Rehabilitating a mature landscape

Renovation of old landscape. New plantings were installed to replace oversized non-native shrubs.

Time has a way of changing a landscape in unexpected ways. Over many years small plants can grow too large for their space. Improper pruning and lack of maintenance can leave a landscape looking tired and poorly planned.

Rehabilitating a landscape requires a combination of rejuvenating existing plants by careful pruning and relandscaping with new plants that are sized to fit the existing space. Some plants can be saved and restored to proper form, other plants just need to go, to make room for replacements. All plants grow in size over their life span. Choosing the right plant to fit a space is a delicate compromise between filling the space now or filling it at some future time. It is best to plant for the future when the plant is reaching its mature size.

In this mature landscape shaded by a large oak tree, receiving only 1 or two hours of direct sunlight per day, native shrubs were used combined with native woodland wildflowers and ferns. Beautiful flowering native shrubs and trees were planted such as: Winterberry, Summersweet, Oakleaf hydrangea, Fringe tree and Pagoda dogwood The native plants are adapted to shade and local growing conditions. These native species offer outstanding ornamental value. These native plants are low maintenance and adapted to grow in this type of environment. Natives were also used exclusively to prevent the risk of exotic plants spreading into the nearby woodlands from seed.

This shady border is planted with native woodland perennials. These perennials will fill the space with drifts of natural foliage and flowers all season long. The species list includes: Blood root, Foam flower, Wild ginger, False solomon seal, Wild columbine, White & Red baneberry, Virginia waterleaf, Wild geranium, Black cohosh, Christmas fern, Maidenhair fern, Lady fern.

this page updated February 20, 2007