Permeable Pavers Design for Ecological Landscaping
With up to 80 percent of many Houston landscaping plans consisting of hardscapes, the ecologically conscious homeowner may want to invest in hardscapes that are constructed using various types of permeable paver designs.
With concrete being one of the most malleable substances when it comes to adding decorative appeal, it is possible to develop an entire Houston landscaping plan around porous surfaces that filter toxins out of storm water, and which maintain ground water at optimum levels for healthy plant life.
A swimming pool patio can be built out of pavers made from porous, decorative concrete. This décor can mimic many other kinds of materials, such as stone, brick, or tile. Rendering these forms porous gives the homeowner the advantage of extra safety. When there are large groups of people using the pool, there is a great deal of water that gets tracked onto the pavement by feet. A surface that immediately drains this water into the ground will keep it dry all day, not matter how many people are coming in and out of the water. This also helps preserve vegetation that surrounds the pool.
Many Houston landscaping designs feature very lush gardens that surround other landscaping elements like swimming pool patios. In times of heavy rain, the water pouring off the patio can damage plants in the garden. Border elements can be washed away, and erosion can begin to occur around the patio edge.
By using appropriate permeable paver designs to build garden patios and walkways, however, we can reverse this trend toward waste. When rainwater filters through this surface, it permeates the soil and forms ground water reservoirs that plants can draw from even in times of extended drought. This results in a more vibrant garden in the long, hot summer months of July through September.
Permeable paver designs will protect both the soil and the plants growing around the pool by preventing storm water from cascading over the edge of the pavers with destructive force. In much the same way, a garden patio built in the same fashion will protect borders around seating areas in the center of the garden. Many larger garden designs often feature gazebos, pergolas, or elevated rotundas where people can relax in the middle of greenery and color. If sensitive flowering plants are part of the surrounding softscape design, one of the best ways to protect them is with permeable paver designs that filter the water downward, rather than outward.
Other articles on our site have discussed in detail the many benefits of constructing front yard parking areas out of porous pavers. Motor courts and drives that made from decorative, porous cement will prevent front yards from flooding during heavy rain. From an ecological perspective, they do even more. Storm water can wash auto fluids into storm sewers that run into streams, bayous, and rivers. It can also wash any number of pesticides, herbicides, and other toxic chemicals into natural areas.
Permeable paver designs force this water downward into a layer of crushed rock that slows down the seepage of water, along with any toxins it carries. By the time it reaches the soil, it has lost enough momentum to allow bacteria to biodegrade it into harmless, inert elements. This ingenious combination of human landscape architecture and nature’s own self-healing mechanisms represents an ecological symbiosis that increases home curb appeal with a green emphasis that is becoming increasingly valued in the real estate market.