Discover the transformative nature of landscapes that go beyond mere aesthetics by integrating sustainability, practical solutions, and seasonal allure. A native garden isn’t just about visual appeal; it’s about functionality for both the owner and the environment.
Native plants offer year-round visual interest while contributing to the ecosystem. From low-maintenance prairies to bioswales and rain gardens, a native landscape serves a dual purpose: enhancing the property and benefiting the environment.
Seasonal beauty and pollinator value
The beauty of a native garden unfolds throughout the seasons. Spring welcomes vibrant blooms and signals the end of winter’s grasp. As the year progresses, summer brings forth a bountiful array of pollen-rich flowers, attracting bees, butterflies, and birds. In fall, native borders come alive with a burst of color from late-blooming flowers, drawing in migratory hummingbirds and butterflies.
The native asters create a visually captivating landscape with their striking violet hues, the ironweed’s intense purple blooms, and the goldenrods’ fiery display. Pair these with woody plants like sumac or dogwood for added contrast and appeal.
Attracting upland birds and deer
For those looking to attract turkeys or deer, consider incorporating white oak trees. White oak trees are known for their sweet-tasting acorns. Red oak acorns are more bitter because of their increase tannin content. Also, white oak produces acorns every growing season, generally in September and early October, while red oak trees produce acorns every other year.
Controlling stormwater with bioswales and rain gardens
Sustainable landscape practices also include effective stormwater management. If left unmanaged, stormwater runoff can result in flooding around a property and contaminants that ultimately negatively impact a downstream body of water. One method of stormwater management is the installation of bioswales on a property.
A bioswale is a curved channel carved into the land and used to collect and convey stormwater runoff from roads, roofs, and parking lots. Typically designed to mimic natural hydrology, they filter pollutants from the stormwater, recharge the groundwater table, and prevent erosion due to high volume flow.”
A bioswale is different from a rain garden. It slows and directs water movement with deep-rooted native plants and sometimes slopes with gradual grade changes or stonework. This allows excess stormwater to infiltrate into an existing drainage or storm system slowly.
Rain gardens, on the other hand, are meant to increase infiltration and do not have an outlet to convey the runoff outside the garden’s borders.
Bioswales are best suited to be near roofs, roads, parking lots, and driveways, where they can catch and direct stormwater coming off hard surfaces.
Both rain gardens and bioswales can add color and wildlife value to urban districts, making them more appealing than stormwater detention basins.