An excerpt from Cape Cod Chronicle article by Kristin Andres, Associate Director for Education and Informational Services for the Association to Preserve Cape Cod
My fall garden, photo by Kristin Andres
My garden (which is really the entire yard) is not everyone’s taste, but I prefer a no-stress, low energy approach. No bark mulch, no edging, no crisp design. The only real order is the brick walkway made from reclaimed bricks and a couple of sections of low picket fence. As my grandmother would say, “it’s a bit wild ‘n wooly.” Each year I add some flowering plants and shrubs, giving preference to native species of the northeast. I might relocate some things and some plants might not come back, which I look at as an opportunity to replace with something different. It doesn’t stress me out, because after all, a landscape is not static—it’s made of living things. Some we see and some we do not, like the microbes and insects that help make things work. Some plants are long-lived, and others are not—not necessarily a reflection on a gardener’s abilities.
My goal is to cover the ground with vegetation and have my desired selection of native plants knit together with blooms that extend over the growing season. This is accomplished by selecting plants to fill vertical layers. For the sunny south-facing side, I selected things like a ground-hugging carpet of wild strawberry, where upright clumping plants like false indigo rise above. And the wilder areas of the yard are complemented with the addition of native shrubs of different height and bloom-time like New Jersey tea, witch hazel and sweet pepperbush. Species are chosen by their growth habit with considerations about whether they creep, grow upright and how tall. I consider whether they are aggressive or demure, if they will reseed, and how well will they will coexist with other plants. With these considerations, the goal is to fill in the garden space such that the undesirables will be shaded out. This makes weeding less of a chore, and instead my time is spent “editing.” In my mind, this is how I’d like to nurture my yard. Not sure when bark mulch became the focus of our landscapes—I’d rather see plants.
By planting native species and allowing my little piece of Cape Cod to pretty much sustain itself, a lot of biodiversity can be provided in a small area which supports a diversity of pollinators and other wildlife. The wildlife value of a plant is important to me. It really sparks my desire if it’s a host plant for some cool moth or butterfly caterpillar, or a good pollinator plant, or food source for birds. And for the human interest, I’m also happy if it has a great color and texture. I allow some tall gangly plants to persist through the summer that must look like unruly weeds to passersby, but they flower in late summer like big white fuzzy balloons tied to the ground. They are hyssop-leaved boneset and the pollinators adore it! And when a volunteer goldenrod arrived at the back edge of the garden, I gave it some space. For, like the boneset, when most everything else has passed, goldenrod is providing the brilliant yellow flowers of fall, and bees and other insects are happy for the nectar and pollen as they prepare for winter.
My lawn, photo by Kristin Andres
No dead-heading occurs at the end of the summer. I leave them standing because the seed heads of the black-eyed Susan, coneflower and evening primrose are for the goldfinches. The birds seem to really relish the seeds, and I enjoy observing their enjoyment. I’ll let most all of the garden die back on its own and lay until spring. Yes, you could call it a lazy gal’s garden. There’s no labor in leaving the plant stalks and leaves lay where they fall. The longer stalks that fall over I pick up and stack between two stakes and this makes a small garden feature. Some of these hollow stems will serve as nest sites for mason bees and other important insects that will provide a protein feast for some bird. And as a garden guru once said (and I’m paraphrasing), “leave the garden standing because after all you need something for the snow to fall upon.” This is what I prefer—seeing the interesting seed heads, each species producing its own unique configuration that holds the progeny of its next generation. Indeed, the remnants of the summer perennials make for an attractive winter scene.
It is not a stretch to say that most wildlife probably prefer the lazy gal garden approach, not only those that find sustenance in the garden, but those who are able to find refuge over the winter. And it is always exciting for me to see what emerges the following spring!
Kristin Andres is responsible for APCC’s interaction with our membership and the broader public, as well as educational programming and materials related to APCC’s mission. As a primary liaison to the Cape community, Kristin interacts and develops relationships with a wide range of organizations, government agencies, schools and the general public in assessing and addressing educational needs related to conserving and preserving the Cape’s natural resources. Kristin organizes workshops, addresses civic groups and seeks educational opportunities through a variety of creative means. She is especially involved with our native plant initiative and promotes ecological land care and thoughtful stewardship of our managed landscapes.
