1. What's the difference between a "restoration" and what's commonly called "landscaping"?

"Landscaping" conjures up images of man-made and human controlled. A look at any traditional "landscape" in Texas nearly always contains imported exotic elements such as Chinese Holly, Asian Jasmine, India Hawthorn and big expanses of African Bermuda grass or Caribbean St. Augustine Grass. Throw in a couple of Pakistani Crepe Myrtles and Afghanistan Pines, stir in an all-American sprinkler system, a Lawnboy from Mexico and a bi-monthly visit from a chemical industrial giant and there you have it!
Environmental restoration, on the other hand, takes a look at the logic inside an ecosystem. It is an attempt to save pieces of what may have been vibrantly operating in the harmony of life long before we showed up with our ideas of having dominion over all living things, and our disregard for the inherent wisdom of nature in maintaining a balance. Restorationists consider sharing spaces within landscapes by providing habitat for other forms of life, like butterflies, hummingbirds, salamanders, harvester ants, horned lizards, painted buntings, and Vermillion flycatchers. Of course, you've got to put up with having a few flies for them to catch!
Ultimately, ecological restoration is more like maintaining an identity that is directly connected to the sense of place. Places like prairies, woodlands, wetlands, savannas, and deserts. Though it would be pleasing, environmental restoration is not usually found at places like shopping malls, freeway interchanges, Disney worlds or golf courses.

2. What's the difference in the approach to site preparation for a "restoration" as opposed to a "landscape"?

One of the primary differences is the extent to which you try and start with what's already there.
In a classic "restoration" project we'll go in and look at the site from many different angles - the type and health of the soil, what the existing vegetation tells us about the historical land uses of the place, what the drainage patterns are, and so forth. We identify any native vegetation that might already exist, and that gives us even more information.
Based on what we learn, we'll develop a plan to get rid of unwanted vegetation, to repair any damage that might have been done by humans or livestock - generally, to build up and restore the overall health of the site. And this might be done with a combination of methods including controlled burning for brushy areas, plowing and grading for more open sites, or even hand work along streams and creekbeds.
Generally, the more conventional landscaping projects start with a site that's already been bulldozed and graded. In which case, the Native American Seed part of our business is happy to recommend and supply seeds for native plantings, and even to develop special grass and wildflower mixes for conditions on a particular site.

3. How long does a restoration take?

There are five basic ingredients that go into environmental restoration, which in combination are really the answer to this question.
a) Development of a long-term land management plan based on a reading of the land, as partly described above.
b) Water. Which can also be defined as weather. A coastal prairie restoration in western Louisiana can make great strides in two years with 70 inches of annual rainfall. But it's a whole other planet in West Texas with a 7-inch annual rainfall (unless your oil well has a switch to pump clean water!)
c) Time. It took us about 120-150 years to graze and plow out the heartlands of North America, so we have to acknowledge the fact that it takes some time to undo it. Also, the amount of items (b) and (d) directly influence item (c).
d) Money. How much is determined by a combination of factors including how much land there is, whether you want to parcel out the project and phase in the work over time, the amount and quality of existing vegetation on the site, etc. Because of a whole slew of misguided land management practices, and a 150-year history of failing to appreciate the real consequences of extracting resources without replenishing them, our debt to the soil bank is not measured in pennies. But for sure the most money-saving thing you can do is to develop a sound plan at the beginning that allows you to take the very best advantage of opportunities that exist on your site, and determine how you want to go about restoring it over the long term.
e) Education. Every restoration project has an educational component. And the more you can learn - from the hard facts to developing the more subtle "knack" of learning reading your land and understand what's happening to it as you give nature the opportunity to begin to heal itself - the more successful and rewarding your restoration will be.

4. Does the size of my land allow me to consider using your services?

Any size of land that can be restored to native vegetation is a great and lasting gift to the future. Our Native American Seed website and print catalog are chock full of tips and practical information on how to get going on a "residential" scale. But if you are considering restorations upwards of a few acres, Neiman Environments provides valuable, money saving guidance. Over the years we have been involved in the planning and/or execution of restoration projects including:

• long-term land management on corporate land banks
• recent or potential land acquisitions
• city parks, open spaces, green belts, landfills
• riparian and stream bank restorations
• golf course roughs and out-of-play areas
• outdoor educational sites and nature centers
• wildlife refuges and state parks
• land retired from agricultural and ranching uses
• hiking and biking trails
• flood control projects
• community beautification projects
• transportation projects including highway and railroad right-of-way plantings
• ranchlands engaged in eco-tourism, recreation, hunting and sustainable grazing
• lands converting from agriculture tax status to wildlife conservation status

Please feel free to call or email us with any preliminary questions you might have about whether the consulting and restoration services of Neiman Environments are right for you. We are also available for consultations prior to a major land purchase.