The Designer – Spring 2021

thedesıgner ASSOCIATION OF

PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPE DESIGNERS

Spring 2021

PRESERVING TREES

Preserve DRAWING FOR LANDSCAPE DESIGNERS

NEW NATURALISM

editor’sletter Carry On

A

t the end of March 2020, we were all trying to figure out how to preserve our incomes. I remember countless phone calls and a lot of brainstorming, networking, and questioning. By the end of April, we were all focused on preserving our sanity. It turns out, when everyone has to stay home, they want a yard they can enjoy. It turns out, when every public interaction has to move outside, people want safe and comfortable public spaces to meet with friends and loved ones. This issue’s theme is Preserve, and a quick synonym search pops up with the words “uphold,” “continue,” and “carry on”—and I think we’ve all earned our stripes in doing just that.

What will you preserve as we embark on a new year of shaping outdoor spaces?

How will you not only carry on, but also move forward?

K AT I E E L Z E R - P E T E R S

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E D I TO R @ A P L D.O R G

PHOTOG RA PH BY K IRST EN B OE HMER P HOTOG R AP HY

When challenges arise, we are forced to make choices. This past year has given us the chance to learn new skills to preserve our livelihoods while also identifying the techniques, practices, and artforms we want to carry with us into a changed world. This issue is a roundup of some of those choices. Judy Nauseef, FAPLD outlines her thoughts on creating gardens that protect the earth, Eleanor Gould shares her experiences working with historic properties, and Lisa Nunamaker contributes a roundup of her best tips for preserving the art of hand-drawing for landscape designers. Marti Neely, FAPLD, offers a timely reminder to pay close attention to jobsite details, Eva Monheim gives advice for protecting valuable trees on construction sites, and Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD, revisits the topic of lawns in the landscape. And because I always love a good new book, we’re treated to an amazing peek into Kelly D. Norris’s most recent book New Naturalism: Designing and Planting a Resilient, Ecologically Vibrant Home Garden (COOL SPRINGS PRESS, 2021), which is loaded with inspiring images and rich text.

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Species of Aralia; see more of Kelly D. Norris's book on page 36.

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contents SPRING 2021 6 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 12 PERSPECTIVE Garden Like the Earth Depends on It

BY J U DY N AU SEEF, FA PL D

20 Q&A Preserving Historical Integrity in Landscape Design

BY ELEA N OR GOU LD

26 BUSINESS Preserving the Art of Hand Drawing

BY LI SA N U N A MA KER , PL A

28 IN THE FIELD We Are the Antidote to “No End of Shortsightedness” (NEOS)

BY MA R TI N EELY, FA PLD

36 BOOK EXCERPT New Naturalism: Designing and Planting a Resilient, Ecologically Vibrant Home Garden

BY KELLY D. N OR R I S

48 CASE STUDY Lawns: Changing the Conversation

BY B OB B I E SCHWA R TZ, FA PL D

54 DESIGN MASTERCLASS Preserving Trees & Habitat on Construction Sites

BY EVA MON HEI M

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contributors Eleanor Gould

Q&A: Preserving Historical Integrity in Landscape Design

p. 20

Eva Monheim

Design MasterClass: Preserving Trees & Habitat on Construction Sites

Judy Nauseef, FAPLD, is a landscape designer and writer living in Iowa. Her emphasis is on residential design and native landscaping to create biodiverse, sustainable gardens with resiliency to grow under the conditions of climate change.

Her book Gardening with Native Plants in the Upper Midwest was published in 2016. She has been a certified member of APLD since 1996 and served on the board of directors as certification chair and president.

PHOTO BY J ON J N EELY

PHOTO BY KATHRYN LA N E

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In the Field: We Are the Antidote to “No End of Shortsightenness” (NEOS) p. 28

p. 12 PHOTO BY SA RA H MON HEI M

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Eva Monheim is the author of Shrubs & Hedges: Discover, Grow, and Care for the World’s Most Popular Plants.

Monheim teaches at Longwood Gardens and the Barnes Arboretum, and was assistant professor at Temple University in the department of landscape architecture and horticulture. She is co-principal of VEE, Verdant Earth Educators, a company that consults and educates the trade.

Monheim is a certified arborist through ISA, a Master Floral Designer, artist, and an awardwinning educator.

She can be reached at evamonheim@gmail. com.

Marti Neely, FAPLD

Perspective: Garden Like the Earth Depends on It

p. 54

PHOTO BY RICHA RD DON HA M

Eleanor Gould is currently Director of Historic Landscapes as well as the Site Supervisor of Edgewater Estate for Classical American Homes Preservation Trust. After earning her master’s degree in Landscape Architecture at the University of Virginia, Eleanor began her career in historic landscapes at Monticello, where she rose rapidly from seasonal gardener to Curator of Gardens. After completing the Longwood Fellowship program in 2019 she served as vice president of Horticulture and Landscape at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Eleanor is passionate about public gardens and making them accessible to diverse audiences through programming and social media.

Judy Nauseef, FAPLD

Marti Neely, FAPLD is an award-winning landscape designer, writer, speaker, Fellow of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, and a Nebraska Certified Nursery and Landscape Professional. With more than 30 years of experience in the profession of Design/ Build, she opened her private studio, Marti Neely Design and Associates, in 2013. Her company provides personalized design and installation services, offering to attend to every detail of a project, no matter how small.

>>Click bolded text for links apld.org

Kelly D. Norris

Book Excerpt: New Naturalism:

Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD

p. 26

p. 48

Business: Preserving the Art of Hand Drawing

Designing and Planting a Resilient, Ecologically Vibrant Home Garden

p. 36

Case Study: Lawns: Changing the Conversation PHOTO BY JA MI MIL N E

PHOTO BY IVORY HOU SE PHOTOGR A PHY

Kelly D. Norris is one of the leading horticulturists of his generation. An awardwinning author and plantsman, Kelly’s work in gardens has been featured in The New York Times, Organic Gardening, Better Homes & Gardens, Martha Stewart Living, Fine Gardening, Garden Design, and in numerous local and regional media appearances. Kelly also presents plants for Cottage Farms Direct on QVC and lectures widely to consumer and industry audiences.

Lisa Nunamaker, PLA

Lisa Nunamaker is an award-winning designer, artist, and educator and the creator of the website Paper Garden Workshop. Lisa uses her illustration skills to teach the topics she adores—garden design and landscape graphics. She does this full-time in the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University, plus part-time on her website. Lisa also holds degrees in landscape architecture, is registered in the state of Iowa, and formerly served on the APLD national board of directors.

Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD is a certified landscape designer in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and is the owner of Bobbie’s Green Thumb. She is an obsessed gardener who has won several design awards, and is a longtime member of the Perennial Plant Association, GardenComm, and the Association of Professional Landscape Designers.

She lectures nationally, is a regular contributor to publications on perennials and landscape design, and is the author of Garden Renovation: Transform Your Yard into the Garden of Your Dreams.

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spring flowers, dark purple summer berries, and brilliant, orange-red fall foliage makes this native plant as showy as it is adaptable.

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president’smessage Preserve

I

often think about a childhood memory, when our family took on a DIY concrete walkway project. I so wanted to put my hand in the freshly poured concrete to preserve an impression of my hand, which of course my 5-year-old mind thought would last for years to come. My parents didn’t agree to this request, but they did let me use some remnant concrete to make a cast handprint in a foil pan. I’m not exactly sure what happened to that casting, but for the time I was aware of it, I treasured it because of that memory.

Beyond childhood experiences like what I have shared, I think we all can relate to “things” we wish to preserve, and our clients are no different. Being forward thinkers, landscape designers are excellent resources for working with our clients to preserve various things within the context of their site. Probably the most common ask by our clients is to maintain a certain view, be it from a window into their outdoor space, or perhaps a vista of a borrowed landscape amenity such as a lake or cherished landform. Many times, clients wish to protect a historic artifact or family heirloom, which can be challenging unless shielded from weather.

With the theme of this issue centered on the term “preserve,” I am very excited to read how our colleagues share how they incorporate this topic in their work. I am sure you will be inspired to learn new ways to protect what is cherished and preserve things that are meaningful and memorable.

E R I C G I L B E Y, P L A

DISCLAIMER: Mention of commercial products in this publication is solely for information purposes; endorsement is not intended by APLD. Material does not reflect the opinions or beliefs of APLD. APLD is not responsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts and photographs. All printed articles become the copyright of APLD.

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thedesıgner EDITOR IN CHIEF Katie Elzer-Peters ART DIRECTOR

Marti Golon

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Jenny Peterson COPY EDITOR

Billie Brownell EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Denise Calabrese, CAE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Michelle Keyser

EVENTS DIRECTOR

Lori Zelesko

ASSISTANT COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Courtney Kuntz

CERTIFICATION & CHAPTER ASSOCIATE

Kelly Clark

FINANCE ADMINISTRATOR

Jennifer Swartz

DATABASE MANAGEMENT ADMINISTRATOR

Leona Wagner

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From Kelly D. Norris’s book.

See more on page 36.

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perspective

GARDEN LIKE THE

EARTH DEPENDS ON IT B Y J U D Y N A U S E E F, F A P L D

A homeowner mourns her woodland destroyed by a derecho.

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PHOTOGR A PHS BY J UDY N AU SEEF, FA PL D

The natural slope of this design has been retained and the natives and other perennials are used to enhance it.

W

e need to garden as if the earth depends on it because the realities of climate change weigh on all of us. We can address climate change— whose problems are large and complex—by designing one garden at a time. This is gardening for the future.

Recent weather events have the attention of the public. Landscape designers are rethinking plant selection and irrigation in part because homeowners are concerned that their plants do not thrive. Innovative and sound practices can moderate climate change and create livable landscapes.

It is more important than ever to match plants to site conditions. Creating

habitats is a method whereby we can prepare landscapes for the effects of

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An American toad explores this lawn, which has not been treated with pesticides. Providing a welcoming environment invites beneficial wildlife.

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Monarch butterflies prepare to migrate from a Pinus strobus.

perspective

our changing climate. A healthy habitat has a greater chance of surviving climate events such as storms, flooding, and drought because the soils are deeper and held in place by accumulating plant debris and the plants’ deep root structures.

Growing diverse combinations of native plants create resilient communities as the toughest plants become prevalent and the others have a protected habitat in which to thrive.

Every garden counts. When we introduce native plants into landscapes, we

increase the numbers of pollinators that survive and reduce the pressures of invasive species. As the climate warms, the corridors we create with our resilient native habitat gardens help the movement of species northward.

Investment in our landscape becomes more important as our changing climate becomes evident to everyone who makes gardens. Gardening sustainably through

the wise use of water, reducing the use of fossil fuels to run our machines, and

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perspective conserving our soils are things everyone can do while creating outdoor spaces to be enjoyed.

Landscape designers are concerned about climate change. We hear and

read about reducing emissions from energy production and manufacturing.

Dr. Jonathan Foley, climate and environmental scientist, writes, “We can also look to ways to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere” using “sinks” (Globalecoguy.org). Land-based ecosystems capture and store excess gasses for long periods of time. According to Robert Henson these ecosystems take up 20 to 40 percent of carbon emissions each year (The Thinking Person’s Guide to Climate Change). Examples of land areas in North America unable to absorb carbon dioxide from the air are clear-cut parcels for new developments and large areas of pavement. “Where ecosystems have been degraded, restoration can help them recuperate form and function, including absorbing and storing more carbon over time.” (https://drawdown.org/sectors/land-sinks) Landscape designers plan for wise conservation and use of water. We fill our

designs with plants that will thrive and create habitat and will remove carbon dioxide from the air. According to Project Drawdown, the carbon that has been stored in soil organic matter returns to the atmosphere “through decomposition and soil respiration.” Remember your soil science courses? Although our contributions as landscape designers are small, such as our habitat gardens that become part of a larger corridor for wildlife, our new gardens and tree lots become part of a greater effort to address climate change.

The difficulties are the unknowns of how the changing climate will affect your location. We know that summers are hotter and drier in the Midwest, that rain

has been scarce in California, and that hurricanes are causing flooding and 16

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A walking stick blends into a rust-covered gate in a pasture.

Swallowtail butterflies visit Echinacea purpurea in a perennial garden (below).

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Asclepias syriaca pods disperse seed in a small prairie.

destruction along the East Coast. Wildfires have caused unmatched damage to homes, towns, landscapes, and natural areas. In addition to the changes in and unpredictability of temperatures and rain, drastic weather events happen more frequently with greater fury. I have often told my clients that landscapes do not last forever. Trees decline and die, some plants thrive, and others do not. The effects of climate change are different and unsettling, but we need to respond with innovation and flexibility. In the process, we not only create beauty in the landscape, but, also a landscape that is sustainable and regenerative and will lessen the future effects of climate change and slow global warming.

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perspective

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Land-based ecosystems capture and store excess greenhouse gasses for long periods of time.

”

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Q&A Cockscomb in bloom at Monticello.

An 1880 engraving of Monticello is on the opposite page.

