Garden services and disservices: weighing benefits without hiding costs

A garden produces benefits and also costs or risks. Shade, cooling, infiltration, habitat and well-being can coexist with water consumption.

A garden produces benefits and also costs or risks. Shade, cooling, infiltration, habitat and well-being can coexist with water consumption, maintenance, allergies, fruit drop, roots, invasiveness or structural risk. Assessing both sides makes for more honest and longer-lasting solutions.

Benefits depend on context

A tree may cool a façade but shade solar panels; a pond may create habitat but demand energy and water-quality control; a meadow may reduce mowing but limit use.

Ecosystem services are not fixed properties. They arise from the relationship between element, place and user.

Disservices are not arguments against greenery

Recognising costs helps to avoid them. Fruit can be kept away from paving, allergenic species can be diversified, roots can be given adequate volume and trees can be inspected.

The problem arises when communication presents only the benefits and leaves maintenance to face predictable consequences.

A matrix of trade-offs

Solution	Main benefit	Cost or risk	Design response
Dense-crowned tree	shade	leaves, roots, water	siting and suitable soil
Meadow	diversity and less mowing	seasonality, weeds	edges and a management plan
Pond	habitat and coolness	safety and water quality	margins, circulation, maintenance
Fruit trees	food and seasonality	fruit drop	keep away from circulation routes

The decision should include who maintains it, how much it costs and how the result is measured.

Before going ahead

The most common mistakes are falling back on ‘green is always good’; hiding watering needs; failing to identify the users affected; and assessing only the first year.

Applying it to the project

At Diaplant, benefits and costs are presented in the same decision. Shade, infiltration and biodiversity should be weighed against water, maintenance, falling debris and conflicts with infrastructure.

Designing with nature calls for ambition and transparency. Benefits become more credible when costs and limits are acknowledged from the outset.