deer-resistant (if applicable), low-maintenance, and wildfire resistant, and native bird and pollinator-friendly plant species. This helps to create landscapes that are not only beautiful, but also support your property's ecosystem, require less maintenance, and consume less resources.
Justifiable Lawn: A justifiable lawn is a lawn area that serves a specific, practical purpose that outweighs its environmental drawbacks. Lawns can be considered ecological green deserts. They support a minimal species of insects, and virtually no wildlife.
While best practice for an ecologically friendly landscape often involves removing and replacing lawns or eliminating them from new landscape designs altogether, they can have a place in a Smartscape and depending on your lifestyle may be necessary. The key is ensuring that any lawn you maintain justifies its existence. Justifiable lawns include small areas for active recreation and perimeter barriers for wildfire defense.
When a lawn is justified, the best practice is to use hardy lawn mixes that require less water and maintenance. Although the area remains a green desert, this approach significantly reduces water usage, fertilizer, fossil fuel consumption, noise pollution, and emissions.
Hardscape materials: We consider the sustainability, source location, transportation costs, and durability of hardscape materials, such as pavers, walls, and other structures, when designing a landscape. Whenever possible, existing materials should be repurposed on site. This ensures that the landscape is built to last, embodies less carbon, uses less fossil fuels, and overall has a minimal environmental impact.
Landscape lighting: Our approach to landscape lighting includes energy-efficient fixtures and bulbs, and is designed to enhance the beauty and safety of the landscape while incorporating dark skies guidelines to minimize light pollution for both wildlife and stargazers.
Irrigation: Our irrigation design incorporates low water use design and technology, including drip irrigation and smart controllers that adjust watering based on weather and plant needs. This helps to conserve water and reduce water bills. We design all of our irrigation in house, and all of our designers design irrigation plans, which makes our designs more cohesive, practical, and lower maintenance than would be the result if we outsourced irrigation design.
Site Grading: Proper site grading ensures that water flows away from the foundation of the building and other structures, preventing water damage and drainage issues. We carefully assess the site and design the grading plan to ensure that the landscape functions efficiently and effectively, making the most out of capturing and slowing storm runoff, while also complementing and enhancing the overall design aesthetic.
Firewise guidelines: When applicable, we incorporate current Firewise guidelines into our Smartscaping™ approach, which provides an added layer of defense in case of a wildfire while also helping to reduce homeowner insurance costs.
Quick establishment: Our Smartscapes™ establish quickly, providing enjoyment from the first growing season. This means that our clients can start enjoying their new landscape sooner, without having to wait for plants to mature. Overall, our Smartscaping™ approach provides a sustainable and functional design solution that prioritizes the long-term health and beauty of the landscape, while also minimizing environmental impact and maintenance requirements.
Our unique Smartscaping™ approach implements environmentally sensitive strategies to ensure sustainability at every stage of a project. From the sourcing of plants and materials to accounting for their eventual end point, we consider every aspect of a project's carbon footprint to provide a truly sustainable solution. Our landscapes sequester carbon, clean the air and water, increase energy efficiency, restore habitats, and create value through significant economic, social, and environmental benefits. Every project we undertake incorporates these values, techniques, and goals, ensuring that our clients receive the best possible results.