PRESERVING

HISTORICAL

INTEGRITY IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN

BY ELEANOR GOULD

Q:

As a designer, I have never worked with historic properties before but I have the opportunity now in an upcoming residential project. What do I need to know about preserving the historical integrity of this home?

A:

Most historic properties have a landscape component that is integral to the significance of the resource. However, landscape preservation is admittedly a much younger discipline. It is important to identify character-defining features of the landscape. These might include spatial organization, views and vistas, circulation patterns, and topography as well as smaller features and objects in the landscape.

All gardens are historic and all landscapes are ever-changing. Most sites that define themselves as historic and are open to the public have ➸ P H OTO BY E LE ANO R GO U LD. ENGRAVING WI KI COMMON S

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Q&A also attempted to restore or recreate their landscape to a particular period or style. The authenticity of such landscapes is dependent upon the level of documentation available to guide the plant selection and design process.

To help you decide on the period of significance you can begin to work on a site history, which is a written record of the history of the landscape through time. Primary documents such as historic maps, surveys, and site plans are great places to start. The publication A Guide to Cultural Landscape Reports, published by the National Park Service, has an extensive list of documentation sources for landscape research.

I have experienced several approaches to historic design at Monticello, Mount Auburn, and now as the new Director of Historic Landscapes for Classical American Homes Preservation Trust, which is focused on early 19th-century classical American residential architecture and landscapes.

At Monticello, we had an immense collection of primary documentation, including Thomas Jefferson’s detailed garden book and thousands of letters detailing garden plans and plantings. These documents enabled us to restore the gardens quite accurately, often to exact specifications, whether it was in the flower, vegetable, or fruit gardens. The period of significance at Monticello was Jefferson’s retirement years, between 1809 to 1826.

The plantings in the restored landscapes of Monticello are either documented

by Jefferson or are of the time period. Ornamental plantings from Jefferson’s era were valued for beauty, fragrance, and often “curiosity” as seen here with the unusual scarlet combs of Celosia cristata, or Cockscomb. We also integrated heirloom Tulips and bulbs, which added authenticity and historic accuracy to our springtime displays.

Mount Auburn (right) is still an active cemetery though it was founded in 1831.

The directors continue to evolve in response to changing cultural traditions and therefore do not have one singular period of significance. They have several landscape character zones throughout the grounds that reflect unique time periods of its history, ranging from Victorian to Naturalistic.

North Dell Meadows at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, MA, is a landscape and habitat restoration project completed in 2019. The upper and lower meadows were planted with Blue Gamma and Fine Fescue grasses.

Benefits include monument preservation, ecological savings from infrequent mowing, wildlife habitat creation, and it visually connects to the naturalistic character of the cemetery’s 19th-century roots. ➸ 22

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PHOTO BY ELEA N OR G OU L D

“

Mount Auburn Cemetery has several landscape character zones that reflect unique time periods of its history, ranging from Victorian to Naturalistic. apld.org

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“

Q&A

A butterfly in the Monticello garden of Thomas Jefferson

PHOTO CR EDI T: I STOCK

Resources

The following resources can help designers with framework and guidance for undertaking projects to ensure a successful balance between historic preservation and change.

PRINT MATERIAL

PROGRAM

■ Protecting Cultural Landscapes: Planning, Treatment and Management of Historic Landscapes

by C. Birnbaum

The Historic Landscape Institute is an introduction to the fields of landscape history, garden restoration, and historical horticulture.

The one-week course in Charlottesville, Virginia, focuses on landscapes designed

by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello and the University of Virginia as case studies and outdoor classrooms.

■ American Home Landscapes: A Design Guide to Creating Period Garden Styles by Denise Wiles Adams and Laura L. S. Burchfield, Timber Press ■ Restoring American Gardens: An Encyclopedia of Heirloom Ornamental Plants, 1640-1940

by Denise Wiles Adams, Timber Press, 2004

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SOURCES FOR HEIRLOOM PLANTS ■ Monticello has extensive collections of both heirloom seeds and bare-root plants for sale.

■ Old House Gardens Heirloom Bulbs ■ Seed Savers Exchange

❧ >>Click text for links

ET

HEA

S OT

HE

A

Y H P T L

N LT A H Y PL

Plastic pots significantly contribute to the proliferation of plastic pollution and have numerous adverse environmental effects. Lend your voice to APLD’s Healthy Pots, Healthy Planet effort dedicated to finding a more sustainable product for growing, shipping, and selling plant material. Learn more at: www.apld.org/healthy-pots-healthy-planet/

Join the coalition

busine ss Preserving the Art of Hand-Drawing

BY LISA NUNAMAKER, PLA

A

s designers our role is to solve problems and create outdoor spaces in a functional, yet creative way. Graphic skills are an important part of this process as they allow us to explore concepts and then eventually communicate them visually. The tools we use can range from a simple pencil to a sophisticated computer drafting program. The final choice belongs to you and your preferences. For me, it’s typically a combination depending where I am in the design process. The earlier stages of concept development always focus on hand-drawing, while the finalized drawings are typically created digitally.

Some of the benefits for me when I hand-draw include: ■ EXPLORATION Nothing beats a direct connection from the ideas in my head to the

pencil on paper. I sketch and explore without judgment. Nothing needs to be perfect, which leads to a beautiful selection of ideas. Tracing paper over a plan or photo allows me to explore many concepts very quickly. I love going through a pile of sketches, one after the other in a matter of minutes, to try a variety of compositions. Sketching on-site, such as in the analysis phase, can provide a deeper intimacy with your site.

■ COMMUNICATION When we share initial sketches with a client, they start to form a

story of the space and our view as a designer, plus our unique style communicates a sense of originality. With a selection of line weights and overall simplicity, these initial drawings can engage a client into your proposed spaces and start a love affair with the possibilities.

■ COLLABORATION Hand-drawings not only engage and sell, they also communicate

flexibility and possibility in the sense that a client can still give feedback. This is not the final step, but it is the first step to diligent conversation and on-the-spot collaboration.

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DR AWI N GS BY LI SA N UN A MA KER, PL A

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Architecture cannot divorce itself from drawing, no matter how impressive the technology gets. Drawings are not just end products: they are part of the thought process of architectural design. Drawings express the interaction of our minds, eyes and hands.

— M I C H A E L G R AV E S

”

HAND-DRAWING TIPS ■ USE A ROLL OF TRACING PAPER

In the concept stage, tracing paper is a magical tool that gives you permission to explore idea after idea. Place the trace over your plan or photo, then explore a multitude of concepts by layering, ripping off sheets, and drawing again and again. I encourage you to use a roll of tracing paper, rather than a pad. The former is less expensive and more freeing.

