Lisa, a Master Gardener, wanted her garden to be a naturalized prairie garden in the front and a functional space in the back but when she moved into her modern home in Old Tuxedo she decided to modernize her front garden as well. She partnered with a landscape architect to convert her front lawn into a garden full of native plants. Two years into the experiment she is happy to find that, first of all, she hasn’t been run out of the neighbourhood, and secondly, working with native plants extends the glory of her garden through the winter. The native grasses and berried shrubs show beautifully in the snow, giving winter interest, and provide food for wildlife all winter long. This episode shows how one can design with native plants and the beauty that comes from that.
Hiring a landscape architect played an essential role in realizing Lisa’s dream of a native plant garden in the front and a place to grow food and enjoy summer in the back. In the front garden, understory trees and shrubs were added to the existing mature trees. The planting was completed with shade-tolerant native flowers, grasses, ferns and groundcovers. The trees and shrubs will create privacy as they mature but still leave room for a seating area in the sun. In the back, a diagonal layout opens up the narrow courtyard. Trellises along the fence and house create space for vines and an espaliered apple tree. A lap pool, screened gazebo and large deck area, overlooking the yard, add to the peacefulness and relaxing area. @manitobamastergardenerassoc
8 сен 2024
