Hard to believe it’s been 22 years since the first Rain Garden  was built in the state of Maryland to replicate the natural bio-retention systems that had disappeared with the development of the land. But lucky for us, guidelines were developed and monitoring over the years led to improved designs of these plant systems for infiltration and bio-retention of stormwater runoff.

In recent years, many states and towns have adopted Stormwater Regulations and Bylaws to limit and monitor pre-existing and future connections to Municipal Storm Sewer Systems. In an effort to control pollutants, flow amounts and soil erosion – industry, commercial and residential discharge connections to the Municipal Storm Sewer System (MS4) must now be permitted. My town, Ipswich, MA, has issued an official notice (to residents, businesses and developers) with a compliance schedule to be met within 4 years. Rain Gardens are one of many Low Impact Development techniques  (LID) that can be implemented for stormwater management.  Not only are Rain Gardens adding beauty to cities, towns and neighborhoods, they are environmentally friendly, an alternative to concrete drywells, and are now considered an acceptable “lot drainage system” in connection to the MS4.

Preparing the soil mix in holes on the sloped gradeRain Garden installation completed

 

Newly planted Double Rain Garden at IRWA

Double Rain Garden located on a slope to capture rainwater runoff

 

Rain Garden plants filling in - Year 2

Maintenance of a Rain Garden is similar to any garden. Some initial watering is required to establish the planting, depending on rainfall. Weeding on a regular basis keeps the plants thriving, limits competition and is required for keeping out invasive species. Dividing perennials is typically required the 3rd or 4th year after planting.

Dividing perennials in the IRWA Rain Garden last fall

IRWA staff and Volunteers have always helped maintain the Native Plant, Demonstration and Rain Gardens at IRWA. Last fall they helped divide perennials and ferns in the Rain Garden to  maintain the integrety of the original design. 

Another residential project included a Rain Garden in a backyard bordering the Ipswich River on a neighboring street from mine. The positon and shape of the Rain Garden was critical to capture water flowing over the sloped grade behind the car port and from half of the house roof using Rain Chains the homeowner had connected to the gutters. The plants selected are a magnet for butterflys, dragonflys, and birds from the adjacent river habitat.

Rain Garden filtering pollutants from pavement and lawns to keep our river clean

Attract wildlife to the Rain Garden using native plants

Both Rain Garden projects were located within the wetland buffer of the river, necessitating the use of native plant materials. As most natives are tolerant of both wet and dry growing conditions and attract wild life, they are ideal for a Rain Garden habitat. Local Conservation Commissions are very receptive to installing Rain Gardens, whenever possible, as a solution to water management on an appropriate site.

Combine native shrubs and perennials, tolorant of wet and dry conditions

If a natural depression occurs in your yard, a Rain Garden could be the ideal solution for a faster rate of water absorption in that area.

 To learn more-

Benefits of a Rain Garden

Protect our Water Resources

Massachusetts Watershed Coalition

SmartRivers Program – Storm Water Management in Washigton, DC

Why Every City Should Be Planting Rain Gardens

Case Study – School Rain Garden in Portland Oregon

Read about-

Rain Gardens – book

Mini Rain Garden Planter

Homeowner How-T0-Guide

For years now, my approach to holiday gift giving has been on-line shopping and buying local. That really applies to most of my shopping. Just not into running around, dodging crowds of people and getting overwhelmed at shopping malls, not to mention wasting time and fossil fuel looking for a parking space.

Having perused many websites for green and garden related products, I thought sharing some standouts would get you thinking “options” to fruit cake, slippers and electronics. Could you be a convert to sanity shopping just waiting to be “unwrapped”?

 A FEW OF MY FAVORITE (GREEN) THINGS:

Kiva Card and Kiva 2012 Calendar

Kiva is a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world.

 Environmental Defense Fund’s Presents for the Planet  

With EDF’s Presents for the Planet, you can celebrate holidays, birthdays, weddings and other occasions the eco-friendly way — by giving gifts that protect the Earth.

