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The Deep Middle


Gardening & writing in the prairie echo

Fundamentals of Natural Garden Design

1/26/2021

5 Comments

 
I believe there are a few critical choices that gardeners must practice if they want their native plant garden to be both sustainable (with lots of ecosystem function) and look less weedy next to the traditional monoculture landscapes that dominate urban areas:

1) Selecting plants that are behaved and relatively short (under 3ft). This means doing research, as plants can spread / grow differently based on soil type, moisture levels, and levels of plant competition. This is one reason gardening by ecoregion vs. hardiness zone is a good idea.

2) Planting in drifts and masses. The larger the bed, the larger the masses and drifts. And you can do this in layers (ground, mid height, architectural).

3) Limiting blooms. In a smaller garden (under 1,000ft), having no more than 3 plants in bloom at any one time may show more control and less visual cacophony.

4) Employing a monochromatic base layer. This green mulch / matrix not only replaces annual wood mulch applications while fighting weeds and conserving soil moisture, it helps tie the landscape together and make it more legible. Consider how lawns do this.

5) Plan for winter interest. Many of our native grasses and herbaceous perennials carry much structural and textural interest deep into winter. Using the same principles as #2 above, we can hit two birds with one stones (please leave birds alone -- their numbers are falling fast).
Of course, every site requires nuance with the above points, so they are not hard and fast rules but more like core guidelines. And when we use native plant communities we increase ecological function, especially wildlife habitat.

If you want to learn more, try our online class "Fundamentals of Garden Layers." We'll dive into the above even further in Benjamin's new book Prairie Up: An Introduction to Natural Garden Design (spring 2022).

5 Comments
garden landscaping link
4/18/2021 09:03:47 pm

Awesome tips. I love working out with shorter plants like mentioned in the article 3ft. and below. Unlike taller ones, you will have hard time trimming them later.

Reply
Faruqe Abdullah link
5/11/2021 01:31:00 am

I learned a lot from reading your article. Thank you so much for writing such an informative article. I think many like me can learn a lot by reading this article. Thanks again.

Reply
Corine Harris link
9/8/2021 11:39:05 pm

This article is brimming with information about garden design, hanging tight for more like this. I have additionally discovered an article anybody can check for more data to <a href = https://constructorii.ro/amenajare-gradina/> Garden Design: Complete Guide and Ideas </a>. It was knowingly more instructive. You may discover more insights regarding it here.

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Graham Spell link
12/21/2021 02:32:41 pm

The basics of natural garden design are very important. And you have highlighted different aspects of it.

Reply
Mia Evans link
6/2/2022 04:24:47 am

It really helped when you said that having at least three types of blooms would be able to make the area seem more controlled. I will relay this information with the landscape design service that I plan to hire this year. It will definitely be a good option for people like me who is a first-timer in having a backyard to take care of.

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    Benjamin Vogt's thoughts on prairie gardening in Nebraska. With a healthy dose of landscape ethics, ecophilosophy, climate change,  and social justice.

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prairie inspired  design

Lincoln & Omaha, Nebraska

Monarch Gardens is a prairie-inspired design firm. We specialize in lawn to meadow conversions as well as urban shade gardens.

Employing 95% native plants, our designs are climate resilient, adaptable, and provide numerous ecological benefits while artistically reflecting wilder landscapes.
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