Landscapes that mimic natural systems deliver important ecosystem services and are also aesthetically pleasing. Guided by principles that reduce resource consumption, ecologically designed landscapes provide natural solutions when land is disturbed by the construction of buildings or roadways, and they support landscaped communities from tiny rooftops to grand urban parks.
The next time you stroll through your favorite tree-lined street, park, or woods, consider yourself a part of the tree canopy. As a natural interpreter and contributor, you meditate on your surroundings. Trees need our help! Consider trees as large extensions of the organic layer under your feet, which puts you right inside their strategic world.
Winchester, Massachusetts, is situated on the banks of a tranquil, winding river. Like many waterways in New England, the Aberjona River has become home to many non-native and invasive plants that have largely overwhelmed our native plant palette. The Aberjona Initiative, a working group of the Conservation Commission, is tasked with restoring the river and pond banks in town center.
Suppose you pop your head into the courtyard on 53rd street, a lush interior garden shared by 86 affordable housing units in Midtown Manhattan. In that case, you are likely to find Ursula parked in her wheelchair amidst the flowers and sunshine. When asked why this garden is so important to her, Ursula said, “It is a magic place!”
What new skills or activities did you try during COVID lockdown? Walter Kittredge began an entirely new venture after retiring from his 45-year career at the world-renowned Gray Herbarium at Harvard University. He opened a native plant nursery called Oakhaven Sanctuary.
Favorite plants that a gardener can depend on year in year out are the hallmark of sustainable gardens. Whether it’s a workhorse in the garden or it shines when other plants have drooped, we all have beloved plants. Learn about some ELA members’ favorite native plants.
The experience one encounters within the garden are ever-changing and evanescent. Sound and scent are spatial and temporal. Two people in the same situation will likely have a uniquely different commentary on the same landscape experience. More so than other arts, garden design and landscape design can summon all our sensual responses.
Interest in native plants and sustainable landscaping has exploded over the last decade. Through our UConn Extension Sustainable Turf & Landscape program, we provide practical science-based information to support the sustainability goals of Connecticut green industry professionals and home gardeners. With that in mind, we developed a free online guide of 44 pages of plant lists for every location matched with vibrant photographs.
July is a perfect time to gather flowers and greens for salad and pesto. There is an abundance of wild and garden edibles, so why make the trip to the grocery store for produce when you have a variety of food to choose from right in your yard? Create a daylily salad, with a little yard-grown purslane topped with pedals of bee balm for color and bergamot flavor finished with a tasty vinaigrette.
There is considerable decline, dieback, and death of many tree species in New England and throughout the country. Many professionals focus their attention on the final stages of a tree’s life, but tree health can’t be determined by outward appearance and general foliar analysis. Environmental and ecological studies must consider tree life history.
Photographers from across the country submitted nearly 200 images to ELA’s 2021 Spotlight on Natives Photography Contest. Each sought to capture the special allure of native plants – the unique structure of trunks, stems, leaves, blossoms, seeds; the juxtaposition of native plants in groupings; and the interaction of pollinators with native plants. This year’s entries again encompassed an outstanding array of plants and habitats.
In the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Nelson County, Virginia, the Quarry Gardens at Schuyler offer a unique opportunity for nature lovers to learn about native plants and their ecosystems. Opened to the public in 2017, the Quarry Gardens occupy 40 acres within a 440-acre natural preserve, and support a vibrant diversity of species.
In today’s rapidly urbanizing environment, we have a unique opportunity, if not a duty, to create livable landscapes that are attractive, easily managed, and provide a rich complement of plants to support diverse ecosystems. Let’s adapt a naturalistic design aesthetic that allows us to use native plants in home gardens, reflecting our regional spirit of place.
