Blades of Glory: Landscaping for Water Quality

Spring is in the air. As the days get longer and plants emerge from thawed soil, big landscaping decisions loom ahead. What plants should you add or remove from your yard this year? Are there any big landscaping projects that you’re feeling brave enough to tackle? But for every landscaping decision you make, there is one thing you should consider: clean water. In this episode of Time and Tide, we’re following the journey of a water droplet to learn how landscaping decisions that you make on your property can affect the health of local water bodies. In this story, that water can either sink slowly into the ground as nature intended or attain a need for speed as it flows across hard, man-made surfaces, picking up contaminants along the way.  Today, we're helping you make Spring landscaping decisions with clean water in mind. We’ll focus on a recent training hosted for landscaping professionals, called Landscaping for Water Quality, and the lessons learned about designing landscapes that are attractive, ecologically functional, and healthy for local water bodies.     In Act 1, we speak with Amy Papineau from UNH Cooperative Extension who explains why blueberry plants are a delicious and sustainable addition to your backyard. We’ll dig into the science behind soil in the Granite State, which is more complex than you’d think, and leave you with the base of plant knowledge to impress any horticulturist. In Act 2, Julia Peterson from NH Sea Grant digs into why it can be so tough to find science-backed answers in a world of information overload. Cut through the nonsense with us and find the reliable answers you’re looking for, through a little thing called ‘extension’.  Finally, we hear from local landscapers who participated in this year’s Landscaping for Water Quality training. Is there a market for more sustainable landscaping practices, and is it possible to have a beautiful yard that also helps wildlife?Full episode transcript is available below. Guest Speakers: Amy Papineau, Extension Field Specialist in Landscape and Greenhouse Horticulture, UNH Cooperative Extension Food & Agriculture Program Julia Peterson, Extension Program Leader, New Hampshire Sea Grant Daisy Chinburg, Designer, Site Structures Landscape Patrick Shannon, Miracle Farms Landscaping Timothy Sicard, Town of Hampton Falls, NH Hosted by: Brian Yurasits, Science Communication Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant Co-Hosted by: Erik Chapman, Executive Director, New Hampshire Sea Grant Produced by: Brian Yurasits Further reading: New Hampshire Homeowner's Guide to Stormwater Management: https://www.des.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt341/files/documents/2020-01/homeowner-guide-stormwater.pdfDirectory of Landscape Professionals Trained in Ecological Landscaping for Water Quality Protection: https://extension.unh.edu/resource/directory-landscape-professionals-trained-ecological-landscaping-water-quality-protectionLandscaping for Water Quality 2026: https://extension.unh.edu/event/2026/03/landscaping-water-qualityGreen Grass and Clear Water: https://seagrant.unh.edu/our-work/water-quality/water-quality-lawn-care-outreach-materialsNew Hampshire Sea Grant works to enhance our relationship with the coastal environment to sustain healthy and resilient ecosystems, economies, and communities through integrated research, extension, education, and communications efforts. Based at the University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Sea Grant is one of 34 programs in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Sea Grant College Program, a state-federal partnership serving America’s coasts. Learn more by visiting: seagrant.unh.edu University of New Hampshire is an equal opportunity employer, learn more: https://extension.unh.edu/civil-rights-statement