As summer brings scorching heat, dusty conditions, and sudden storms, the TurfMutt Foundation highlights the importance of properly managed landscapes in addressing these seasonal concerns. According to the foundation, well-cared-for green spaces are one of the most effective tools for combating summer challenges.

Benefits of Managed Landscapes

There are several key benefits that managed landscapes provide, including cooling the air, capturing and filtering stormwater, capturing dust and particulate matter, and reducing fire risk. Trees, shrubs, turfgrass, and other plants help combat the urban heat island effect through shade and evapotranspiration, providing relief from summer heat.

Healthy, managed landscapes also act as living sponges, slowing rainfall’s effects by capturing and filtering water before it enters streams, rivers, and groundwater supplies. This reduces runoff and erosion, helping with localized flooding. Additionally, landscapes help improve air quality by trapping dust, pollen, and particulate matter that would otherwise circulate during dry summer conditions.

In areas vulnerable to wildfire, properly maintained landscapes can serve as effective fire breaks, and strategic landscape design and ongoing maintenance can create defensible space around homes and businesses. Regular mowing, pruning, irrigation, and removal of dead vegetation reduce the fuel for fire and help reduce its spread.

The TurfMutt Foundation encourages homeowners, businesses, and communities to properly care for and maintain their green spaces to continue delivering these important environmental and quality-of-life benefits throughout the summer and beyond.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.