■ KEEP A COLLECTION OF PENS & PENCILS

An assortment of pens and pencils will provide a variety of line thicknesses.

My collection includes everything from Sharpie markers (for the thickest lines) to .005 Micron pens (for the thinnest lines), but my go-to most of the time is a simple felt-tip pen (such as a PaperMate Flair). I can typically get a variety of line weights with the latter by reapplying lines (for a thicker line) or using the point (for a thinner line).

■ EXPLORE A VARIETY OF LINE WEIGHTS

A variety of line weights gives your drawing depth and clarity. A basic rule of thumb is to give objects a thicker line weight when they are closer to you in plain view (tree canopies and structures), while objects farther away are thin (paving details and groundcovers). Bonus tip: Line weights are great, but adding ground shadows with a light gray chisel point marker is a nice addition.

■ KEEP PLANT SYMBOLS SIMPLE

Rather than create a unique plant symbol for each plant species, simply use a couple each of deciduous, evergreen, and perennial symbols. I like to look at a landscape plan and quickly see the visual balance of deciduous and evergreen plants. Another way to visually simplify a plan is to eliminate the lines between plants in the same group.

This focuses on the plant massing.

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RESOURCES: Click each # for link ›› 1. 2. 3. 4.

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DON’T ACCEPT WHAT A JUDGE WOULD SUBTRACT POINTS FOR These handmade street pavers collected by the client were used in this small courtyard. Their irregularities were a challenge.

The sliver near the corner could have been eliminated if the pavers had been given a trial run before setting them in place. In this instance the client thought the “mistake” provided character and charm and preferred it stay as is.

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WE ARE THE ANTIDOTE TO

inthefield

“No End of Shortsightedness” (NEOS)

B Y M A R T I N E E LY, FA P L D

E

very season, whether I walk onto a new property or drive past hundreds of acres of homes, parkways, and commercial sites, I am amazed of the endless examples of landscape assault I witness. Perhaps I am too picky, have unrealistic expectations, or have become far too intolerant. Despite all that, this has been the year I determined there is “No End of Shortsightedness,” or NEOS. Whether you operate as Design Only or Design/Build, our value as landscape designers extends far beyond the boundaries of the studio. While some may think that once a client has approved their final design our job is done, I believe our value grows by being involved in the project through every phase.

What skill sets could you bring to a project once the landscape design process is over? The expertise used in creating a design are valuable tools when projects move through the phases of build and maintain. We are the key to correcting NEOS when it inevitably shows up. ➸

PH OTO G R A P H S BY M ARTI NEELY, FAP LD

THE BRICK ENDED HERE— WHY? There are those instances where saving a few bucks is more important than paying the designer for a site visit. NEOS. I still don’t know what they were thinking. apld.org

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“

Seeing that all the details are in place is an important part of our value as a designer.

“

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CONCRETE DETAIL WHEN PORCELAIN AND BRICK WERE TOO COSTLY Detailing the concrete with a band of contrasting texture in lieu of setting in tile to match the inlay by the front porch reduced the expense by over $10,000, yet it continued to emphasize the oval shape of the center.

inthefield ■ CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING

Landscape design is creatively solving a series of problems within an outdoor space.

Ask yourself what the last project of yours without any changes was. With rare exceptions, in my world there is typically something unexpected on every project.

On one project, the idea for using a complementary cut porcelain tile band around the large oval drive sent the budget into unexpected realms. It would have been stunning with the tile inset that flowed out of the front entry. But how does one maintain design intent without breaking the bank? Creative brainstorming. The solution was to cut the concrete to replicate the width of the perimeter bands, finishing it with a smooth texture. The remainder of the surface received a broom finish, preserving the objective.

Unfortunately, on another project when a similar budget challenge arose, not being consulted on possible solutions resulted in a mundane driveway in place of what could have easily been more attractive. In the end it is the client who loses. Money was saved but an opportunity was lost. We cannot stop all NEOS; all we can do is try.

Some things are first noticed from ground level. When no detail is too small, a designer’s eye sees the problem created when porcelain tile is routed to create a bullnosed edge on the step tread. The interior core of the tile was exposed, and the illusion of natural stone was ruined. Faux paint the edge to replicate the color of the tile and the problem is solved. Clever and inexpensive, the illusion is maintained. It takes a skilled artisan to pull this off, but it was well worth the effort.

■ ATTENTION TO DETAIL

The installation of a new landscape is a substantial investment for every client. Seeing that all the details are in place is an important part of our value as a designer.

Our reputation is only as good as our work; that which is done by us and by those who build what we design.

When seeing NEOS on a project, I will invite one of the team to view it from my perspective. Generally, all I ask is that they look at the bed edge, or line of plants,

HAND PAINTED EDGE OF PORCELAIN A faux painted edge disguises the exposed core of the porcelain tile. apld.org

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tree, or whatever it is that is bothering me.

By seeing it from another angle the issue is usually obvious, and their response is to instantly offer to fix it.

UNEVEN HARD PLASTIC EDGE When straight lines aren’t straight, corner sections and additional stakes could have prevented NEOS. The question is, do our specifications also have to include all the part numbers on something as basic as lawn edging?

We see the critical details as we are not focused on looking down at the work being done. Whenever possible, find a way to show one what you see. Teach that “the key to remembering what to do is understanding why we do.” The reason that line is straight instead of curved, the purpose of perfect corners, why the lines are parallel, these all are concepts that must be taught. Once understood they are less likely to be forgotten. It’s more effective to teach than tell.

Designers are the ones who find and call out exposed fabric, turf peeking through mulch, and an off-centered circle around a tree. Little things a client may or may not see or choose to accept as good enough are not ignored by us. Some may need to be reminded that it takes the same amount of time to do it right as it does to do 30

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inthefield POOR JOB ON MULCH RING I specify wide rings of mulch around trees, at least a 36-inch radius. This one is undersized and unfinished. If the specs had been followed the two stakes would have been inside the edge of the ring and not been a problem to mowers. Additional problems include: mulch too high on the tree trunk and the flare buried. Quality control is a constant concern.

it wrong. In the end, our name is on the job no matter who builds it, so seeing that NEOS is eliminated is in our best interest as well as the client’s.

■ MEETING EXPECTATIONS

OVERMULCHING TREE TRUNK The results of improper planting and maintenance are seen here. With the excessive mulch removed from the trunk one can see the damage that’s been created.

This damage was preventable and, in this case, was created under “professional” care.

Even the best companies have employees who make mistakes.

