Landscaping to solve problems

It has been said that “problem areas in the landscape create opportunities”. I guess it’s kind of like crooked trees create interest! But it’s very true. It’s hard to be creative with a flat, square lot in a neighborhood, but with slopes, wet spots or old overgrown plants we’ve got many options. Those overgrown plants might be nice assets with proper pruning. Steep slopes or wet areas can be made special and unique with the right treatment. That wet spot could be a rain garden or a good place to put a grove of river birches or bald cypress. A slope can be terraced with steps, walls and beds. Maybe you’ve got bad views to the neighbor’s garbage cans but that’s an opportunity to create a privacy screen. Is your driveway far from the front door? How about a circle driveway in the front yard or pull off parking in that direction? The result can be more interesting and a shorter entry walk. Of course dealing with those slopes might add to the cost but it also adds to the character and property value if treated right, not to mention lower maintenance.

There’s a plant for every situation. I love solving problems with plants. Too little thought is given to plant selection. There are many little known plants available in the central Ohio region that most people, even “professionals” aren’t aware of. These plants can make your landscape unique and more interesting. I’ll often have people tell me they want to use a certain plant in a situation for which it would get too big. “But I’ll prune it” they say. That’s maintenance. We are always going for low maintenance, right? If you’ve got a window that’s 2’ high and don’t want to cover it, use a plant that stays under 2’. We can choose evergreen or deciduous and even flower color. Likewise we must consider the drainage, soil, sun or shade, etc. before picking a final selection.

Sometimes you can get away with groundcovers on that slope instead of terracing. It just depends on the situation. You could use a low groundcover or something that rambles and grows to 2 or 3 ft. Just don’t use Ajuga if it borders on grass or you’ll have a lawn weed! But you can certainly eliminate mowing on a steep slope.

Give us a call. Let’s talk plants!