by Carol Gracie Our spring wildflowers, many of them ephemerals that grace our woodlands for only a brief period each year, are intricately tied to other organisms in the environment….
Designing Ecological Landscapes
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.
Planning for Succession in a Residential Landscape
by Daniel Peterson I often see new landscapes that look great immediately after installation, and continue to thrive for five to ten years. Beyond those five to ten years, I…
MV Wildtype: Acting Locally on the Island of Martha’s Vineyard
by Tim Boland This article first appeared in the Spring 2009 issue of Meristems, the newsletter of Polly Hill Arboretum. There are many good reasons for growing native plants: Native…
Re-Introducing Hedgerows to Residential Landscapes: Why We Still Need a Side Order of Messy
by Rebecca Lindenmeyr Thanks to the pioneering work of E.O. Wilson, Doug Tallamy, Jonathan Foley, Marla Spivak and many others, the public has begun to accept the need for native plants in the landscape in…
A Lesson on Connections: “Enhancing Ecosystem Dynamics for Trees” with Michael Phillips
by Emma Vautour As a student of ecology and an aspiring ecological landscaper, it was a privilege to attend the 2014 ELA conference and learn from many of the leading…
Where the Wild Things Are: How to Support Wildlife in the Modern Gardening World
by Dan Jaffe One of the great reasons to plant native species rather than their non-native counterparts is the support they provide to local wildlife populations. Simply put: If you…
Beautifying Public Places: The Importance of Plants
by Lynden B. Miller One of the most important elements in successful public urban green space is PLANTS. Over the last 30 years in New York City, we have found…
SITES Update: Progress on the Sustainable Sites Initiative
by Tobias Wolf The Sustainable Sites Initiative, known as SITES™, has made important strides in the last year. SITES promotes sustainable practices for the design and management of landscapes. Complementing the…
Don’t Be Afraid of the Big Bad Shade Tree
A Case for Veteran Trees by Christopher Roddick Ask any arborist why people hire them and, more often than not, the number one answer is fear. People do love their…
When Lightning Strikes: Counting on Disturbance, Planning for Succession
by Travis Beck From Principles of Ecological Landscape Design by Travis Beck. Copyright © 2013 Travis Beck. Reproduced by permission of Island Press, Washington, D.C. Be Prepared for Regionally Common Disturbances…
Organic Turf Maintenance on a Large Scale at the Rose Kennedy Greenway
by Anthony Ruggiero Anthony is a panelist at ELA’s Large-Scale Landscapes Symposium at Wellesley College on January 18th, 2014. The Greenway is a mile-and-a-half-long public park that stretches from Chinatown…
2013 Season Wrap-up: Weird Weather and Growing Ecological Interest
by Ellen W. Sousa The 2013 season? Well, with apologies to the late Jerry Garcia, I have to say, “What a long, strange trip it’s been….” First, the snow never…