It has been said that mothers have eyes on the backs of their heads. I think that our designers’ eyes have microscopic vision, tape measures, and site levels.

Whether it be the realm of possibilities one can envision on a new project or knowing what should and should not be there, our observation skills are invaluable. Our power to scan a planting space and find the locations where 5 groundcovers out of 300 did not get planted is as essential as knowing that spacing is incorrect with a glance. ➸

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“

If you don’t take the time to do it right, you have to find the time to do it over. over.

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BLACK FABRIC SHOWING Visible landscape fabric is unacceptable.

More pebbles and fabric staples would have eliminated this problem. A wise client told me, “If you don’t take the time to do it right, you have to find the time to do it over.” I use this phrase often.

Once again, all I had to do was point.

inthefield

When the lightbulb first goes off and the initial design concepts take shape, expectations start to form. The keeper of these expectations is the creator—us.

Long ago I learned that a design has little value if it is not built and perhaps less if it is not built well.

SPIDERWEB JOINTS VS FLAGSTONE DONE BETTER The spiderweb of joints (photo on the left) is the result when a crew wants to use up the materials on-site. The photo on the right shows the rest of the path. The team knows how to do the work; they just couldn’t see past the stone in front of them. All it took was showing this to the project manager and asking a simple, “Whadadyathink?” It was changed later that day. Details matter.

Incorrect planting is at the top of my NEOS list. It is beyond my understanding how a basic task that is so teachable and repetitive is fraught with so many errors. In order to minimize this and other NEOS, regular site visits, quality checks, and time to flag, layout, or verify what is necessary to meet the project expectations is essential. I know that if I’m not happy, the client won’t be happy.

It’s always a team effort between contractors, designer, and client.

Regardless of your business model or jurisdictional restrictions, more can be done than just drawing up ideas. If details or specifications cannot be inserted onto ➸ apld.org

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PRUNED BOXWOOD WHEN YOU WERE TOLD DON’T It’s painful to see what had begun growing into a lovely little hedge turn into a meatball nightmare.

A thoughtful conversation with the client, an extensive site evaluation, and some redirection of the gardeners has put this garden back on track.

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inthefield

File Under “What Were They Thinking?”

Is that really a curved walk?

Need to plant all the way into the ground!

Offset flagstone under faucet—why?

your plan, convey them in other ways. Planting guides, blogs on your website, and links to outside resources are a few examples. Your knowledge can be shared without crossing the proverbial “line.” This becomes more important when the build is over.

Educating a client how to effectively manage a landscape after its completion provides immeasurable value. With texting and email it’s easy to wake up to questions about every insect, leaf spot, or plant possibility imaginable. For the ones who love to learn, my responses often include a link to reinforce or add information, demonstrating I am providing a researched and educated answer.

When walking with clients through their landscape, include bits of information about the features of their plants and simple care instructions. Don’t overwhelm; just continue to inform. Seasonal visits nurture relationships. Concerns can be addressed before they become problems that are difficult to correct. One may find themselves an unexpected opportunity if a visit reveals to the client their current provider is maintaining their investment incorrectly.

Value grows and is cemented by bringing additional expertise to our client’s project. Utilizing all our skills as well as our continued involvement lead to a product that is more likely to represent the “dream” that we envisioned. Perhaps all it takes is an offer to check in to see if the project is meeting expectations. If all goes well, NEOS will be along the road, there and back, where it belongs.

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The ultimate garden habitat features a layered design that thoughtfully applies plants to place to emulate the structure of wild habitats.

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bookexcerpt NEW NATURALISM: Designing and Planting a Resilient, Ecologically Vibrant Home Garden B Y K E L LY D . N O R R I S EXCERPT FROM NEW NATURALISM: DESIGNING AND PLANTING A RESILIENT, ECOLOGICALLY VIBRANT HOME GARDEN BY KELLY D. NORRIS (COOL SPRINGS PRESS, JANUARY 26, 2021)

■ MATCH PLANTS TO PLACE

Even after a thoughtful assessment of place, resilient gardens only succeed with resonant plantings. Traditionally, many landscapes are an exception to their surroundings without any relation to the nature of place. While we can dig the hole, it doesn’t mean a plant has any fundamental purpose in that place or that it will survive without onerous resources. For many, this act of life support defines gardening. But why not consider life that sustains itself? >>Get the book! Click here

Understanding plants in context, specifically your context, can lead you to answer the coalescing question of New Naturalism: what plants would thrive in a garden of this place?

Whether you’re an avid enthusiast or experienced gardener, you ➸ P H OTO GRAP H S BY K ELLY D. NOR R I S

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bookexcerpt can start to appreciate the palette of plants you know and grow with greater awareness for how they thrive in your garden. Despite all the science to draw from as presented in chapter 1, there’s no precise approach for each site that could easily be repeated with the expectation of the same results. The recursive nature of gardening on the wild side requires the discipline to match plants to place.

■ BORROWING CLUES FROM WILD PLANT HABITATS CAN INFORM HOW YOU USE THEM IN GARDENS

Since childhood, I have been fascinated with plants in wild places, even before I really understood them. I marveled at finding delicately flowered lilies such as Lilium michiganense (Michigan’s lily) and L. philadelphicum (wood lily) tucked in along the unkempt edges of woods and thickets as they gave way to open space. I couldn’t help but wonder how something so seemingly fragile succeeded against all that encroachment. The interstitial habitat created at this tattered, natural boundary actually suits the former just fine. It thrived in my woodland garden with midday sun and shade throughout the rest of the day.

But for Lilium philadelphicum, more often a prairie plant, this edge environment almost Placelessness is abundant in modern architecture and landscape architecture, a trend toward universal blandness at the expense of regional vibrancy. So many gardens could seemingly happen anywhere in total disregard to context. While this show garden planting is full of artistic flair (and safe to critique since it’s not a real garden), what more could it do if it were a real planting somewhere? The only way to answer that question is to know where “somewhere else” would be.

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Quercus (Oaks) occur throughout always foretold the decline of the population over the Northern Hemisphere, time unless some disturbance thinned or removed numbering over 600 species the canopy. Shade was its encumbrance. At any both from temperate and tropical rate, L. philadelphicum is also less adaptable to latitudes on four continents. They garden culture for whatever reason, but when are often keystone species such it does, it thrives in full sun and soil with good as this Quercus stellata (post oak) seen growing in this glade and drainage. These insights about wild plant habitats support a multitude of biodiversity. pepper field guides and floras written by botanists and local experts, but rarely translate into insights that make their way onto gardeners’ radars. Despite a dearth of specifics, we know that plants are adapted to place in a variety of ways, principally by their anatomy, physiology, and phenology (as described in chapter 1). Sure, it would be lovely if we could just zip to any part of the globe on a constant botanical vacation in search of insights and experiences with each plant about which we wanted to know more. But with so many floras online, it’s convenient to pick up information about the origins of garden plants and where they might occur in the wild. (For cultivars, knowing something about the origins of the parents can shed some light on how to grow ➸ apld.org

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I marvel at finding delicately flowered lilies tucked in along the unkempt edges of woods and thickets as they give way to open space.

