Landscaping can benefit environment

You may not be able to see signs of spring yet, but perhaps you can hear them. Last week my eager ears picked up a few springtime sounds. As snow and icicles were melting, I heard the sound of water running across the surface of the ground. Also I heard the welcome sound of wet roads as cars drove past my open windows. Later, as I was walking, I heard the not-so-welcome yelps of other sidewalk users as an obtuse driver inadvertently splashed them by driving through a newly formed puddle.

Early March thaws are just meant to tease. “In like a lamb and out like a lion,” or, more aptly perhaps, like a polar bear. I’m not going to let it get me down though; I’m going to think spring and eventually it will catch up with me.

As one relief from the late-winter blahs, I’ve taken my drafting table out of storage and have started to think about how I’m going to design the tiny garden in front of my house. And then there is the area around my front steps. And, oh! I’ll need something to screen the compost pile and an interesting addition for in back of the garage too.

If your landscape is anything like mine, only a few areas get your full attention, while the others suffer from “OGN” — overworked-gardener neglect. For those of us who are afflicted with its associated symptoms but still love to garden during every moment of summer daylight, a low-maintenance landscape is a top priority.

Low maintenance doesn’t necessarily mean boring. A few fundamentals of landscape design can go a long way when trying to achieve both function and beauty in a low-input fashion. Some of these techniques focus on a naturalistic style of landscaping. Preserving or enhancing selected natural elements of your setting will cut down on your initial costs of landscaping and make it largely self-maintaining. For example, in a naturalistic landscape fallen leaves don’t require removal for a tidy appearance; the leaves create a natural carpet and function as a nutrient-rich layer of mulch for plants.

In a time of increasing environmental awareness, there is a great deal we can do to reduce our reliance on chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Using plants that are most suited to our environment, recycling organic materials from our households, and using animal manures that are generated within our community are practices that cut down on environmental degradation in the long run. In addition, we can use some simple techniques when designing landscapes to rescue our reliance on heavy irrigation. Using plants most suited to our soils and unique microclimates is probably the best approach to conservation. Grouping plants with similar water requirements also contributes to moisture conservation.

Designing a landscape around a few environmental principles need not be a terribly complex or scientific endeavor. A little knowledge of soils (texture, drainage and slope or landform primarily), climate, water and wildlife habitats will go a long way. As you spend these last few days of winter sitting inside wishing you could be out and about, think of some ways to make your landscape more environmentally friendly. Perhaps a book on naturalistic or environmental landscaping will make the doldrums of winter go away.

In spring I’ll have other tips on making the most of the landscape design process.

Send horticultural questions to Gardening Questions, 1243 State St., No. 2, Veazie 04401. Answers to selected questions will be published on the fourth weekend of each month.