Identify and remediate contaminants.

Reuse suitable existing site elements to make landscape features such as retaining walls and rubble to shape constructed landscapes or planting beds.
Keep water on site through means of planting, permeable surfaces and proper drainage. This minimizes the use of the already over-taxed municipal sewer system. Use collected site water for irrigation by collecting and storing it in an underground cistern located on the site.
Use native and compatible species to foster wildlife, promote responsible use of water and reduce erosion on sloped portions of the site.
Use species grown at local nurseries to reduce transportation and energy costs. Bring in topsoil from a known and nearby origin.
Strategically use plants to cool, shade and windbreak certain areas of the site. Paved surfaces absorb heat, so planting as surface material creates a cooler microclimate.
Let the garden’s yearly life-cycle cycle run its course. Perennial planting regenerates and stabilizes the soil in the winter months. Dormant plants act as insulation of the root systems in the winter and replenish the soil’s nutrients without added fertilizer.
After making reasonable hypotheses on the sites microclimate, plant. Adjust planting as necessary in response.