Garden experiences & reflections of 2009 and ambitions and goals for 2010

As a landscape professional the dead of winter and a new year forces me to reflect on the garden successes of 2009 and what to anticipate in 2010.  With the current economic state many gardeners are scaling back on large plans. For now small steps are walked toward the garden of their dreams. It's funny how nature and wildlife are unaffected by our economic situtations. Plants keep growing, wildlife continue to survive, the seasons keep rolling along, and so does the cicle of life.  One of the privledges, really responsibilites, of my being a landscape designer is working with nature for not just the benefit of humans, but for the benefit of the wildlife, the watershed, the environment. This ecomonmic slowdown forces us to reconnect with those values and beliefs that define us. For me it's sharing of my passions and talents for my clients. In the process I have the ability to work in flowering perennials or shrubs that bees, butterfly and birds rely on for their survival.

One of the highlights of last year was taking our son to Tyler Arboretum on a perfect summer day. He interacted with butterflies, climbed the treehouses, ran the wood chipped trails, hopped on the frogs... typical boy stuff. The memories and snapshots we have for those few hours of interactrion with the nature are priceless.

It's these interactions with nature that define our experience, our memories. This year I plan on helping others create memories, even if it's one coneflower at a time (and the bees, butterfly and birds will thank us for it, no matter our economic status).

Red & Green: Colors of the season

Although I'm a little late on the posting two showstoppers in the garden at christmas and well into the new year are the native winterberry shrubs (ilex verticillata) and the ornamental and non-invasive heavenly bamboo (nandina domestica).

Above is the smallest of winterberries 'Red Sprite'. The male pollinator counterpart is 'Jim Dandy' (they are from the holly family, however they are decidous). At maturity they reach 3'x 3'. A larger winterberry, and just as deserving in the garden, is 'Winter Red' (female) and the 'Southern Gentleman' (you guessed it, male). Both range about 8' x 8'. All winterberries prefer sun and are tolerant of wet soils. They are found in swampy areas in north america. The red berry color is for our benefit, the actual berries that hang on until late winter are for the birds, literally. Migrating songbirds forage upon the berries as they return to your locale.

Heavenly bamboo has a more unique berry cluster set. It does well in part sun, part shade and retains most of it's foliage in winter.  Mature height of 6' tall x 3' wide, it's best to cut the plant back after it becomes a little leggy. Doing so will rejuvenate and guarantee a striking show.