Habitat Design Fundamentals
SOILS…
Our ecological guidelines for habitat restoration and resilient landscapes starts with healthy soils. We strongly encourage living ground covers of native grasses and wildflowers and/or compostable native mulch that will feed the soil for plant communities consisting of trees, shrubs and flowers. There is a vast network of soil microbes and organisms that contribute to healthy habitats below the ground. These healthy communities are vital to the success of what actually grows above ground. Any good gardener knows this as RULE #1.
Too often people are misinformed that to have a “zero-scaped” and “no-maintenance” yard that they will devoid it of all life and then install landscape fabric to act as a weed barrier and then a thick layer of gravel. As long as the wind blows and traditional “weeds” exist you will find that your new clean gravel starts to be a safe harbor for weed seeds to germinate. This style of landscaping has detrimental results for the living soil and achieves nothing except creates a wasteland that can only be controlled with poisonous herbicides that are cancer causing. Landscape companies that suggest this are not letting you know the long term maintenance realities of such a short sighted solution to your “no-maintenance” landscape desires.
Plants categorized as “weeds” have an amazing and important role in nature as they share the role of our human First Responders. They are first on the scene of damaged and imbalanced soils and will do anything to try and repair a disturbance. Typically weeds can have deep roots, which allow the plant to pull up nutrients and water from the soil, which then is returned as they die and decompose on the surface of the soil. Their expired plant debris creates a windbreak for organic matter blowing around and becomes a catch for this organic matter to breakdown in place. This in turn provides a microhabitat for native seed to reestablish itself in its rightful place. This is how nature restores balance and self heals areas of disturbance.
PLANT LAYERING…
What would nature do?
Plantscaping 101
Trees, vines, shrubs, flowers and grasses are the foundation of all habitat landscapes. We believe in a design that incorporates plant layers that includes shelter, shade and food for all types of native wildlife…especially the bugs! Our favorite technique of planting is what we have dubbed “habitat mounds” where we create a vignette of raised soil, boulders, trees, shrubs, flowers and grasses all planted as an integrated community. We look at the grouping as a whole integrated system. What we find working well in these habitat mounds is water conservation, pest management, nutrient recycling and dynamic visual interest. This type of design is very efficient for large and small yards where a natural and organic look is desired. Although we have a deep appreciation for orderly and manicured gardens of times long past…we choose the path of ‘rewilding” in these current times of ecological collapse. We want to do our part.
We always choose native plants first in working with a plant palette. Some customers find the local plant palette undesirable and we would encourage them to learn more about this local landscape so that they may develop an appreciation for the delicate balance that has sustained these plant communities for hundreds of years. With time they will begin to see the miracle of life that these plants embody. Caretaking a habitat yard will also deepen your connection to the subtleties of Nature’s genius design. Sometime’s we need to be reminded that each plant has an important function in the ecosystem of the planet, unfortunately it does not solely exist to impress you…except lavender.
When we are limited with our native plant selection and availability, we choose plants that are labeled xeric and deer resistant. There are many beautiful and fun plants to choose that work well in our bioregion.
LET WINTER DO HER WORK…
That’s not a mess, that’s habitat!
P.S. …Leave the leaves please.
The end of the summer and beginning of fall is always bittersweet for gardeners and habitat caretakers. I often see people rushing around cutting back their gardens in the fall…STOP!
I here command you to take the fall cutback and cleaning chore and retire it for good.
The bugs need this plant litter and debris to find safe places to overwinter. Seeds are a valuable food source for our winter bird communities. Some seeds need cold stratification so that they can germinate the following year. Pollinators will visit dried out flowers looking for pollen if they emerge early due to premature spring weather. The spring is the only time we recommend doing maintenance on your habitat friendly yard. We cut back the old plant debris and leave what we can in small pieces to be integrated into the living ground cover or the natural mulch. You have to leave your plant debris to decompose. It is how soils naturally build and how plants receive their much needed nutrients.
P.S. …Leave the leaves.
WATER IS LIFE…
We always install drip systems for our customers. I know some people prefer to hand water and think they are doing a good job, but to get plants to grow deep roots, we need to do deep watering. Long infrequent watering is better than shallow frequent watering. A drip system on a timer is the best thing you can do for you plants. Drip systems also greatly conserve water as it is a slow and gentle process that allows for beneficial soil saturation.
A watering schedule can be a science of its own and we can help you to figure out a schedule that suits your needs, site requirements and soil’s needs.
Please consider supplying a water source in your yard for birds and insects. This is one of the best attractions of local wildlife. We often supply a vessel for water off of the irrigation system so that fresh water can be replenished daily or on scheduled days. This is not a waste of water…it is vital part of your habitat landscape design. Water is life.
