Terri and I have done presentations about asters, goldenrods, and coneflowers to several groups. We heard they were helpful, so we took sections of the presentation and created a series of videos. The series includes: Part 1: Overview, Classification, the Asteraceae Family (Length ~ 6:16) Part 2: Asters (Length ~ 10:25) Part 3: Goldenrods (Length…
Category: Design
A Tangled Tale: Vines
There is a group of plants that is often neglected… vines. These plants can fulfill several functions in a landscape design as well as provide ecological function. There are a number of native vines that can be used in place of invasive or potentially invasive vine species. Vines need to be used wisely because even…
Winter Appreciation and Assessment
Now that the leaves are down from most trees and shrubs, it is a good time to get into the landscape for a bit of appreciation and assessment. Without foliage and the colors of the growing season, beauty emerges from the form, flow, texture, and earth tones present in the landscape. You can see the…
Native Grasses
Grasses are important plants to include in native landscape plantings. They can provide structure in a design and can provide beauty with their foliage and blooms. Functionally, grasses can support other plants, fill gaps between plants thus suppressing “weeds,” host Lepidoptera, and provide wildlife shelter. (1) Native grasses are either “warm-season” or “cool season.” Most…
Line of Sight in Design
Terri will tell you that I really enjoy a particular view from the pub set at the back of our property. I like it because of the flowing depth of plants and color… it looks like one big, cascading bed. That is an illusion of the design layout ! There are actually four beds in…