As published in: Urban Green File – June 2005

While it’s well known that the replacement of exotic vegetation with indigenous vegetation adapted to the particular area forms a critical part of rehabilitation, developers have often focused on larger plants, overlooking the fundamental role grasses play in the environment, according to Zingela Consulting’s Mike Zingel.

“In years past, prime outdoor sites for recreation were often planted with exotic vegetation because the plants appeared pleasing and grew easily. Wildlife was lost because their needs were ignored. More recently, huge strides have been made by environmentally aware designers and developers in the use of indigenous vegetation. However, while the choice of species appropriate for each area is commonly made in the case of trees and shrubs, this is seldom done with grasses,” says Zingel.

Zingela Consulting’s mission is to help improve the situation and to facilitate the establishment of appropriate grasses in development and rehabilitation.