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Landscape Vital To Ga's Health

Our guest columnist this week is Mary Kay Woodworth, President of the Georgia Urban Ag Council, 2300 Henderson Mill Road, Suite 227, Atlanta, GA  30345.

Recent news reports about Georgia’s watering ban and the subsequent lifting of that ban have focused significant media and public attention on a little understood part of Georgia’s agriculture industry, urban agriculture.

Urban agriculture is one of the largest and most successful industries in Georgia, with more than $8 billion in sales, 7,000 companies and more than 80,000 employees.  The industry includes retail garden centers, floriculturists, turf grass and sod growers, the nursery and horticulture industry, landscape architects, landscape and irrigation installation and maintenance, green wholesalers, florists and golf courses and their related businesses.

Nearly everyone understands the aesthetic qualities of landscaping.  We all enjoy the visual beauty that landscaping provides and the value that it adds to our homes and properties.  But, more importantly, landscaping is critical to our lives as it provide vitally important support to Georgia’s environment and natural systems.

The increasing density of urban and suburban development is having an impact on Georgia’s environment. Economic growth and development have many benefits but can decrease water quality and increase water use.  About one-half of the land cleared and disturbed for development is covered by impervious surfaces such as roads, roofs, and parking lots.

Landscapes are critical to managing this impact through water storage and management.  Lawns, ground covers, vegetation and even hardscapes are critical to managing ground water and can assist in retention, filtration and purification of a watershed.  Quality landscapes also reduce storm water costs, flooding, pollution and erosion.  Vegetative systems also increase the urban forest, reduce the urban heat island effect, improve air quality, reduce stream pollution, and provide a more aesthetically pleasing and sustainable environment.

Landscapes also can play a significant role in improving environmental health by:

Reducing soil erosion, sedimentation and stormwater management costs

Increasing energy efficiency by cooling the environment

Removing CO₂ from the air and filtering stormwater

Providing new wildlife habitats in backyards, office parks and other developments

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission recognize the value of vegetation as it relates to land disturbing activities. That is why state law requires that landscaping measures be installed at any land-disturbing site. 

In summary, landscaping is not just for looks; it is a good environmental practice.

Advancing urban agriculture in Georgia is the job of  the Georgia Urban Agriculture Council (UAC), a nonprofit association created for the purpose of building a greater public awareness of urban agriculture and its environmental importance in supporting Georgia’s natural systems. The organization is working to build a stronger public awareness and understanding of urban agriculture issues and to promote the benefits of urban agriculture in enhancing Georgia’s environmental quality of life.

The Georgia Urban Agriculture Council is a partnership of six associations: Georgia Green Industry Association, Metro Atlanta Landscape and Turf Association (MALTA), Georgia Turfgrass Association, Georgia Irrigation Association, Georgia Sod Producers Association and Coastal Landscape and Turf Professionals Association.

So remember, when you plant some shrubs, trees or that next flat of flowers that not only are your making Georgia prettier, you are making it better.