 Clipboard-made-from-electronics

Hand-made in the USA, these computer circuit boards have been re-purposed into clipboards, instead of ending up in a landfill. They come in colors of Green, Red, and Blue and have been cleaned and sanitized from any dangerous chemicals. This is a clever gift for those who work outdoors, even sports team coaches.

Bamboo Shelves

Bamboo Shelves seem ideal for a garden house, greenhouse or all-season porch – great for holding potted plants, storing garden tools or displaying a collection.

Pop-Up Rain Barrel

The Pop-Up Rain Barrel captures and stores up to 60 gallons of free landscaping water. It is made from lightweight, puncture-resistant polyester with a zippered, mesh screen top to keep out bugs and debris and comes with parts for attachment and a pre-installed nozzle.

DriWater Self Watering System

Not a polymer, DriWater is a 100% natural, non toxic product used for the long-term watering of plants. This would be ideal for watering houseplants (or  Poinsettias) for people who travel or have two homes.

Sunbeam 100% Pure Beeswax Candles

Did you know, for every forty pounds of honey produced from bees, one pound of beeswax results? Beeswax releases a honey-like aroma and emits negative ions that draw toxins, dust, pollen, mold and mildew from the air while it burns. These candles are 100% natural, unscented, additive free, hypo-allergenic, they burn twice as long as other waxes and are made in the USA. 

National Parks Annual Pass

This is a terrific way to give an eco-friendly, charitable gift to an entire family (since the pass covers the driver plus all passengers) and gives access to over 2,000 federal recreation sites including national parks, national wildlife refuges and national forests . It’s a reasonably priced gift that will encourage friends, family members and co-workers to explore America’s most beautiful natural spaces.  

These are just a sampling of green gifts related to home & garden and charitable giving. There are many impressive green and eco sites with everything from baby gifts and personal products to furniture.

 Go shopping to learn more:

 The Real Spirit of the Season: 14 Charity Gift Sites

The Nature Conservancy

Unique Gifts – most from recycled products

Environmentally Preferable Products

Green Business Directory

Are you asking the all important shopping question, are paper bags recyclable?

What about gift wrap?

Share your favorite green gift ideas…I’d love to hear about them.

Remember what the new Ivy groundcover looked like just after planting last May?

 The groundcover, Hedera helix ‘Baltica’ (English Ivy) showing results in late August.

Although 1/3 of the starter plants died, plenty of Ivy sprigs have thickened into lush plants, setting roots as they spread.

Areas with more shade grew much faster.                 

We added more Flatstones to connect the front & side paths and seperate the ivy from the shrubs and perennials at the house foundation.

The Ivy contrasts nicely with surrounding perennials and shrubs.

It’s amazing how quickly the Ivy has grown from those small sprigs in flats into a lush carpet of evergreen groundcover in our front yard. By next spring it will look like it’s always been there. With as little as 10 minutes of weekly weeding and supplemental watering only twice this season, it is decidedly the way to go for low maintenance and water conservation.

Now we just sit back, relax and wear ear plugs while the neighbors continue to mow their lawns – that weekly ritual they all secretly dread.

More lawn alternative ideas - 

Drought tolerant Thyme, perennials and shrubs work well in this sunny, narrow entry garden.

Thyme and Vinca are very effective in this narrow border to a driveway I saw on Martha's Vineyard this summer.

An herb garden on a slope was a creative solution seen on a local garden tour.

A field of Lupine adds color and a natural look to this property line planting.

Mixing trees, shrubs, perennials and gravel to create an alternative backyard look.

Ornamental grasses are used in this public space, creating a focal point in a large lawn area.

Groundcovers, perennials and flowering shrubs are combined for texture, color variation and year-round interest in my backyard shade garden.