“

Lilium michiganense (Michigan’s lily) | apld.org 40

bookexcerpt

Species of Aralia, a horticulturally and botanically curious genus of mostly large shrubs and small trees native to Asia and the Americas, form mid-level canopies with distinctive fanlike leaves. In their native habitats, because of their colonial tendencies, these charismatic trees can regenerate and respond to stress or environmental changes.

them, although sometimes this information can be as confounding as it is helpful.)

Plant origins give clues about how they will grow in gardens and interact with other plants acting as a spotlight on the underlying ecology of the region or ecosystem.

Even without an ecology degree, you can interpret what you see visually from its architecture, occurrence, and context; follow a plant’s natural profile as closely as possible. Take interest in association as plants with analogous tendencies tend to occur together. The more you deviate from this natural machine, the more likely you are to consume resources needlessly or engage in constant series of failed experiments. If you live in a dry, high elevation garden, be realistic about how little water is available on average for plants to succeed. Conversely, if you live in a maritime climate, understand that the inundating presence of rainfall at peak times of the year will strongly limit the plant palette to species that can handle the extreme, even if some seasons are drier. Be honest about your circumstances. ➸ apld.org

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bookexcerpt These insights into the habitats and behaviors of plants in local microclimates mirror the kinds of experiences you and I enjoy with plants in gardens.

Through a collection of observations, it’s easy to pick up on the microclimates in your home landscape: the wet spot near the downspout or the dry woodland slope behind the house. Understanding these subtleties of place can help you match plants with natural adaptations to those conditions. In essence you’re planting garden habitats inspired by wild ones with consideration for everything from soils to exposure to climate. Achieving a sense of place comes not only from specific plant choices but placing them in gardens so that they might achieve their full potential.

■ BUILD GARDENS FROM NATIVE PLANT FOUNDATIONS AND WITH AMPLE FLORAL DIVERSITY, EVEN IF SOME OF THAT DIVERSITY ISN’T NATIVE

A functional garden has some ability to self-perpetuate and regenerate as a natural system would and to support life across a variety of trophic levels. If you want a garden with some functional capacity of its own that’s resonant with place, building it from a strong foundation of native flora is crucial. Rely on native trees and shrubs for the more enduring features of the landscape because over the course of their lifespans they can support outsized numbers of species in comparison to herbaceous perennials. Woody plants support insects and small mammals even when they decline or die, leaving behind cavities or decaying material that provide nesting and sheltering sites. By supporting diversity of life both in the canopy and understory, native trees and shrubs make positive, long-term contributions to the ecology of place.

Of course, through the lens of supporting local biodiversity, native flora seems a logical food supply for native fauna adapted to local offerings. Several studies of native bees suggest that it only takes eight or more species of native plants to increase abundance and diversity. Yet humans don’t eat or thrive on only indigenous foods (and if we did, our diets would be considerably less diverse or balanced). Recent research highlights 42

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In my front yard meadow, the matrix blurs at times into a colorful and assorted collection of vignettes that has some kind of floral resource present throughout the entire growing season. Everblooming Prunella vulgaris (selfheal) and latesummer-flowering Eragrostis spectabilis (purple lovegrass) play backup to emergent elements such as Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed), A. verticillata (whorled milkweed), Hypericum kalmianum (Kalm’s St. John’s wort), and Liatris spicata ‘Trailblazer’ (Trailblazer blazing star).

that planting a three-way cohort of native, near-native, and nonnative plants result in an optimal abundance of floral resources throughout the growing season. Native and near-native plants do a lot of heavy lifting, especially when it comes to supporting ➸ apld.org

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“

The oftbandied adage “right plant, right place” gets a lot of street cred.

“

larvae. Different species from the same genus, even if they’re not native, have been shown to support intermediate numbers of invertebrate diversity. However, nonnative plants play an important supporting role bridging the gaps between different waves of native flora and extend the overall flowering season for foraging adults.

This floral choreography is especially important amid climate change as coevolved relationships between pollinators and flowering plants become disrupted and asynchronous. The tumult of climate change affects some organisms more so than others. Bumblebees, in particular, require a season-long supply of floral resources 44

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bookexcerpt starting in early spring with the ephemeral species with which they’ve coevolved. Some pollinators are generalists and opportunists, exhibiting low preference toward natives or nonnatives, while others are specialists (such as hoverflies) and require specific plant groups in order to complete their life cycles. In the hybrid landscapes of the modern world, myriad assemblages of plant diversity can form the basis for a thriving web of life. By embracing geographical vicariance of closely related species from similar regions or with similar adaptations to the environment, we can support biodiversity and create cohesive, richly vegetative gardens.

This is surely more desirable than a landscape overrun with a single, dominant, nonnative species doing little in the way to support the vibrancy of local life. Given the challenges facing all of us in the years to come, expanding our views and embracing a bigger picture, even in the footprint of our backyard, can accelerate progress toward beautiful, biodiverse, and resilient landscapes worth living in.

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hile pollinators may earn headline attention, an array of other, equally important invertebrates benefit from all of this richly vegetated habitat making. Not all insects survive on nectar and pollen; some eat other insects. These natural predators are as important to the balance of the ecosystem as their more gregarious relatives (which are their prey, in some instances).

While some plants function as nectar factories, others function as insectaries for rearing thriving populations of natural insect predators such as parasitic wasps, bees, and sawflies. Curiously, members of the aster family (Asteraceae) seem to play an outsized role in supporting these creatures and, given their broad global distribution, underscore the importance of including this diverse lineage in gardens.

Perhaps the best place to find inspiration for this native foundation is in local plant communities or natural spaces near where you live. While you may not enlist ➸ apld.org

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bookexcerpt this exact palette of plants for your gardening adventure, you’ll arrive at powerful ecological insights from the most gregarious species already thriving and performing valuable ecosystem services. In my neighborhood, which surrounds a popular city park along a river, two late-season aster family members grow everywhere—Symphyotrichum cordifolium (heartleaf wood aster) and Rudbeckia triloba (brown-eyed Susan). Both are available in nurseries, but these local strains likely have a higher degree of specificity for my heavy clay soil. As they show up in the garden, I encourage them to fill voids and rely on them as a natural insurance policy. They also shed insight into the intrinsic worth of members of the aster family, which form a backbone of the midcontinental regional flora. Climatic and environmental insights don’t have to limit your planting palette but shed light on those groups and families that have evolved to adapt to your region. Thinking locally may not be the end of the story, but it’s a good place to start.

