keepitgreen.be
en
Platform for the management and construction of sports and golf courses
The importance of softening is increasing. Every measure taken by governments and individuals to make public spaces, homes and gardens more climate-proof makes a difference. In this context, the Flemish government also launched the Flemish Tile-Flipping Championship, which encourages every Fleming to ‘flip’ or soften as many tiles as possible. But what after bopping? What are sustainable, quality and beautiful alternatives? “Permeable paving is on the rise, but the greenery in between is often still treated as a stepmother. We offer the ideal technical solutions for this,” says Bart Geerts, manager of Acterra, which produces TerraViva® substrates.
To ensure the sustainability of green spaces, plant substrates are indispensable. Bart Geerts: “Landscaping is absolutely important, but it only becomes a success story when it is easy for the user to use and maintain. You can break up your driveway, but of course something sustainable has to take its place, and this is often not given enough thought. We have the necessary knowledge and offer the ideal technical solutions for a driveable lawn, for example. Acterra develops various patented products for a ride-on lawn, ranging from intensive use with grass tiles or for sporadic use with gravel lawn. Various applications for green joints with flower mixtures or micro clover are also in our range.”
With its TerraViva® plant substrates, Acterra focuses mainly on ride-on lawns and underground growing spaces for trees in urban areas. Bart Geerts: “Based on the philosophy of a green living environment, we have developed a number of sustainable products that closely match that philosophy. Besides a grass tile mixture for grass tiles and gravel lawn, there is also laying bed substrate and a foundation substrate available. After all, a good foundation and a vigorous grass tile mixture are essential for a lasting green result. The basis has to be right.”
A green living environment is and will remain an important item. Increasingly, green alternatives to existing ‘grey’ applications are being sought. For example, grass tiles are used in the construction of parking spaces and driveways. The high load-bearing capacity of the tiles makes them suitable for intensive use. Grass provides more greenery in urban environments. Bart Geerts: “Over the years, our ride-on lawn mixtures have evolved from monotonous grass vegetation to composite mixtures with mainly tread-resistant plants. Wadis and permeable paving have become necessary design methods for public spaces due to accelerated climate change. There is also a growing awareness in private gardens to do their own bit.”
In addition to a green look in the living environment, TerraViva® products also contribute to good water buffering. The advantages are therefore numerous: a green spot without weeds within a few weeks, a high water buffering capacity, suitable for heavy loads without rutting, easy to process, ecological, no seeding required, good germination and sustainable growth, high level of acceptance by the environment, sufficient rooting space, and the heart of the grass plant within the tile is protected.
The importance of sustainable greenery within the broader theme of softening remains too often underexposed, according to Bart Geerts: “We are actually right between the concrete producer on the one hand and the greenery contractor on the other. And as a result, we risk falling through the cracks, while our technical solutions are crucial for a sustainable and therefore successful project. Our substrates guarantee ease of use in a sustainable way,” concludes Geerts.
