Designing Planting Communities for Resilient Landscapes
Landscapes have changed significantly over time, evolving from the wild and untamed environments that welcomed the early settlers to the neat and orderly gardens we have today. Traditionally, our landscapes and planting communities have been shaped by historical norms—just visualize the manicured lawns and neatly clipped shrubs that we often see in more urban areas today.
Inspired by the book Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West, we see that these designs are increasingly out of touch with the realities of water shortages and natural disasters. Instead of bemoaning the loss of wild landscapes that welcomed early settlers, we have an opportunity to learn from them and adapt our designs to create more harmonious, self-sustaining planting communities that harmonize both visually and with less maintenance.
Rainer and West suggest that we can look to natural ecosystems for inspiration. Take a walk through a forest or along a stream bank, and observe how plants of various layers work together seamlessly. You’ll notice that the forest floor is covered with ferns and low-growing plants, the shrub layer is home to Rhododendrons and Mountain Laurels, and the canopy contains Oaks, Pines and other trees. These layers work together to not only hold in the soil, but they also crowd out ‘weeds’ and support diverse wildlife.
Embracing the Wild Side of Garden Design
In practice, creating planting communities means allowing plants to spread and interact in ways that mimic natural ecosystems. This might seem counterintuitive if you’re accustomed to managing every plant’s position and growth, but the results can be both beautiful and less demanding.
For instance, in a large garden project we undertook in Dahlonega, I initially wanted each plant to maintain its place without spreading. However, I soon realized that this was a nightmare in maintenance. So, over a few years, we allowed plants to spread and if a plant crowds out the weeds, awesome! It doesn’t look as neat and tidy as some people might like, but it significantly reduces maintenance and is still beautiful.
The Yellow Solidago, for example, appears in various spots, creating a vibrant display when paired with blue asters and annual Lantanas. This meadow-inspired planting community thrives despite fluctuating temperatures, deer activity, and changing moisture levels. Check out our blog from 2022 where we shared building this garden.
The Crucial Role of Groundcovers for Planting Communities
One of the most important elements of a resilient planting community is groundcover. Groundcovers serve multiple functions—they hide open soil, reduce weed growth, and unify different layers of planting. In a garden we designed in Sautee five years ago, we used a combination of Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia), Holly Fern (Cyrtomium falcatum), and Japanese Plum Yew (Cephalotaxus harringtonia prostrata). No weeds grow here and the only maintenance is periodically pulling some of the creeping Jenny off the stones, shrubs and other plantings.
This is a moist, shade planting community. Though none of these plants are natives, they keep this garden looking beautiful with very little maintenance. The combination of the different plants used in the groundcover also adds color and are visually attractive together. I tried to add other perennials and shrubs in this garden, but these are the ones that thrived, so I leave them. Letting nature play a role in shaping your garden often leads to a more resilient and enjoyable space.
Also, admire how beautiful the garden below looks.
A Sustainable Approach to Gardening
After many years of gardening, and much time spent trying to recreate perfect gardens without weeds, I feel as if letting nature take its course (with a few corrections here and there) makes gardening a pleasure and hopefully creates a more resilient garden that is sustainable.
Resources
Planting communities research– Including plant suggestions and combinations to use. Baker nursery had a listing of Carex vulpinodia and a list of plants it grows with! All from this website. Go to the plant guide for more details.
