Services

Sustainable Landscape Design and Installation

Climate Appropriate Ornamental, Native and Edible Gardens

At Earthwise, we strive to create and restore landscapes with ecological abundance and sustainability in mind. We draw from a variety of sources of natural resource management best practices, including the Core Principles of Sustainable Landscaping according to San Diego Sustainable Landscape guidelines:

1. Healthy Soil: Build living soil that absorbs water when it rains or when irrigated.

2. Use climate appropriate plants: Growing plants that thrive in local weather conditions and contribute to the natural environment.

3. High-efficiency irrigation: Using irrigation technology to make sure your water is going to your plants.

4. Use rainwater as a resource - collecting rainwater and redirecting it to the soil.

These components work together to create multiple environmental benefits, including water savings, improved stormwater management and wildlife habitat.

Commercial and Residential

Whether serving commercial or residential clientele, our services increase property values, create beauty and inspiration, and increase the functionality and flourishing of our clients' properties. Homes and businesses thrive with Earthwise landscapes while saving money and helping the environment.

Urban and Community Farms

Urban and community farms are visionary endeavors that Earthwise wants to support! These green spaces promote the wellbeing of cities in a number of ways:

• production and consumption of wholesome, nutrient-dense food

• bringing nature, beauty and calm the hectic city environment

• moderating the "heat island" effect that raises the temperature of paved and developed areas

• cutting down on the significant amount of fossil fuel consumption necessary to transport, package, and sell food

• offering a venue for low-impact exercise and social interaction for gardeners of a variety of backgrounds

Irrigation Water Management

Watershed Landscape Management Approach

A watershed approach considers every property, even a small garden, as though it were a mini-watershed, holding on to or cleaning all the water that falls on it. Water in the landscape is the fundamental resource for nurturing a diverse habitat of plants and animals. Each mini-watershed is managed by the people who steward it, with the result being collective actions that restore our greater watersheds and cities

Irrigation Installation, Audits Retrofit

Efficient irrigation is key to a sustainable landscape. Proper initial installation with the best components save money and water. These systems help the environment, and can include:

• Smart and weather-based irrigation controllers

• High-efficiency sprinkler nozzles

• Pressure regulators

• Sub-meter installation to measure irrigation water use

Audits systematically determine irrigation system issues that can call for repairs and upgrades, and are key for a thriving landscape. We will list the irrigation problems found on each irrigation station and identify the potential for upgrades, including:

• Fix broken sprinklers and irrigation lines

• Retrofit to drip/low volume irrigation systems

Greywater and Water Harvesting

Grey water is gently used water from your bathroom sinks, showers, tubs, and washing machines. While greywater may look “dirty,” it is a safe and even beneficial source of irrigation water in a yard. If released into rivers, lakes, or estuaries, the nutrients in greywater become pollutants, but to plants, they are valuable fertilizer.

Aside from the benefits of saving water (and money on your water bill!), reusing greywater keeps it out of the sewer or septic system, thereby reducing the chance that it will pollute local water bodies. Reusing greywater for irrigation reconnects urban residents and our backyard gardens to the natural water cycle.

Earthwise and our partners specialize in:

• laundry-to-landscape greywater systems

• rooftop rainwater harvesting systems, including storage tanks

• rainwater harvesting earthworks, shaping the land to slow water flow across your land, spread it to where it’s most needed, and sink it into the soil

Community Outreach

Education and Apprenticeships

In order to educate the next generation on earth stewardship as it relates to the urban landscape we provide sustainable landscape education and training.