As Landscape Architects we often cringe at the title of "landscaper" or when we are asked if we mow lawns or how to make grass grow greener. However, that doesn't mean that we don't know a thing or two about landscaping. After all, that is the "root" of our profession. No pun intended... 04/02/12
SPRING PREPARATION
It's Spring and you are dying to get outside and get your hands dirty, right? Or, let's be honest; maybe you just feel obligated because all the neighbors are out there and you feel like you should be doing something too? But where to begin? It can be daunting. There are some simple spring cleaning tasks that will freshen-up your landscape...and make you look like the neighborhood pro.
1. Pruning and Clean Up: Remove broken or dead branches from shrubs and trees. If you left your ornamental grasses standing for the winter, it's time to chop them down to make room for the new growth. Cut your fountain grass (Pennisetum) or silver grass (Miscanthus) down to 6-10" from the ground. Wear gloves when doing this because the grass blades can be sharp! If needed, your PeeGee hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) may be pruned at this time. However, if you have any other type of hydrangea, especially the most popular blue and pink blooming types (Hydrangea macrophylla), do not prune in the spring, as you will be removing this year's buds. Spring is also the perfect time to prune and prep your roses. Black spot is a fungus that plagues roses and haunts rose growers. Take preventative measures by applying a fungicidal soap or wettable sulphur to your roses. Be careful to clean-up and dispose or burn all the clippings and leaves from around the shrubs in order to remove any chance of black spot spores that may have survived the winter.
2. Raking and Mulching: Rake-out your beds and get a fresh load of mulch (if you need it). Sometimes just a good raking will brighten up your mulch and make it look as good as new.
3. Dividing and Planting: If you have perennials or ornamental grasses that have started to look crowded or overgrown, this is the time to take a shovel to them. Split the plants in two or three, as necessary. Don't feel bad! Perennials are incredibly resilient and thrive when separated and given more room to breathe. This is also an inexpensive way to expand your garden! Also, try trading perennials with friends or family members, it's not as tasty as a cookie swap, but longer lasting!
11/30/11 PLANT OF THE MONTH:
Evergreens: Boxwood vs. Holly Buxus and Ilex For many people, November and December bring to mind visions of decorating boxwood trees and singing about boughs of holly. For others it is visions of brown bags filled with leaves and the sad fact that we won't see bees, butterflies, or blooms for many months to come. However you view the impending winter, it seems appropriate to discuss some of the season's most infamous plant species: Boxwood (Buxus) and Holly (Ilex). Both Buxus and Ilex are broadleaf evergreen species, making them the perfect addition to any landscape to provide winter interest and color when the rest of the landscape is dormant.
Most people are familiar with Buxus or "boxwood", typically used in English garden style landscapes, hedges, and topiaries. Buxus is well adapted to being sheared and shaped into formal hedges and kept to a small stature, but is also beautiful when left to grow naturally, some reaching heights in excess of 10 feet. Buxus is also deer resistant, a must-have in a New England landscape! Common drawbacks to utilizing Buxus in the landscape are: (1) It has a strong odor produced when the oils in the leaves are warmed by the sun. If the smell is bothersome to you, avoid planting Buxus by windows, doors, or around your patio or deck. Otherwise choose the Japanese or Littleleaf species of boxwood, Buxus microphylla, which is less aromatic than the common boxwood, Buxus sempervirens. (2) Most species are slow growing; and (3) Due to it's slow growth, Buxus is often expensive, especially if you are looking for mature sized plants.
If you love the look of Buxus, but just can't stand the smell, the growth rate, or the price, a wonderful substitute (almost a twin) is Ilex crenata or Japanese holly. "Holly?" you ask... "the pointy leaves with red berries, holly?" Well, no, we are not talking about the most recognizable Ilex which is the Ilex meserveae or Blue holly, widely sold at nurseries and garden centers. Instead, the Japanese holly looks almost identical to boxwood, minus the smell and the big price tag. Ilex crenata cultivars are available in a variety of forms and growth rates. It can be grown in full sun to shade, is adaptable to shearing, and can easily be grown as a hedge. Although Ilex crenata does not exhibit the same level of deer resistance as Buxus, it remains a great alternative for the right situation.