Ferns at Garden In The Woods, Framingham, MA

 It’s not too early to plan for the next growing season and challenge yourself to create your own lawn alternative, even if you start with just a small area at a time. Learn more…

 Reinventing The Lawn

 Reducing the Lawn – Meadows…and other Lawn Alternatives

Suggested reading:

The Wild Lawn Handbook: Alternatives to the Traditional Front Lawn, by Stevie Daniels

The American Meadow Garden: Creating a Natural Alternative to the Traditional Lawn, by John Greenlee

Covering Ground, by Barbara W. Ellis

By mid June we had our ducks in a row. Dan and I had already agreed that our groundcover selection to replace the lawn had to be evergreen to provide year-round interest. Going with 28 flats of Hedera helix ‘Baltica’ (English Ivy), the groundcover was ordered. We already had proof of how tough it is and how little water it needs once established because it’s thriving on a slope in sun/part shade in our own backyard already and at a client’s house. It only took one growing season to fill in there and it’s the same conditions in the front yard.

 My theory is if a planting area or bed is prepared well, that’s half the challenge for the reward of a successful planting. So we called in Jeffreys Creek, one of my landscape crews, to get us off to a good start and do the heavy, up front work for us.

DAY 1 – Prep the planting area:

8 am   Landscape crew arrives with a sod cutter to remove the lawn, install metal edging (to contain the Ivy groundcover from the existing perennial and shrub beds) and spread and till in organic compost.

We thought this was the perfect opportunity to extend the Flatstone Walkway from the front entrance to the left side path, to be able to walk completely around the house on hardscape material - the above right photo shows the 4 foot wide space allowed for the path to be added later.

1 pm   Planting area is finished being prepared and is ready for planting.

 DAY 2 – Plant delivery:

Plant flats are delivered from the nursery, but ground conditions are too wet for planting following 2 days of rain. In the gravel driveway “holding area“, I kept the flats watered daily until the next weekend.

 DAY 3 – Planting the groundcover begins:      

Dan and I planted 18 of 28 flats the first day. As we planted, I watered in small sections at a time. Aside from watching our own progress, the best part was talking with curious neighbors that passed by (in cars and on foot) and explaining our vision for the yard. Our neighbor across the street is still scratching his head (he loves mowing his lawn). I think he fears he’ll never get to see Dan again if he doesn’t have the lawn to mow once a week.

Day 4 – Planting Completed:

We really had a system going by now. He would dig and I would plant, then we would switch so our backs would hold up longer. We planted the last 10 flats in record time as we chanted, “No more mowing”.

 Day 5 – Irrigation:

Our lawn already has an irrigation system, so it only needed to be modified by adding drip hoses in rows every 2 feet between the new groundcover plants. This was added as a new zone to be controlled separately from the other plant beds of shrubs & perennials. To establish the new plants, we set the timer for 1 hour in the early morning, 3 days per week – hoping that Mother Nature would help us out on the watering and not have to actually use the irrigation so much. We lucked out – what followed was several more weeks with consist rainfall that really helped the plants take hold.

 Day 6 – Mulching:

Without a workable weekend in site, I had to go it alone for 4 hours on a weekday to spread the bagged Coco Mulch. Now this was back breaking work, getting in between each Ivy strand, keeping a consistent depth and spreading it evenly. I used a small hand rake to spread it and keep from pulling out the delicate plants. Although Coco Mulch is organic, gardeners should use caution using it around dogs and cats – see http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/ask-the-expert/ask-the-expert-poison-control/cocoa-bean-shell-mulch.aspx.

 Well, it was a labor of love, now the hard part is done. With a weekly liquid fertilizing through July and 15 minutes of weeding per week, the ivy groundcover should be well established by fall and filled in completely by next summer.

 Our weekends are now filled with other events (and projects), but outside our own yard the “mow & blow” landscape crews and neighbors continue cutting, edging and blowing 7 day a week starting at 7 a.m.  Will it ever end? It has for us.

 Stay tuned for Alternative to a Lawn, Step 3 – All grown up!

