1.

Research the Noblesville Indiana Unified Development Ordinance

(http://www.cityofnoblesville.org/egov/docs/1102311937181.htm). Review Article
12: Landscaping and Screening and answer the following.
a. What is the requirement concerning existing plant materials?
(Section 4.A.7)
Existing plant material should be incorporated into the landscaping treatment of a
site. The preservation of natural features and landscaping is a criterion for
subdivision and planned development review.
b. What landscaping treatment is required for detention/retention
ponds? (Section 4.A.10)
Detention/Retention basins and ponds shall be landscaped. Such landscaping
should include shade and ornamental trees, evergreens, shrubs, hedges, turf,
groundcover, and other plant materials.
c. What landscape materials are prohibited? (Section 4.B.1.d)
Prohibited landscape materials include rocks, gravel, stone, asphalt, {used in
internal and perimeter parking lots areas and landscape buffer yards;} thorn-
bearing plant species and the Juniper plant species. Flowering species such as
roses may be authorized by the Director of Planning and Development.
d. What is the class of the proposed parking lot? (Section 5.B.1)
Required parking lot landscaping shall consist of two types: (1) Interior Parking
Lot Landscaping and (2) Perimeter Parking Lot Landscaping as described below.
The standards required for these two types of landscaping shall be determined
by the class of parking lot proposed on the site. The parking lot class shall be
determined by the total number of proposed parking spaces for a given use.
a.Class A 0 to 20 spaces
b. Class B 21 to 50 spaces
c. Class C 51 to 200 spaces
d. Class D >200 spaces
e. What percent of the parking area is required to be landscaped?
(Section 5.C.1)

f. What is the maximum parking lot island size? (Section 5.C.1)

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 g. What is the minimum size of a landscape island in a single row of
parking? What types of plantings must it include? (Section 5.C.1.a)
All single row parking landscape islands and peninsulas shall be a minimum of
one hundred eighty (180) square feet in area with a minimum width of nine (9)
feet measured from back of curb to back of curb. Each island and peninsula shall
contain a minimum of one (1) canopy tree and five (5) evergreen or deciduous
shrubs, or ornamental grasses.
h. What is the minimum size of a landscape island in a double row of
parking? (Section 5.C.1.b)
All double row parking landscape islands shall be a minimum of two hundred
forty (240) square feet in area with a minimum width of nine (9) feet measured
from back of curb to back of curb. Each island and peninsula shall contain a
minimum of two (2) canopy trees and ten (10) evergreen or deciduous shrubs, or
ornamental grasses.
i. What is the requirement at the end of parking rows? (Section
5.C.1.c)
All interior parking rows shall be terminated at both ends with landscape islands.
The exterior parking rows abutting the Perimeter Parking Lot Landscaping Area,
which are not adjacent to a structure, shall require the installation of one
additional canopy tree at both ends of the exterior row. All parking islands shall
be dispersed so as to define aisles and limit unbroken rows of parking to a
maximum of one hundred feet in length. For calculating purposes, handicapped
parking spaces shall count as one (1) parking space.
j. What perimeter parking lot landscaping is required for the Keystone
Library Renovation project? Assume that the property abuts other commercial
facilities and public streets. (Section 5.D.2)
33 staggered deciduous or evergreen shrubs and 2 staggered canopy trees per
100 linear feet
k. Is a landscape buffer yard required for the Keystone Library
Renovation project? (Table 12.0.7.E)
Yes, 30 feet

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2. Research Xeriscape and water-wise landscaping. [Keywords: Xeriscape, seven
steps to Xeriscape]. One online publication that may be useful is the University of
Georgia Cooperative Extension publication, Xeriscape: A Guide to Developing a
Water-Wise Landscape. At the date of this writing the document was available here:
www.caes.uga.edu/.../whitfield/anr/documents/Xeriscapewaterwise.pdf. However,
the document can be found via an Internet search.
Describe/define the term Xeriscape.
a style of landscape design requiring little or no irrigation or other maintenance,
used in arid regions
List the seven fundamental Xeriscape areas that must be
considered when designing a landscape.
Proper planning and design
Soil analysis and improvements
Appropriate plant selection
Practical turf areas
Efficient irrigation
Use of mulch
Appropriate maintenance
List the criteria that should be followed when selecting plant
material for a site.
Select plants that complement and accent the good features of the architecture
and construction materials rather than overpower them.
Select plants that have a size and form that conform to their location without
having to be sheared or frequently pruned to keep them in bounds.
Choose plants with the same shape and ultimate size as the space you want to
fill.
Drought tolerance
Mature size and form. Will the plant remain in scale with the rest of the landscape
as it matures, or will it likely overgrow the site and compete with other plants for
space, nutrients and water?
Growth rate. Slow-growing dwarf shrubs and ground covers used around the
base of the home require little routine pruning.
Texture. Is the leaf texture fine, medium or coarse, and does it combine well with
the adjacent plants?
Color. Is the flower or foliage color compatible with other plants or the
background color of the building?
Functional use. Is the plant suitable for the location and intended purpose; i.e.