Two additional Ilex species native to New England are Ilex glabra, or Inkberry, and Ilex verticillata, or Winterberry. Wondering which species you might have in your yard? A trick to telling apart Buxus from Ilex crenata, glabra, or verticillata is by looking at the tips of the leaves. All Ilex species have "teeth" on the ends of their leaves, no matter how small the teeth might be. Buxus leaves are smooth all around.
10/21/11 PLANT OF THE MONTH:
Fall Color: Black Gum, Fothergilla, & Lowbush Blueberry Nyssa sylvatica , Fothergilla major, and Vaccinium angustifolium As the weather is beginning to get colder and the leaf-peepers are emerging, here are a few plants that will be sure to make your yard the fall foliage front runner in the neighborhood! Let's start tall and work our way down:
Nyssa sylvatica commonly known as "Black Gum" or "Tupelo" is an excellent mid-sized, slow growing tree native to New England, often maturing at an average of 15'-20' wide by 30'-40' tall. This tree is perfect for a woodland edge as its branching structure is low and dense and performs well in full sun to shady locations. The blue-black fruit act as a food source for many different bird species, while the brilliant orange-red to purple fall color brightens up any landscape.
Fothergilla major or gardenii, "Large" or "Dwarf Fothergilla", is another native shrub that not only offers fragrant white flowers in May and deep blue-green foliage throughout the spring and summer, but then surprises with fabulous multi-colored foliage in the autumn. This shrub really stands out when planted in masses or when used as a specimen contrasted against evergreen species.
Vaccinium angustifolium or "Lowbush Blueberry" is a native groundcover whose landscape value is often overlooked as it is seen merely for its fruit production capabilities. Yes, this species does produce everyone's favorite edible blueberries throughout the summer; however the dense low-growing habit and beautiful red-bronze fall color make this species even more appetizing to the native gardener. Vaccinium corymbosum, "Highbush Blueberry" has equally stunning fall color.
Right now is the time to plant, so get to your local nursery and add some color to your life!
9/2/11 PLANT OF THE MONTH: Perennials: Catmint, Coneflower, & Tickseed Nepeta, Echinacea, and Coreopsis We missed out on the Plant-Of-The-Month in August, so we decided to make up for it by sharing with you THREE exceptional perennials to add color and texture to your garden.
To start, let's clear up any confusion you may have about what exactly perennials are. Perennials are plants that come up each year, unlike the annuals you plant in your window boxes, which need to be replaced every year. Technically, "woody" plants like trees and shrubs are perennials too, but in the landscape trade and nursery business, perennials generally refer to "herbaceous" plants: simply put, plants that die back to the ground during the winter, leaving no woody stems or structure, but re-emerging each spring.
Nepeta, commonly called “Persian Catmint” or just “Catmint” is a part of the mint family, providing a flush of aromatic lavender to blue colored flowers on soft gray-green foliage throughout the summer and into the fall. A number of varieties exist, ranging in heights from less than a foot to two feet. Nepeta x faassenii 'Walker's Low' was awarded the Perennial of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association in 2007.
Echincea or "Coneflower" is a popular choice for many perennial enthusiasts, and makes a wonderful addition to any garden. The distinctive flowers add textural variety and a pop of color late into the fall. New cultivars and varieties are now available in almost every color and from 1 to 4 feet tall.
Coreopsis or "Tickseed" is a classic perennial that never goes out of style. It is easy to grow and maintain, continuously blooms throughout the summer, and always looks nice, even without flowers. The bright green delicate foliage contrasts nicely against the many tiny flowers that cover the entire plant. Although most typically seen in bright yellow, Coreoposis can be found in shades of white, pink, pale yellow, and orange.
All three of these perennials look fantastic when planted in masses and along borders. They all attract butterflies and bees, but are deer-resistant, a must-have characteristic for any New England landscape! Fall is a perfect time to plant, so go see if you can find any of these great perennials at your local garden center or nursery.
7/28/11 PLANT OF THE MONTH: SummersweetClethra alnifolia
If you haven't brushed-up on your native plant vocabulary lately, then here is one plant name that you certainly must learn: Clethra alnifolia, commonly called “Summersweet” or “Sweet Pepper Bush”. Native to New England and the entire east coast, Clethra alnifolia has long been known to ecologists and the wetland profession. However, with the rather recent understanding and push to use native plants in the built landscape, Clethra is back in the spotlight, and for good reason.
