It’s Natural, Its Innovative and Its Environmentally Friendly
Using Decomposed Granite or Crushed Stone can be a great addition to any landscape. These natural aggregates really help you connect with nature and they are great solutions to many issues.The one bay area landscaping solution can help reduce the heat island effect (when you are surrounded by heat absorbing materials like asphalt and concrete) and help control storm water runoff. But they do have their limitations- dust, mud, erosion, and loose rock everywhere. Do their advantages outweigh their disadvantages? There is a better solution- Stabilized Decomposed Granite and Stabilized Crushed Stone. Stabilized Decomposed Granite and Crushed Stone are aggregates that are strengthened with a natural organic product called Stabilizer. Stabilizer binds soil particles so many of the typical problems are greatly reduced or eliminated.
Soils are made up of a variety of particles: clay the smallest, silt, sand, and gravel or rock being the largest. Soils like the kind you plant in, sands like at the beach, and aggregates like decomposed granite and crushed stone, each have unique characteristics. Aggregates are best for pathways and driveways because they are hard and permeable surfaces.
Natural Surface and Can potentially help with LEED Points
Stabilizer is subtle. The surface looks like natural aggregate. Upon further inspection you notice the soil holds together. The soil is wet, but not muddy, it’s stable. Stabilizer will not transform the aggregate into concrete- you can still feel the crunch of the gravel under foot. It simply makes soil stronger where you want a natural, rugged appearance, but you also want better performance. You can still use nature’s entire color palette in your landscape without worrying about dusty, loose or muddy soil. Stabilizer is natural and porous, so you can even plant in it. Be prepared for any situation, whether that multi-use area turns into a patio, pathway, or parking area- it still looks great and helps contribute towards LEED certification points.
Great for high foot traffic landscaping and Landscape Water Conservation
Now there is something important you need to know that helps with reduced landscape maintenance in San Jose. “Stabilized Decomposed Granite” is a pretty regularly used term and helps with reducing landscape maintenance on properties in San Jose and the Greater Bay Area. There are all sorts of crazy things that people mix with Decomposed Granite or Crushed Stone. If it is not the right product, you could be getting anything from concrete to simply ineffective products that just don’t work. Make sure the products that are used in the mixture are genuine true stabilizer that binds the Decomposed Granite and Stabilized Crushed Stone together. It is natural, innovative, and has been proven to be the best choice for most applications.
Storm Water Management
These surfaces substantially resist the erosive effects of weather and traffic compared to traditional gravel materials. With a natural look much less obtrusive than concrete or asphalt, a Stabilized surface blends in well in natural settings, making it popular for use in Botanical Gardens, Green Roofs, Nature Paths, Greenways, Golf Course Cart Paths, Trails, or any environment where a more organic feel is desired. Stabilized Decomposed Granite and Crushed Stone is considered permeable pavement. Permeable can reduce storm water runoff that collects pollutants into our natural bodies of water. LEED Code-SS 6.1 Stormwater Quantity and SS 6.2 Stormwater Quality.
Plan for El Nino
When it does rain here in the Bay Area, it tends to pour down in some areas, sheeting across hard and dry surfaces carrying with it pollutants and potential contaminants to storm sewers and then flowing to our Bay waters. So the more rain that is channeled or slowed by porous substrate materials and landscaped areas, the better for the environment, as well as the water table, because plants and permeable surfaces will filter pollutants before discharging water on to underground springs.
With sustainable landscape design and landscape renovation, there are some landscape architects replacing asphalt and other hard surfaces with substrate permeable ones, like porous gravel or crushed granite, and replacing lawn with terraced beds filled with plants that not only can take heat and drought but also holds and conserves water.
Interested in learning more? We Love Landscaping!
Landscape Management Services in The San Jose Bay Area
FloraTerra is a Leading Commercial Landscaping Company , providing a complete range of landscaping services, including sustainable landscape improvements for for Shopping Centers, Strip Mall Landscaping, R & D Developments, Luxury Apartment Landscaping, Residential Estate Landscaping, Home Owners Association Landscaping, Condominium Developments and Commercial Office Landscaping.
San Jose | Santa Clara | San Francisco Bay Area | Fremont | Sunnyvale | Milpitas | South Bay
Request Our FREE 21 Point Landscape Assessement
