Taking Land to Raise – Seeing Landscaping As an Evolving Project Over Time
After the labor pains subside and an exhausted mother holds her newborn in her arms, it would be a grave mistake to think that the baby was finished, ready to send out into the word on its own. So, too, would it be a giant misunderstanding to consider that a landscaping project is complete once the last plant is in the ground and or the final bit of pinestraw is spread. Yet, too often, individuals and landscaping companies alike make this mistake, trying to keep their property visually static.
Plants are living things – changing, growing, and eventually dying. As such, creating a landscape must take that into consideration. Your local nursery can help you keep your region and its growing season in mind as you design and execute your landscape plan.
First of all, by using native plants in your design as opposed to exotic or trendy annuals, you can create a landscape that is comfortable in its own skin and able to work with the surrounding environment. Birds, butterflies, for instance, will be much more likely to grace your landscape when you have created it with native plants. Native plants also offer an advantage in that they tend to cost less and take less effort to maintain so that your landscape has the opportunity to evolve under your direction over time.
While native plants are a good start, you’ll want to check with the nursery, too, about what sorts of plants will be best for the type of land you are working with. Just like you wouldn’t put a diaper on the baby’s head, you want to choose native plants that are appropriate for your land. For instance, specialty nurseries may offer a comprehensive selection of wetland plants specifically for the purposes of restoration, reforestation or mitigation plantings. If you’re working with a wetland situation, you would plant cattail or river birch rather than a cactus, while you would want to plant an American boxwood atop a dry rise.
Finally, it’s important to think of a landscape, like that baby, as something that needs ongoing attention in order to thrive. Forsythia might look great near those very young maples you planted, but ultimately, as the tree grows, there will be too much shade for a sun-loving plant to thrive beneath its branches. You’ll want to make sure that your landscape is set up seasonally; for example, dwarf burning bush you plant in a garden hedge will look amazing in the fall, while gorse blooms in early spring, so you should think about how and when you will use the space.
Ultimately, all of these situations make the expertise of a nursery, especially one that specializes in native plans, invaluable to you in your landscaping pursuits. Above all, be curious and don’t hesitate to ask questions! In the end, you’ll preside over a landscape that you can fall in love with over and over again, but you won’t have to worry about how to pay its college tuition.
Tammy is the manager for Wetland Supplies located in Altamont, TN
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