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Scotland's Native Trees and Shrubs
Make wise use of resources - design and delivery
Sustainable development demands that wise use be made of resources. The whole-life economic and environmental consequences of the proposed species selection and the way they are to be used must therefore be assessed carefully. Some species are easier to produce and grow more readily than others. These species are inevitably cheaper to buy. There is consequently a powerful temptation to select these low cost species.
Cheap plant material can become a costly maintenance burden - shrub willows that require pruning annually is an apposite example. On the other hand, trees and shrubs that produce suckers, such as Aspen ( Populus tremula), Gean ( Prunus avium), Wild privet ( Ligustrum vulgare) and many others can multiply themselves many fold in a few years making a dense thicket requiring minimal attention and obviating the need for herbicide application. A better understanding of such species could reduce whole-life costs without reducing the quality of the design.
The key to making wise use of resources in the selection of species is to meet the design objectives whilst selecting the species most suited to the site. The nearer the match the less the need for chemical fertilisers, peat based soil ameliorates, energy and management.
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