What Is A Conservation Landscape?

A conservation landscape is a landscape bed or garden that is designed with almost all native plants. It’s created to support local habitat by providing food AND shelter for insects and animals in our region. In some places a conservation landscape is just a landscape bed with native plants instead of traditional landscaping. In other places a conservation landscape is a bed that intersects water flow to reduce what runs off of the property or is defined as a bed that replaces turf grass or invasive plant species.

Conservation Landscape

In Howard County, according to the conservation landscape cost share program called Cleanscapes, a conservation landscape is a bed that intersects water, replaced turf grass or invasive species (or eroded soil), is decompacted to at least 6 inches below level soil grade and has a 2 inch ponding depth (grade of bed is lower than surrounding grade) in order to collect water more effectively. These garden beds are pretty, operate much like rain gardens do but are a little less complicated than rain gardens (at least in terms of what is required by the County program).

A conservation landscape that is not being planted as part of a reimbursement program costs around $15/sq ft. Depending on the cost share/reimbursement program, a conservation landscape meeting those requirements is in the $18-22/sq ft range in cost. So a minimum cost for a conservation landscape professionally designed and installed would be starting at $3600 for 200sq ft.

Cleanscapes: Plant a Conservation Landscape and Get $$ Back 

Many counties offer programs that reimburse money when you have a conservation landscape planted. In Howard County the Cleanscapes (click here) program reimburses 75% of the cost of a conservation landscape that has been preapproved by them and designed and planted according to their specifications. The application to join this program for your own property opens on April 1st! Research ahead of time and be quick to sign up because the program is GREAT and fills quickly.

Here are some photos of projects we have planted recently that were through the Cleanscapes program.

Conservation Landscape installed by LGS through Cleanscapes program

A conservation landscape designed and built by Lauren’s Garden Service in Ellicott City through the Cleanscapes program.

In Montgomery County Rainscapes (click here)is a program that offers reimbursement on rain gardens, conservation landscapes and other eco friendly landscaping practices. Rainscapes has programs for Rockville and Gaithersburg (click here). Price George’s County (click here) has a program as well.

HOAs Can Receive a Grant That Covers 85% of the Cost of New Garden Beds

There is a Community Stormwater Partnership grant (click here) available to HOAs in Howard County! It will open in early May. Information can be accessed here. I highly recommend that you review the application process to be ready for the early May open date. While it is not difficult to apply for this grant it is popular and space fills quickly. We have done several projects where we plant garden beds where water is eroding soils on HOA property. We come to the property and create a proposal for your projects.

When you receive your approval and your grant money you submit a deposit to us. We then design your projects and build them. We install signage so the neighborhood knows what the beds are for and can help maintain them. Here are some examples of beds installed under the Community Stormwater Partnership Grant in Ellicott City last year! Reach out today if your HOA (click here) is interested.

A conservation landscape designed and built by Lauren’s Garden Service in Ellicott City and covered by a grant through the Howard County Stormwater Protection Partnership.

A conservation landscape designed and built by Lauren’s Garden Service in Ellicott City and covered by a grant through the Howard County Stormwater Protection Partnership.

A conservation landscape designed and built by Lauren’s Garden Service in Ellicott City and covered by a grant through the Howard County Stormwater Protection Partnership.

A conservation landscape designed and built by Lauren’s Garden Service in Ellicott City and covered by a grant through the Howard County Stormwater Protection Partnership.

A conservation landscape designed and built by Lauren’s Garden Service and covered by a grant through the Howard County Stormwater Protection Partnership.

Plant Native Plants in Your Landscape

You can also just plant native plants in your landscape or plant a pollinator garden and make a difference. You don’t have to do a technical conservation landscape or rain garden to effect a change in the local eco system. Stop using herbicides and pesticides and educate your neighbors on how killing some insects actually kills all insects (beneficial pollinators). The cost of a typical new native landscape is around $15-18/sq ft (including design fees) so can be more inexpensive than a conservation landscape or a rain garden. Let us know if you want our ecologically sustainable landscape designers to design and build a new landscape for you by filling out this form (click here)!

You can also DIY a more beneficial landscape by planting native plants whenever a bare spot develops in your existing landscape. We have resources here (click here) to help you select the best plant or you can come in to our nursery and talk to our knowledgable nursery associates (click here).

Cultivate Garden & Goods

Check out our extensive supply of native plants at our native plant nursery in Ellicott City. Opening day is April 1st! We also have a lovely shop adjacent to the nursery called Cultivate Garden & Goods with lots of nature inspired goodies from bird supplies, seeds, our favorite gardening tools, gifts, cards and more!