LEARN MORE:

http://www.plant-care.com/hedera-i228.html

http://www.sustainable-gardening.com/plants/lawn-substitutes

http://www.massmastergardeners.org/outreach/factsheets/80-healthylawnalternatives

http://newenglandwild.org/publications-and-media/articles/reinventing-the-lawn.html/?searchterm=LAWN ALTERNATIVES

 Now that is some serious snow…and it only gets worse in our small backyard. I mean, how high can I actually raise the snow shovel above my head to get it to stay on top of the already humongous pile anyway?  OK, back to why I’m bringing all this up. 

After that much snow comes spring (eventually) and the dreaded snow mold that we always get on the small lawn area in our front yard. Wait – I forgot to say that our lawn was already stressed from drought last summer accompanied by a town watering ban from June through September. Not to mention the grubs, who found those conditions perfect for digging in and eating the grass roots, killing every blade. By fall, the only green to be seen was clover and the crab grass and violets that moved in from neighbors on all sides. What a mess. The long New England winters offer a lot of time for dreaming and planning changes for yards and gardens.

 As you can see, things didn’t look any better in the spring. These photos were taken in early May.

For years I’ve been preaching to my clients, “Give up on that lawn, there are so many alternatives that would be more interesting and creative, less work, and much less expensive in the long run. Aren’t you tired of paying that mowing service or spending your limited free time mowing the lawn? Not to mention having to endure listening to the “mow & blow” landscape crews who invade suburban neighborhoods everyday of the week (and weekends, and at 7 a.m. no matter what day of the week). Oh, and keeping an eye out for little white flags that warn of toxic chemicals just laid down on that green carpet lawn that will harm your children and pets when you take a walk around the neighborhood.”

OK, enough preaching. I’ve talked the talk to many of my clients…now I’m walking the walk.

Thinking it would be hard convincing my husband to go along with this idea, I toyed with many planting alternatives to replace the lawn before I shared my idea with him. Unlike most men, who have a male bonding thing going on with their lawns, I thought Dan could handle the implications of no more lawn to mow! Like…

•       No tune up of lawn mower each spring
•       No running out of gas to fill the mower
•       No spreading lime to sweeten our acidic soil and keep the moss out
•       No organic weed control (which barely controls weeds anyway)
•       No organic fertilizer applications 2-3 times per season
•       Less water usage
•       No contributing to noise and air pollution
•       More room in the shed with the lawn mower gone

 He was in. He cleaned the shed and gave away the mower. Now we were both committed to this project.

Check back next week for - Alternative to a Lawn, Step 2: Removing the Lawn

Learn more about Lawn Alternatives:

http://www.newenglandwild.org/publications-and-resources/reinventing-the-lawn.html

http://www.gardenpa.com/archives/2007/03/alternatives_to_the_sprawling_lawn.aspx

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/entertainment/x104356630/Master-gardener-urges-lawn-alternatives

Last winter, we visited the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC – an Olmsted Garden. It had snowed 8 inches 3 days before we got there, which totally shut down the town of Asheville. When we arrived at the Biltmore property, it was buzzing with tourists again, mostly at the mansion. Not me, I was fascinated with the gardens and magnificent views blanketed with the snow. That’s what I mean. The garden was even interesting in the winter…because of the bones. The stone walls that enclosed each garden, the carved sculptures and fountains, the intricate pergola structures, the massive tree groupings off in the vista…it was all there. 

The Rose Garden Pergola - winter

Ponds, sculptures, hedges - winter

  

Weeping Hemlock and path - winter

Rose Garden - winterWeeping Hemlock and path - winter

 

Use of the following elements can “beef up the bones” in your garden:

Structures – Arbors, Trellises, Obelisks, Gazebos, Sheds

Specimen Trees and Shrubs

Conifer groupings or hedges

Walls, Walks and Pathways

Garden Ornaments                                   

Well, we just returned from our second trip to Asheville (we loved it so much the first time). I just couldn’t resist seeing the Biltmore Gardens in spring. Our timing was great, catching the final days of the annual Flower Festival on the estate grounds. The bloom season there is 1 to 2 months ahead of the Northeast, with Azalea, Rhododendron, Kousa Dogwood, Weigela and Roses all in bloom on May 1^st. Even the potted annuals were thriving in the 75+ temperatures. Compare the springtime photos (below) to the winter views (above) and you will see the “great bones” of this garden.