Along with being native to this region, Clethra has high landscape value due to its multi-seasonality, adaptable nature, and beautiful aesthetic qualities. Fragrant white flowers grow in clusters of spires above the deep green foliage, attracting hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. The ovoid leaves turn gold in the fall, making it an interesting three season shrub. These plants can grow in full sun to nearly full shade, thrive in moist soils, yet tolerate a range of soil conditions, and are adaptable to seashore environments.
The native species typically grows in excess of 6 feet tall and blooms from late July into September. Most nurseries now carry a variety of cultivars with compact growth habits as well as flower colors ranging from pink to red, making this a lovely shrub worthy of a spot in any landscape.
6/14/11 PLANT OF THE MONTH:
'Gro Low' Fragrant Sumac Rhus aromatica 'Gro Low' Most people cringe at the mention of sumac, which brings to mind images of the agressively colonizing staghorn sumacs often seen along the highway, or makes one start to itch at the thought of poison sumac, poison ivy, and poison oak. Unfortunately, as in many families, just a few bad apples can ruin the reputation for the rest!
One non-toxic and hardy member of the Rhus family is the Fragrant Sumac. Native to New England, this species is fragrant, deer resistant, fast growing, adaptable to many soils, sun-loving and offers bright fall color. The 'Gro Low' cultivar is popular in the landscape profession, as it provides three seasons of interest, is a fast-spreading groundcover, maturing at a height of 30 inches, and can be used in mass plantings to achieve exceptional erosion control.
Another non-toxic member of the Rhus family with high landscape value is Rhus typhina Tiger Eyes™. With finely dissected leaves, bright, chartreuse in color and purple/pink fuzzy stems, this plant adds visual interest to any garden it is in. Like Rhus aromatica, this species is also deer resistant, native to New England, and displays bright fall color. Rhus typhina Tiger Eyes™ can grow to a height of 6 feet.
5/13/11 PLANT OF THE MONTH: 'Lady in Red' Hydrangea Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lady in Red' Although this cultivar, developed by the well-known plant connoisseur Michael Dirr, was introduced in the market back in 2005, it is now becoming more readily available and proving to be a spectacular plant for the garden.
'Lady In Red' has distinctive red stems and red veined leaves. Lacecap flowers emerge light pink/white and quickly darken to a deep blush color. The bright green leaves turn a brilliant burgundy fall color, and the compact 3'-5' size makes it a perfect accent plant for all size gardens, and rarely, if ever, needs pruning. Use as an accent plant in a perennial garden or plant in multiples to create a beautiful low hedge or massing.
Plant in part shade for the best results. And like all Hydrangeas, make sure it is watered well to avoid dehydration!
5/6/11
ARTICLES: Landscape Architecture Article in High-Profile Monthly Check out our editorial piece on what Landscape Architects actually DO on page 11 of High-Profile Monthly's May edition! 5/4/11
ADVICE: How do you prune those hydrangeas?
To preface this, most often hydrangeas do not even need to be pruned except the occasional cut to improve vigor and keep tidy looking. A common misconception is that because they look like dead sticks in the winter, they should be cut back. This is not true, and will often result in non-blooming shrubs!
Hydrangeas are characterized as blooming on "old wood" or on "new wood" and just to confuse things, some varieties bloom on old AND new wood! What this means is that if a hydrangea blooms on "old wood" it sets it blooms on the previous season's growth and not on the current season's growth. If your hydrangea blooms on "new wood" it sets its buds and blooms on the new growth of that same year.
Old wood hydrangeas set their buds for next year soon after blooming. It is important to prune immediately after blooming in order to prevent cutting off the buds that are forming for the next year. If you prune too late in the season you may be sacrificing next year's flowers. Prune just below the faded blooms. Old wood hydrangeas include Big Leaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla and Hydrangea serrata ) and Oakleaf Hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia).
New wood hydrangeas push out new growth and new buds all in the same year. Because the plant is doing so much work in one season, this often results in a later blooming shrub. These types of hydrangeas may be pruned in late fall, winter, or very early in the spring prior to new growth. You may prune as far down as within a foot or so of the ground. This encourages fuller and stronger growth. New wood hydrangeas include the Panicle Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata) and Smooth Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens).
