Green’s the color

Green has been the word in both home construction and landscaping in recent years as the world has become more concerned about energy usage and changes in the environment.

Use of native plants for landscaping in regions like Odessa and Midland - where consumption of water is a major factor - has pushed practices like xeriscaping to the forefront in recent years.

Xeriscaping is the environmental design of residential and parks land using various methods to minimize the need for water use.
Green construction also has grown in popularity recently as some builders in Odessa, Midland and the surrounding areas have begun utilizing construction methods that are more in harmony with the local environment - such as building homes and other structures out of adobe bricks and insulated foam construction techniques.

Both green building and using native plants for landscaping have the same ultimate goal: Conservation of natural resources and working in harmony with the environment.

Using native plants to landscape around a home or office only makes sense, said Burr Williams, executive director of the Sibley Nature Center in Midland.

"We're all concerned we may have difficulty getting the energy that we need," Williams said.

Although Ector County Extension Agent Deborah Benge-Frost said it may not refer specifically to xeriscaping, she noted that she has seen a noticeable increase in the interest of people who contact the Ector County office seeking information about particular plants and other ways of conserving resources.

"I think people are interested in responsible landscaping," she said.

"Conserving water, using fewer fertilizers and that sort of thing. There's a big interest in it."

Frost said a Midland man recently contacted her about using gray water from his home to water his yard and plants, she said.
Mario Sanchez, whose La Finca de Adobe Inc. has been building adobe homes in Odessa, said he has witnessed the growth of landscapers using native plants.

"There's a lot of good landscaping now," Sanchez said. "There's a lot of interest in green construction in Odessa and in Andrews."

The trend toward using "green" methods for landscaping "has definitely been growing," Williams said, noting the efforts of Laurie Williams with the Texas Department Transportation in utilizing native plants along state highways.

"There needs to be even more education to make that happen," he said. "It promotes a sense of pride and place.

"I would like to see a trade association or builders take an active role in the education process," he said.