F

or all that you can learn from local plant communities, the phrase “local is better” deserves some qualification when discussing ecotypes, especially in urban landscapes. An ecotype represents a variant of a species that has adapted to a specific set of local or regional conditions in its wild habitat. These changes may have some minor genetic fingerprint but constitute differences akin to differences in human hair or eye colors. In urban landscapes where soils are historically disturbed or even fundamentally altered, local ecotypes might as well be conscribed to an alien planet. Add to that the microclimates created by engineered infrastructure, and the rigors of urban life can change, hamper, or even prohibit a plant’s response to environmental stress. Put simply, local ecotypes may no longer be best equipped for the drastic and accelerated climate change ahead.

The microscale nuances of ecotypes and the provenances from which they come can be valuable in choosing the right plant for the right place and may or may not have any effect on the phenotype of the plant. The oft-bandied adage “right plant, right place” gets a lot of street cred. It’s sensical advice—plant with place in mind. But I sometimes wonder just how thoughtfully we understand a plant in order to know whether it’s right for the place. Often the circumstances drive the question—given this sandy patch of soil, what plants will grow in sand?

While practical and earnest, this question lacks context that could just as well make or break a planting. Reframing it slightly, given this sandy patch of soil in this place, what plants will thrive here? In this way, the question strives to understand why plants grow where they do and interpret from that insight a garden of place.

A classic example is the documented differences between some provenances of Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed) based on their adaptation to sand, loam, or

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Aquilegia canadensis (eastern red columbine) is often found at woodland edges favoring dappled, not direct, exposure and drier soils. Most plant species, though, are far more plastic than we give them credit for. An errant seed found its way to a spot between two conifers in this gravel garden, easily some sixty feet from the nearest possible parent. In more direct light and with no competition, the happy accident is double the size of its likely parents. Sometimes it’s worth gardening within the margin of error; serendipity is educational.

clay. Forms from sandy soils do not perform as well in clay as do those adapted to clay soils. While that might seem logical, knowing that a distinction exists is half the battle. Side by side, they’re both orange-flowered milkweeds. As for what’s happening below the ground, they couldn’t be more different.

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PHOTOGR A PHS BY B OB B I E SCHWA RTZ, FA PL D

B Y B O B B I E S C H WA R T Z , FA P L D

casestudy

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reviously, I’ve raised the question of how much lawn we really need.

Then, just recently, while participating in an APLD virtual conference, the issues of climate change and sustainability were discussed repeatedly.

One of the lecturers wanted to know if our clients were raising the question of lawns or whether it was an issue that we, as designers, were raising.

It’s not a question of all or nothing. We, as landscape designers and members of the green industry, see that plants are blooming earlier and they are being stressed by weather extremes. I believe that it is incumbent upon us to counter these stresses by educating our clientele and incorporating changes into our designs that will help the environment. We know that lawns don’t The front of the house as I initially saw need to be “perfect,” but we need to try it (left). The flow of the bed lines pulls to persuade our clients that there is a the viewer’s eyes into the beds and different type of beauty that includes ➸ hides a great part of the house (below).

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casestudy E R O

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The flags delineate where the new bed lines and snow pile space will be (above). The paver outline of the hourglass-shaped lawn is partially obscured by the plantings (right).

clover and other broadleaved plants in the lawn. If we are eminently successful, we may get clients to eliminate lawns altogether.

I’d like to share the designs for five clients that delineate the gamut of doing away with all the lawn to only partial replacement.

Let’s start with partial replacement. The first client’s directive was to take as much lawn as I needed since the ultimate objective was to pull the eye away from an ugly house. (This was a client ahead of her time, i.e., 1989.) As you see from the before and after photos (previous spread), I removed about three-fifths of the lawn. The client is still living in her house and the bed lines remain the same although, naturally, we have tweaked the design since then.

The second client is an avid gardener who wanted more gardening space, focal points, a place for snow abutting the driveway, and privacy from her neighbor, with the back 50

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property line defined by a chain link fence (this spread). She already had a curvilinear patio and garden beds that were also somewhat curvilinear. My solution was to shrink the lawn into an hourglass shape and edge the beds with pavers to define the bed lines while keeping grass out. On the driveway edge, we created a paver space for snow using pavers that came as close as possible to the colors used in the patio pavers.

The third client wanted to enlarge the entertaining space in the back yard as she had an existing deck that was too small. I suggested that the solution was replacing all of the lawn and creating another level for entertaining with a crazy-quilt stone patio and deeper landscape beds that could be layered with plants that would engender four-season interest (following spread).

In the second and third instances, it had never occurred to the clients that some or all of the lawn could be used for other purposes, but they were not difficult to persuade once they understood the possibilities.

The fourth client is one who had a very shady front yard and was tired of fighting to

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The client has been thrilled with the extended entertaining space as well as the diversity of plant material: perennials, grasses, flowering shrubs, and trees in the landscape beds.

There is only one step down from the existing deck to the new patio (above). Before: The existing deck looks over lawn toward uninteresting landscape beds (right).

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casestudy

A newly planted, shady front yard featuring Narcissus and Brunnera.

grow grass there. I’ll never forget his question: “Can’t we get rid of the grass and grow something there that likes shade?” As we all know, there are many plants that love shade. Thus we removed all of the turf but kept the existing beds of Pachysandra that surrounded the old trees. We relaid the sidewalk and edged the new beds with irregular stone. We planted spring-blooming bulbs such as Narcissus and Tulips (this was in the 1990s before deer infested our suburb), spring-blooming perennials such as Brunnera and Pulmonaria, and the spring-blooming shrub Kerria japonica on the edge where there was a bit of sun. We also added ferns and several other shade-loving plants. Five years later, just when the front yard was looking its best, the client moved to Chicago.

Sadly, the new owner dug it all up and planted grass that has always looked terrible.

The last client is one who declared that she wanted a very low-maintenance landscape and that meant no grass and no irrigation (above). This was my first Xeriscape design and it has lived up to my expectations. After removing all of the lawn, such as it was, we amended the soil to provide excellent drainage. The former concrete sidewalk was replaced with an irregular stone path set into gravel for permeability. All the plants I used in the design are ones that can be found anywhere in the Midwest, e.g., Forsythia, Spiraea, Ilex crenata, ornamental grasses, Sedum, Perovskia, and Amsonia hubrichtii.

