Page 29

20244PG

HOME GROWN continued HOME GROWN con't. next column HOME GROWN con't. next column HOME GROWN continued Landscape Designer/Gardener ISCO Landscaping Wilson, North Carolina SCC Landscape Gardening Graduate “Low Maintenance” Landscape by Joshua Peede As a landscape designer and consultant, I commonly hear one phrase from people of all walks of life when first beginning a discussion about the needs that they have in their yard, whether it’s a new landscape or a revitalization of an existing one. That common phrase goes something like this: “I want a yard that looks good, but I don’t want to have to prune or maintain it very often.” This frame of mind is generally formed by two seemingly unchangeable circumstances: busy schedules and brown thumbs. While I see the train of thought here, I hate to break the news that there are not any landscapes that require little or no maintenance. However, I can assure you that there are common-sense ways to create less maintenance in your yards and gardens. After reading this article, I hope to enlighten your thoughts on maintaining a landscape, give you some ideas on how to more-easily manage your own yard while keeping in mind the old saying, “You get out of it, what you put into it.” In this day and time, it seems like we have less and less time to do the things that are really important to us. But don’t let that compromise the reality of having some really nice plants and an attractive landscape that welcomes you home each day. So many people get frustrated and end up throwing in the towel because of previous failed attempts at plant selection and maintenance. I want you to feel confident in making wise choices about the what, when, where and how of the decision process when it comes to better management of your landscape. One of the first things I consider when creating a landscape plan for someone is to find out where they are going to be most often and how they enter and exit their residence. I then study the limiting factors in those areas before I even start thinking of what plants to place there. I believe this is the point where many people get off track and make unwise plant choices, because they decide that they want a particular plant in a certain area, before they even know if the conditions in the proposed site are suitable for the needs of the plant. Although the plant chosen may survive, it will never live up to its full potential, simply because proper planning did not take place. This can result in either frequent rehabilitation or constant pruning to keep a plant from outgrowing its space. I can’t eliminate your brown thumb or busy schedule, but I am going to give you some more ideas of how to make the most out of your yard by using some other common-sense techniques. In those areas that are the highest traffic and most visible to the homeowner, use a little more pop of color or some other attribute. Many times these areas are near doorways, patios, walkways, and so forth. When looking for that plant or plants to give extra interest in these desired areas, you may not need as many as you think—either because of the size of the plant at maturity or the impact through color that a single plant makes in the landscape. It’s best not to plant more than you can handle from the beginning, because getting overwhelmed from the start is very discouraging. Generally, foundation shrubs are some type of boxwood, holly, or other evergreen shrub that requires shearing during the spring, summer and fall. These are often necessary to create some sort of clean continuity to your foundation beds, but as we said earlier, they should be used in reasonable, maintainable quantities. There are shrubs that keep a presentable form without much pruning, such as some dwarf loropetalums, nandinas, dwarf pittosporums, English boxwoods, and many others. Although the forms of all these shrubs may not naturally be in the shape of a meatball, that’s okay, because many times we shear plants into forms that are not fitting to their natural growth habit just because that’s the way someone else did it. The point I am trying to make is to study the space and the proposed plants well before making your final purchases. A little planning and observation can be your best friends in the years ahead. Lastly, I want to make another point or two about creating a manageable landscape with a great impact. When working with a customer’s limited budget, I always tell them during the design brainstorming process that if they use fewer, but larger plants, the impact on their wallet will be less. This doesn’t mean that they have to give up on having a nice yard, but they can use larger plants in larger spaces while still selecting wisely, so that the plants fit their spaces and are still attractive to the homeowner. A perfect example of this would be using a camellia or butterfly bush alongside a house or structure where there are not views from windows or doors to block. Also, since we are looking at the uses of larger plants in the landscape, we have to talk about trees. There are so many reasons why you should plant trees in your landscape. The good impacts that a tree can have on your yard are incredible! They also create microclimates that allow for the use of certain plants nearby which would never have survived before. Trees usually do not require any regular maintenance if selections are made wisely in regards to the amount of litter that falls from the tree, and many varieties only require a once a year leaf cleanup, unless a storm knocks a limb off here or there. If you will take some of the advice that I have given and apply it to your own situation, then I’m positive that you can have a yard that is easier to manage and will look appealing. Just remember not to let the plant determine the space, but let the space determine the plant selection. Trust me, you will be a lot happier in the long haul. �� Camellia “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby No. 127 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. p.29


20244PG
To see the actual publication please follow the link above