Innovation

• Sourcing re-purposed and ethically-derived materials for landscaping;
• Offering new innovations in gardening and landscaping that reduce our water consumption and harm to life on land;
• Integrating 'passive landscape design' into the design and construction of gardens to benefit occupants and reduce energy consumption within households.

Inspiration

R. Landscapes is inspired by the need to reduce the harm that can be cause by the construction methods and materials used to create beautifully-constructed gardens. The use of concretes, non-FSC certified timbers, and inefficient irrigation all concerned R. Landscapes' owner/operator, Shane Ryder.

Shane is motivated by the belief that “there are amazing products out there that look incredible and have been saved from landfill: things like timbers from old railway lines and rusted metal sheeting from scrap metal. They’re all re-purposed and pulled from the rubbish heap somewhere.”

Overall impact

R. Landscapes specialises in landscape design that incorporates sustainably-sourced materials and innovative technologies and designs. At the heart of this business is the desire to direct a business in a way that delivers attractive landscape design whilst addressing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 15: ‘Life on Land.’

R. Landscapes contributes to this SDG by ensuring that gardens are designed to incorporate recycled and sustainably-sourced materials. These can include reclaimed railway timbers for constructing pergolas and garden edging, recycled green waste mulch, and non-invasive plant species.

R. Landscapes takes sustainability further by utilising the concept of ‘passive landscape design’, where gardens are designed so as to deliver more than aesthetic benefits to the occupants of the property. This is best illustrated with the example of deciduous (winter dormant) trees planted alongside windows of the home. In winter these trees lose their leaves and allow more sunlight in through the windows of the home to warm the home, whilst in summer the thick leafy foliage keeps the home cool by shielding the windows from sunshine. Integrating this practice into the design of the garden allows for a reduction in the amount of heating and cooling required in-home during hot and cold weather.

Business benefit

Shane is excited by the potential growth in the sustainable products sector and the changes this will bring to his business. “The more of these innovative and sustainably-sourced products that we see on the market, the better off we will all be,” Shane claims.

Shane believes the key to operating successfully for his business has been innovation, “You can’t be afraid to try new design practices and products. If I hear something positive about a new product I can use, I nearly always try it." According to Shane, his clients see these innovative products and materials, along with his care in sourcing them; and that adds an important point of difference for his business.

Social and environmental benefit

R. Landscapes's commitment to innovation highlights the businesses utilisation of SDG number 9, ‘Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure’. Shane works with an innovative new product called HydroCell, which is a biodegradable, water-retaining soil medium. The foam-like material holds in water and stores nutrients in its structure close to the plant’s roots, releasing the water and nutrients progressively over time.

Shane believes that adding HydroCell to his gardens allows him to use “less than half as much water for the plants to grow into maturity.”

Shane claims sustainable garden design is about “getting the most out a luxurious garden but costing the earth the least amount possible.” Shane goes so far as to say that he avoids manufactured materials like concrete and non-FSC certified timber “it's a passion."

Interview

Shane Ryder, Owner/Operator