Sustainable Landscapes
Sustainable features in a landscape make it come alive with healthy plants and habitat for birds, butterflies, and bees. Behind the beauty is thoughtful conservation of rainwater and snowmelt, protecting soils from erosion and giving it a chance to become deep and rich with smart management and maintenance.
It was only natural that when living in Iowa and studying landscape design to discover prairie. The idea that the area around me was almost all tallgrass prairie led me to learn as much as I could about that native ecosystem.
Nearly every landscape can include a piece of reconstructed prairie. The first small prairie garden I planted is now alive with a diverse population of insects, butterflies and birds. In the winter, the cardinals fly back and forth between the prairie and the bird feeders on our deck. Including even a few native plants in a garden design will add beauty and diversity to the landscape.
Small native gardens, prairie pockets, will work in any yard, connecting your garden with your neighbors’ gardens. These spots of habitat planted throughout our towns provide a home for insects, butterflies and birds. Native plants adapt to changing conditions and form a diverse habitat.
These photos from my projects show hardscapes that work to add access, allow water percolation, retain soil, and to add the beauty of natural materials. Native gardens, a rain garden, a deer resistant garden, and prairie gardens create habitat and showcase plants.
Craftsman Style Home
This new construction project required management of surface water runoff from the undeveloped lot up the hill from the Craftsman Style home. My clients wanted a palette of plants to attract diverse insects, butterflies and bees. We used many native plants. The design for a small, private backyard suits the homeowners’ lifestyle well.
Deer Resistant Landscape
This new home in a neighborhood with a high deer population needed a deer resistant landscape. Instead of the usual foundation plantings we used large groups of perennials and grasses as well as shrubs. Many of the plants are native to Iowa.
Shaded Landscape Under Mature Trees
Prairie Landscape
Native Landscape - Front Yard
This mostly native landscape envelops a newly built home. The mixture of shrubs, grasses and perennials along with Black Hills Spruce screen the neighbors and the street.
Native Landscape - Back Yard
Rain Garden
Two rain gardens fill this front yard. They capture water running down the hill and across the driveway and lawn. The design includes almost entirely native plants.
