Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Issue link: https://sct.epubxp.com/i/753030
90 S C T / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 6 BETTER MANAGEMENT AND NEW TECHNOLOGY KEEP LANDSCAPING LUSH AND WATER CONSUMPTION LOW KEEPING IT GREEN BY STEVE M c LINDEN PHOTOG RAPH: G R EG ORY SCAFFI DI AS DROUGHTS AFFLICT MULTIPLE regions of the U.S., bringing high water prices and tight restrictions, water man- agement is becoming a challenge for shopping center owners trying to keep their landscapes green. The trick involves balanc- ing usage reductions while still maintaining the aesthetic that guests have come to expect from shopping centers striving to provide an inviting environment. But with a little creativity and some horticultural research, plus the latest in water-conserving gadgetry, a center's brand need not suffer from a desert landscape, says Julie Brinker- hoff-Jacobs, president of Newport Beach, Calif.–based Lifescapes International, a landscape design firm working with such centers as Caruso Affiliated's Grove, in Los Angeles, and Vestar's District at Green Valley Ranch, in Henderson, Nev. Austerity for austerity's sake is not the answer, according to Brinkerhoff-Jacobs. Early industry efforts to use xeriscapes — a style of landscape design requiring little or no irrigation or other maintenance — were "spatially uninspiring and unaesthetic," and in many cases a turnoff to center patrons, she says. But com- bining seasonal plantings, succulents and drought-tolerant plants with real-looking artificial materials can help, she suggests. Man- aging irrigation wisely, by means of such tools as drip systems that deliver water directly to the plant roots or by using fine mis- ters, adds to water savings, Brinkerhoff-Jacobs says.