Ponds, sculptures, hedges - spring

Wisteria Pergola - spring

Weeping Hemlock and path - spring

Rose Garden - spring

Learn more-

http://gardening.about.com/od/treesshrubs/a/DwarfEvergreens.htm

http://ourgardengang.tripod.com/bones.htm

http://www.biltmore.com/visit/house_gardens/default.asp

BEFORE - Entry Drive at a newly constructed home

Do you ever hear a friend or neighbor — a would-be gardener — express frustration? “I tried to do it myself. But I don’t like the results. I’m wasting my time. And my money. It’s just not working.”

 Usually these are enthusiasts — and it could be you or me — who have jumped right into a project. They have lots of energy. Plenty of ideas. And now they’re lost or frustrated.

Why? They’re working without an important landscaping tool. (And I don’t mean a wheelbarrow or a gardening trowel/shovel.)

What’s missing? They started without a landscape plan. Really…it’s one of the most basic tools for reaching a successful conclusion to an outdoor project, no matter how big or small.

 Think of working on your yard as similar to taking a journey. Would you head out on a trip without a map or driving directions from Google? Or you’d use your GPS system (mine has a fabulous British accent) programmed with the address of your destination.

My point is that you’d use step-by-step guidance on how to travel safely and arrive successfully. You’d use a map to get you there: start to finish.

Landscape Master Plan

 A landscape plan works the same way. It’s a “big picture” of how an outdoor space will function and look when it’s been fully planted, landscaped and built out. It provides a map of where important elements of the landscape will go. It’s a flexible timetable of what steps to take first, and how to fill in the details later. It’s the basis for a realistic budget that allows for big purchases as cash flow permits.

During construction of the walk and entry drive

 Landscape plans help you identify and determine locations for major elements such as:

• Structures (ex: decks, gazebos, trellises, arbors, sheds, fences or walls)
• Major plantings (ex: trees, hedges, locations for shrub and flower beds or vegetable gardens, areas of open lawn, etc.)
• Hardscape materials (ex: driveways, walls, walkways, paths, pool decks or patios)
• Garden features (ex: rock garden, cutting garden, herb garden, water feature, pond, etc.)
• Focal points (ex: vertical or cone shaped plants, large boulder(s), statue, sculpture, birdbath, bench, etc.)

 Remember that old anecdote about filling a jar with rocks? It works best when you put in the biggest stuff first, and then the medium-sized stones, and then the smallest pebbles.

 Think about the major features of a yard in the same way. If you know where the main elements will fit into your yard (like a swimming pool or a garage or a vegetable garden), then you’ll make space for them. And you’ll fill in the details around them.

 You can safely invest in each phase of work, when you know that everything has a place. A landscape plan assures that all the parts work together. For example, you’ll know that the fence you add this year, and the shade tree you plant next year, will all contribute to a safe and fun outdoor play area for kids and dogs. And you’ll be sure that your garden is planted where the children and pet are less likely to dig for buried treasure, and pull up expensive bulbs and tubers instead!

 With a step-by-step guide in hand, you can do the work at your own pace. You can do it all at once or over several seasons or years. Maybe you put in the front walkway one year and the shed another. Maybe you plant one large shade tree, and then add a pond the next season.

Completed entry drive with plantings (1st year)

 Sometimes, when you identify a few major projects, the landscape plan helps you save money by taking advantage of having big equipment on site and addressing different projects all at once. Who wants to have a backhoe in their yard any more than necessary? (And I’m not talking to 3-year-old boys or heavy-equipment operator wannabes!)