As you can see, there are many variations of lawn usage in these examples. Please use these examples to persuade your clients that they really don’t need so much lawn.

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PRESERVING TR ON CONSTRUCT 54

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masterclass B Y E VA M O N H E I M

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ew research on the benefits of trees makes it more crucial than ever to preserve trees on construction sites. The overall benefits of existing trees quickly put to rest the idea that trees are replaceable commodities and that they provide similar benefits whether the trees are young or old. Research proves this to be wrong. Mature trees provide benefits that far outpace young trees in new housing subdivisions and on commercial sites. Preserving existing trees and their surrounding ecology add greater value to the bottom line for developers. That’s why a good, sound preservation plan should be in the forefront of any new development no matter its size. This preservation plan should include the area of the TPZs (Tree Protection Zones), specifications for a tree inventory, a good monitoring schedule during construction, and a detailed mitigation plan for when the construction is complete.

In a recent interview Charles King Sadler—designer, arborist, and educator—said, “Think of the perseveration of trees as an investment, not an expense. Trees already established continue to increase in value over time.”

The plastic fence at this site has been compromised and heavy concrete pipes have been put on top of the root zones.

How is a sound tree preservation plan created? It begins by walking the site with an initial team of stakeholders, which should include the consulting arborist, landowner/developer, builder and construction teams, designers, architects, engineers, and the ➸

REES & HABITAT TION SITES PHOTOGR A PH BY EVA M ON HEIM

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masterclass municipal team that oversees municipal guidelines for construction and green space. This early walkabout can help overall infrastructure placement by identifying valuable forested and riparian areas resulting in smarter and more creative overall designs and engineering outcomes. This process reduces environmental impacts and costs that are not always realized for the project when doing things piecemeal. Preserving key swaths of the site can lead to easier approvals, lower costs for new plants, and an increase in overall valuation of the site at completion.

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nce key areas of preservation have been identified by the team, marking the key areas helps reduce damage during early clearing. Solitary trees should be given special care, especially when there are grade changes. Foreseeable potential problems can be mitigated before they become actual problems. Identifying any historic trees or rare species increases the overall valuation of the site while connecting the site with the surrounding community.

Hazardous trees are marked for removal and then a detailed tree inventory, along with other plant assets and habitat highpoints, is noted. Next comes identifying trees by species, assessing trees for overall health, measuring DBH (Diameter at Breast Height), and ascertaining GIS coordinates for mapping the site. Any tree issues should be addressed before the TPZs are put into place. This may include pruning dead and damaged branches, removing hangers, overall structural pruning, and excavating root areas not in the TPZs. Roots that are outside the TPZs should be cut cleanly to prevent pulling of the roots before full construction begins. Clean cuts of exposed roots reduce overall long-term effects on tree health by allowing them to heal more quickly.

“Aerating, mulching, and fertilizing trees with compost tea in the TPZ will reduce overall tree stress before the construction begins,” says Sadler.

There should also be an overall EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) document for the site that shows all staging including highlighted ingress and egress for accessing the site, parking areas, loading zones, trailer sites, concrete washouts, waste areas, and portable toilet locations. Any other details should also be considered.

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This map shows the TPZs must be cordoned off with cyclone fencing, not rerouting of the rolled plastic fencing, as the latter is no longer considered pedestrian walkways to be a Best Practice scenario on construction sites. Plastic at Scott Arboretum. fencing is easily moved and compromised all too often and causes greater injury to trees and sensitive habitat, thus increasing overall mitigation costs and the decreased valuation of the trees.

To further ensure that the TPZ is not compromised, Sadler suggests putting signs on the cyclone fencing at regular intervals that lists the valuation of the tree or trees ➸ P H OTO G R A P H BY R. RO BE RT

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Signs are placed at regular intervals on fencing at Scott Arboretum.

A warning sign is clear to any offenders.

that are being protected. Set a bond for the inventoried trees so that the true valuation of the trees being protected is known to all on the site. The aftercare for the trees when construction is complete drops dramatically with this scheme in place, according to Sadler.

Sadler also explained that the cost of daily or weekly monitoring of the site should be built into the cost of the plan. All too often this part of the plan is disregarded and cut for budget reasons, but Sadler said this type of thinking is no longer acceptable because it creates greater problems when mitigating damage after the construction is complete and usually adds costs.

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PHOTOGR A PHS BY R. ROB ERT

masterclass

Monitoring includes checking fences to make sure they are secure and have not been breached or moved, monitoring the trees to see if they need irrigation, especially during hot dry spells, and checking for any tree injury that may need intervention.

Not only is compromised plastic fencing bad for the trees, it is aesthetically unpleasing in front of a major hospital.

After construction is complete, any tree injuries such as broken limbs should be addressed at this time. Air spading of any compacted areas followed by a three-inch layer of mulch under tree canopies will reduce desiccation. Any new trees, shrubs, and perennials can be planted followed by additional mulching and an application of compost tea.

Ideally after construction is complete, the initial team should do a closing walkaround and address what worked well and what did not. Moving forward this helps establish new baselines for Best Practice standards. Gazing at the completed project should visually connect the existing landscape with the newly designed one so there is a continuous flow with its surroundings, adding additional value to the community linked through the landscape. ➸ PHOTO G R A P H BY EVA M O NH E IM

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masterclass Resources PRESERVING TREES ■ TPZs should be a minimum of the tree canopy dripline—ideally as far past the dripline as possible.

■ Or for every 1 inch caliper of tree, there should be a minimum of 12 inches distance from the trunk for preservation.

■ Check out the Hazard Potential Rating for trees in A Guide to Preserving Trees in Development Projects published by Penn State. >>Click text for links

SHARE THE

L VE Join the only national association dedicated to professional landscape designers.

www.apld.org/join

OTHER RESOURCES ■ Do Trees Talk to Each Other?

■ How Tree Bonds Can Help Preserve the Urban Forest ■ Identified Benefits of Community Trees and Forests

PHOTO CR EDI T: I STO CK

■ Nature’s Temples: The Complex World of Old-Growth Forests, a book by Joan Maloof ■ New Perspectives on the Ecology of Tree Structure and Tree Communities Through Terrestrial Laser Scanning

■ Trees Improve Human Health and Well-Being in Many Ways

■ Preserving Trees on a Development Site: Contractors Best Practices

>>Click text for links

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Not sure if your story is a good fit? As Editor in Chief for 2021 Katie Elzer-Peters is happy to discuss your idea with you. Reach her at editor@apld.org.

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