Properly sized plants and appropriate placement
Do you struggle with recurring maintenance costs? Does your landscape need to be refreshed every few years to stay looking good? Does your landscape just not look good? Chances are it may not be the plants, it’s probably the original design. Many landscape installations are poorly done from the get go. Property owner’s eager for the “done” look, over plant with smaller pieces and the design suffers from crowding. Or many times the wrong plant is put in the wrong place. Investment landscaping aims to create a landscape designed to last much longer than the typical residential landscape. The investment landscape approach is best suited for larger estates, limited portions of properties, corporate campus and institutional clientele such as schools, churches and municipalities, but can be applied to smaller residences as well.
The question is how best to design for landscapes that will endure, become more grand and useful in the next 20-30 years, reduce maintenance costs and look good? Having visited many historic gardens in Europe, it is easy to see the influence that good design provides in creating spectacular gardens that are a delight to the eye and that flourish and endure for many years. Most Landscape Architects have the training and skills necessary to create investment landscape that can endure the test of time with minimal care.
There are many components of the investment landscape and for this article we are going tofocus on the green side of the landscape.
Excavator Stripping topsoil at a subdivision
Every plant is rooted in the earth. If you get the soil right then the plants will benefit. The right topsoil is critical to the long terms health of the landscape. In most commercial developments and housing developments the topsoil is stripped off and sold pre-construction. Sometimes several feet is stripped off leaving the behind only subsoil. At the end of the project a thin skim coat of 2-3” of topsoil is brought back for lawns and landscaping. Often times the new owner of the property has to buy this soil at an extra cost. This 2-3” of topsoil over subsoil is a poor environment for plants to grow in. New lawn areas should have a minimum of 6” of good natural topsoil for standard turf grass and sometimes deeper for meadow type grasses. Planting areas for shrubs should have 12-18” of good natural topsoil. Large trees should have a hole twice as big as the root ball and backfilled with good natural topsoil. The topsoil should be tested to see if it requires and added nutrients, compost or other amendments. Investing in the right soil and the right amount of soil is critical to the long term health of the plantings.
For the plantings it is essential to plant the Right Plant in the Right Place. I was reviewing the planting at a hotel near our office, they had a viburnum that wants to be 10’x10’x10’ plant planted in an area that was 3’x1.5’x1.5’. The plant looked horrible, was a constant maintenance issue, always needed pruning and had little or no flowers. Not only did the plant not provide the effect it was intended to provide but provided none its inherent aesthetic value. A classic case of wrong plant in the wrong place. The knowledge of how plants grow and develop is integral in creating a landscape that will prosper and grow to their full potential in the space provided. Landscape Architects are trained to understand this and plan for this.
Overplanted entrance to a house with short lived species
It is vital to consider how any new trees and shrubs will grow and develop over time, how the plantings will mature and fill in the beds or how the natural shape and size of the proposed plants will fill the space to create the desired design effect. The key is to select the right plant so that they will fit into the bed or area and require little care. The natural form and size of each individual plant should be considered so that pruning will not be necessary to maintain the overall mass. This creates healthier plants in the long term. Designs which require extensive pruning to shape hedges, create espaliers or contain a specific plant to an area should be limited to reduce maintenance costs. Landscape Architects know how important it is to utilize each plants natural form in the investment landscape.
Appropriate spacing of the plants is vital to allow for sufficient air flow and room for growth and less crowded plants are less stressed and normally have reduced diseases or insect issues. We’ve have all seen the row of arborvitaes planted 24” on center, that after 10 years starts to fail because of competition among the trees. Proper spacing can allow trees to survive wind storms or other natural disasters. Appropriate spacing for many shrubs will leave large mulched spaces between shrubs until they grow together. Many times owners want the “already done” look so they will bring in excessive quantities of smaller plants crammed together to avoid gaps and a perceived sparse look. This is bad because in a few years many of the plants will be crowded out and stressed leaving the entire bed susceptible to disease. Two strategies to avoid overplanting are to get larger plants upfront or to plant a ground cover in the gaps that would eventually get shaded out.
It is important to review growing conditions such as available light, exposure to high winds, excessive temperatures or salt, soil types, water availability, hardiness zone, competition from surrounding existing vegetation, below ground conditions (pipes, sewer lines, etc) and above ground obstructions (overhead wires, etc) to make sure that the plants selected are appropriate and will thrive in the environment they are placed. Care should be taken when selecting trees for placement near utility lines or in right of ways. It is important to select trees and place them so they will not grow into the power lines. There are enumerable examples of trees that have been pruned to have a hole in them or their tops cut off to keep lines clear.
Tree planted in the wrong place and pruned for the utility lines
Plant longer lived species where there is a choice. Some trees such as birch and dogwood have a significantly shorter expected lifespan than other trees. For example if you are looking for a form that is more upright, and slender like a birch, you could plant a Yellowwood instead that will survive beyond the short-lived birch. Species such as oak and maple are particularly long lived in the northeast.
Plant natives. Native species are more hardy, less susceptible to pests and diseases, will handle existing soil and climatic conditions better. They are easier to maintain (do not usually require fertilizer or water) and will provide habitat and food for local wildlife. Most native plants are not invasive in their native range.
Native desert landscape looks great and is sustainable
A major factor is to select woody plants (trees and shrubs) that are insect and disease resistant. There are often choices of disease resistant cultivars that can provide you similar aesthetic considerations over a more disease prone variety. For example, European Birch is a handsome landscape tree but is significantly impacted by bronze birch borer so planting River Birch which offers the same form and function but is resistant to this pest would be the better choice. Crabapples, which are a small, ornamental, flowering tree with lovely blossoms in spring have many disease problems. Many disease resistant cultivars are available that are resistant to apple scab, cedar –apple rust, fire blight or powdery mildew all that cause considerable damage to the leaves and fruits of susceptible cultivars. These choices would provide a similar look but avoid the maintenance cost of keeping these trees looking good.
Large shade trees
Avoid planting trees or shrubs with objectionable or an abundance of fruits or seeds. Having to remove or clean up great quantities of seeds or smelly, rotten fruit is avoidable when selecting a plant for the investment landscape. These varieties also send to be self-seeders. Meaning you will be cleaning your beds of volunteer plants that have rooted on their own.
Smart plant selection, proper placement and appropriate spacing will help to keep maintenance costs low (less pesticides, less pruning, and less overall maintenance). The goal is to reduce maintenance to only lawn mowing, fertilization program and refreshing mulch annually. It is also possible to design the landscape to avoid or minimize grass or turf areas and instead use groundcovers or other plantings, also reducing your maintenance costs even more. Besides saving you money it will help protect the environment and provide habitat for local wildlife. Many facilities in the southwest utilize native desert plants to create stunning landscape that require little care and will last for many years.
Native desert landscape looks great and is sustainable
There are some drawbacks when designing with the investment approach in mind. Notably, many desirable varieties of plants that require too much maintenance or are disease prone are to be avoided. Keeping maintenance costs down takes a priority over aesthetics in the investment landscape. The investment landscape approach is best suited for larger estates, limited portions of properties, corporate campus and institutional clientele. It can be applied to smaller residential properties as well, but most homeowners are willing to add a little maintenance cost to have that particular look or plant they want. Landscape Architects are highly qualified to guide you thru the design process and provide you with components and plans for development of your property that will endure for the long haul.
Not sure where to begin. Rock Spring Design Group, LLC can help you make your property look better and reduce maintenance costs. Call us 203-581-5715 or email us at info@rockspringdesign.com today for a free 1 hour consultation.