 Here are a few insights I can offer for anyone who is considering work in their yard:

• If it’s a renovation and you’re adding landscape elements to an existing site, you may want to keep some of the plantings or other structural elements. Identify what you like and what works, and save it. 
•  If you’re starting work at a new location, take your time. Live there a while, and learn how you use the outdoor spaces. It’s okay to wait a year before you make big decisions about your lawn and your yard. You make more mistakes when you rush.
•  While you’re living there, ask yourself big questions. Do you have children or a pet now or in your future? Do you want major elements like a swimming pool or a shed or a patio? Do you need a fence or shrub screen to create safety and privacy?
•  Pay attention throughout the seasons. Look through the windows year-round, and see what the view is like. (Did you know that in the French and English tradition of gardens, landscaping decisions are designed to capture views — from indoors — of attractive outdoor spaces?) After all, in New England our seasons are extreme, so the views will change, and there will be times we’re grateful to look out the window from the safety of a warm indoor space.
•  Know the site conditions before you start any work. Examples include: type of soil, problem drainage areas, the style of home and plantings that are in keeping with its setting, property lines and neighbors’ boundaries, views from inside and outside the house, and convenience considerations such as accessible storage and safe and easy access to and from a vehicle.

Entry Drive planting – 3rd year

 Did you know the cost of a landscape plan might be the equivalent of one large planting?  If the landscape plan saves you the cost of making one impulsive — and expensive — purchase that won’t take root, then it’s already paid for itself!

 If you want to arrive at your destination with the least number of detours and wrong turns, use a guide…invest in a landscape plan. (But you’ll have to use your imagination for the posh British accent!)

My size 10's hitting the deck

Is this a cruel joke? I was planning to open a client’s garden today, only to wake up and find 3 inches of snow had fallen overnight.  That Mother Nature, always throwing me a curve ball (no, I’m not talking about today’s opening game for the Red Sox). My husband, Dan, calls me a walking weather reporter once the outside work begins for the new season. Well, this year it’s going to be different – I’ll take it all in stride.

Hamamelis x intermedia 'Arnold's Promise'

When you look around the yard and see flowering shrubs, interesting stems and bark, plus bulbs poking through the ground on April 1st, who could really complain about the weather.  The Arnold Promise Witchhazel off our deck is really putting on a show against the evergreen behind it.  What a fabulous plant – it’s already been blooming for a month and its great attributes just keep on going through the fall.

Stewartia tree bark

 

All year long, I’m amazed looking out my kitchen window at the everchanging, peeling bark of my favorite ornamental tree, Stewartia pseudocamellia (Japanese Stewartia). Tucked into its given space, a walkway bed between the property line hedge and a trellis privacy screen, I can’t help but marvel at it every time I pass by. Come June, it will be prolific with “sunny side up” egg colored flowers, not to mention the fall leaf color – deep, maroon red.

Red Twig Dogwood is another showy shrub this time of year. The red stems really stand out set against the snow. It’s even more impressive used in mass plantings (the same for Yellow Twig Dogwood). For boggy wet conditions, I usually opt in for the native - Cornus sericea ’Baileyi’.

Cornus alba 'Elegantisima' (Red Twig Dogwood)

As plants continue to replace lawn in my yard (more to come on that), the five Red Twig Dogwood shrubs are doing double duty – looking great and soaking up water in a sloped swale.  Guess all this snow has to melt sometime.  Tomorrow I hope.

Photo (c) Cynthia August Images 2010

I still have snow in my yard. Flurries the past few days, even though the birds are returning. What’s the deal? Well, it is New England!

I hoped to get my own garden cleaned up before I start on anyone else’s gardens, but there’s snow on the ground. Guess it’s like the cobbler and the shoes…when you’re a landscape designer, your own garden is sometimes the last to get attention.

Right now, I’m getting ready for the big seasonal push for maintenance of established gardens. As spring continues and summer unfolds, the work will change.

In the next few weeks, I’ll open perennial gardens for clients:

• Cleaning up leaves from last fall
• Cutting back roses and vines
• Checking for broken branches and pruning shrubs
• Pushing down the root ball of any perennials that heaved up out of the ground over the winter due to frost
• Applying weed control
• Connecting with clients for garden changes

In the spring, I do this work myself. Experienced seasonal team members come on board mid-June, so I’m solo for the first few months.

The work gloves are ready and my boots are laced up. Catch you soon!