Saturday, April 2, 2011

Problem Areas and Naturescape


Did you ever think that your yard would be perfect if you could only find a plant that would grow in that spot? It seems like every yard has a problem area like that. It could be due to the lack of sun, a slope that can’t be fixed or even plain old bad soil with lots of rocks. It may benefit with a Naturescape.

Soil amendments haven’t worked. New plantings either get washed away during the first rainstorm or get baked by the sun before the growing season is over. It’s enough to make even the most patient gardener toss a tool and start looking for yard ornaments to cover up the spot.

Now might be a good time to fill a water bottle, pack a notebook and camera and hit the back roads. You may find several types of groundcovers or wildflowers that will thrive in that spot.

It stands to reason that if you have an area in your yard that can’t be ‘fixed’ by amendments, there must be other areas in the local area that are ‘blessed’ with the same environmental elements that challenge you. All you have to do is find them as see what grows there. If it can thrive out in the wild, think of what it can do with a little help from you.

Naturescapes are areas planted with wildflowers and native trees and bushes. Native plants evolve to the local environment so they can withstand everything nature has to offer. Native plants have built up a resistance to local insect pests and diseases. They have developed to withstand the extreme changes in temperatures that the local climate offers. The native plant also has adapted to the normal rainfall of the area.

Native plants aren’t necessarily weeds. If it is noninvasive, has an attractive flower, beautiful foliage or if it bears fruit, it would probably be a beautiful addition to your garden and the ideal solution for that spot. An added incentive to go out looking for native plant options is that a naturescape requires very little maintenance once it’s established.

Now, you can enjoy your perfect yard.

No comments:

Post a Comment