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 under low windows, along the perimeter of the property as screening hedge, or
as a ground cover?
Select healthy, vigorous plants.
What part does shade play in water resource management and
human comfort?
Shade causes less evaporation to occur and you dont have to water as much.
Humans are generally more comfortable in the shade than they are with the sun
beating down on them.
What benefit does mulch provide to the landscape?
Mulches conserve moisture by preventing evaporative water loss from the soil
surface and reducing the need for supplemental irrigation during periods of
limited rainfall. By maintaining an even moisture supply in the soil, mulches
prevent fluctuations in soil moisture that can damage roots.

3. Research potential hardscape elements for your design. Use the Internet and other
resources to choose appropriate materials for your parking area, driveway,
walkways, and other hardscape elements. Create a document that provides pictures
of each hardscape material you plan to use in the landscape. Some websites that
may help are listed below.
No parking area being created, no driveways
Walkways - Bricks

4. Find the Hardiness Zone in which your project falls by accessing the online USDA
Hardiness Zone Map (http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html).
Create a document with a close-up map of the appropriate region. On the map,
locate your project and identify the applicable hardiness zone. Include a header with
your name, project name and date, source of information, and Project Location and
Hardiness Zone.

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5 to 10 degrees F / -12.2 to -9.4 degrees C

5. Identify potential trees for your project using the Arbor Day Foundation website at
http://www.arborday.org/. Search the site for the Hardiness Zone Map. Using the
appropriate ZIP code (46060 is a Noblesville, IN ZIP code), find the most popular
trees for your hardiness zone. Print this list of trees.
Early Harvest Apple and a bunch of other apple trees
Formosa Azaleas and a bunch of other azaleas/azalea hybrids
Crapemyrtles
Boxwood
Camellia
6. On the same site, search for the Tree Guide and use the search feature to find at
least two of these ten trees in the database. Create a document which includes a
picture of at least two of these trees that you may consider using in your landscape
plan. Next to each tree image, record the following: name, height, spread, growth
rate, soil, sun, shape, and whether the tree is deciduous or coniferous. Include a
header with your name, project name and date, source of information, and Popular
Tree Characteristics.

Formosa Azaleas

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 Large 3" magenta flowers
Spring-blooming evergreen azalea
Upright grower 6' to 8' tall, 6' spread
Zones 8 to 10
4' to 6' Spread
Slow Growth
Multiple Exposures
Various Soil
Rounded

Sasanqua Camellia
Deep pink blooms in fall
Evergreen shrub
Glossy dark green leaves
Good hedge, screen or ornamental shrub
Grows 6' to 10' tall and wide
Zones 7 to 9
Slow Growth
Multiple Exposures
Various Soils
Oval

7. Visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Recommended Species page
(http://www.wildflower.org/collections/). Print out the printer-friendly species list of
native plants. Browse the list and highlight at least one species each of trees,
shrubs, herbs, and vines that will thrive in each of the water use zones (high,
moderate, and low) using a different color highlighter for each water use zone.
Alternatively, you can use the Narrow Your Search tool to identify species that will
thrive in specific growing conditions.
Trees: low - Acer saccharum, moderate - Acer rubrum, high - Quercus palustris
Shrubs: low - Ceanothus americanus, moderate - Aesculus pavia, high - Physocarpus

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opulifolius
Herbs: low - Achillea millefolium, moderate - Ageratina altissima var. altissima, high -
Helianthus angustifolius
Vines: low - Campsis radicans, moderate - Wisteria frutescens, high - none

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