Erosion Preventative Vegetation - EPV - LJN Blog Posts

Following on from modern development techniques, which continue to brazenly ignore the most basic attributes of sustainable traditional landscaping techniques in order to minimise even the smallest of additional expenses, landslides are occurring frequently across all developed countries. Although landslides are often associated with developing countries and are usually large scale significant disasters, the reality is that the large quantities of small landslides, (sometimes less than a tonne at a time), are occurring in Europe and North America which are disastrous in their own right and easily preventable. We are all aware of driving past building sites and seeing the soil profiles spilled out onto the road or blocking drainage lines.This misguided notion that to leave an exposed soil profile of any angle is ‘cost saving’ can lead to serious long term problems, which are increased during times of recession when construction is often slower and the need to protect employment and finances can lead to soil exposure over a considerable time. This is only amplified by the fact that there is no real force to help guard against this. The Environment Agency will rarely bother and Local Authorities can ill afford to ‘take on’the often too powerful development companies. Many so called sustainable projects also rarely realise these issues and often it is only the occasional well minded local planner who can restrict this behaviour.Of the many problems that occur as a result of mini landslides or erosion include; Damage to aquatic and riparian habitats, often very long term; Nitrate run off; Soil disturbance leading to long term deficiencies in top soil layers; Increased localised flooding risk; Sub layer ‘gully’s’ which are only filled in and thus leads to ongoing nitrate run off; damage to persons or property by way of creating a risk hazard for vehicles and of course a poor quality garden, ill suited to any other than the most basic of landscaping.Future landscape planting may well consist of plants with roots suitable for binding the soil together, but this is becoming increasingly rare as newer landscape architect students ignore plant characteristics sub surface in favour of architectural planting, (this is the result of changing teaching practice concentrating more on design elements rather than plant characteristics). Indeed within garden design and landscape architecture root growth and soil science is increasingly ignored altogether.When Britain’s Canals and railway embankments were being built during Victorian times, the process was not much slower than today, yet it was standard practice to seed ‘’within a twenty four hour period’’ a host of colonising species, or grasses to ensure the work done was as quickly as possible establishing its new profile. The soil was of course often much more stable to begin with, as hand digging allowed for the profile to remain relatively stable, whilst modern machine simply mixes much of the strata’s up, often leading to a consolidated panned layer, to which top dressing can rarely bind to.EPV are simply species suitable for rapid root establishment, (sub surface). Virtually all grasses fall into this category, clover and many species usually believed to be weeds. Using ‘green compost’ mixes will allow for added value to the soil in between exposure and future planting. Most indigenous trees are also superb, with many champions, particularly Alder and again have added characteristics preventing future higher contour run off and remediation of the soils as well - also how much land which could be suitable as a future supply of coppice material has instead been concreted or netted. On steeper slopes a range of suitable plants from Rubus tricolor, Vinca major to Hedera helix, are excellent and rapid EPV, this species have all fallen out of grace with the garden fashion police, probably due to their overuse in Pre War times due to their excellent qualities. Hydro-seeding is a quickfix solution, but is often costly.Surely ensuring that ground workers and developers keep a few bags of clover seed mixes or ‘pony paddock grass seed’ under their JCB seats to be sprinkled liberally about, is such a small cost in preventing massive long term ecological and environmental problems. And coupled with the increasing extreme weather phenomena Europe is experiencing it is perhaps absolutely essential.www.paysagedurable.com

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