Though many low impact development projects are undertaken at the municipal level, homeowners can also put the principles of low impact development into use in their own backyards. In addition to improved local water quality, many low impact development ...]]> Low impact development is a term used to refer to landscape design practices designed to reduce stormwater runoff and preserve the quality of surface and groundwater sources. Currently, an estimated 70% of all surface and groundwater pollution is caused by stormwater runoff from roofs, roads, agricultural fields, and other man-made surfaces.

Though many low impact development projects are undertaken at the municipal level, homeowners can also put the principles of low impact development into use in their own backyards. In addition to improved local water quality, many low impact development projects help reduce the risk of flooding on streets or in basements, reduce the amount and frequency of standing water that serves as breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other pests, and reduce water bills, among other benefits.

Low impact development projects that can be easily undertaken by homeowners include:

• Installing a rain barrel, cistern, or other rainwater collection system. A single inch of rain falling on a roof produces 680 gallons of stormwater runoff per 1000 square feet. Rainwater collection systems collect and store this runoff for future use. Rainwater collection is especially popular in California, where rainy winters are followed by extremely dry summers, putting plants at risk and increasing the chances of wildfires. However, rainwater collection is also beneficial for Midwestern gardeners, as it helps reduce water bills and prevent plant loss during droughts and other periods of water restrictions. High volume rainwater collection systems are even used by some passive solar designers as thermal mass to reduce heating and cooling bills! Most rainwater collection systems produce greywater suitable for use in the garden, but some contain filters that produce potable water.
• Planting a rain garden. Rain gardens are gardens set into depressions and other low lying areas that are designed to collect and filter stormwater runoff from nearby roofs, roads, and other surfaces. Rain gardens are typically filled with native grasses and wildflowers, and create beautiful naturalistic plantings that attract butterflies, birds, and other wildlife, in addition to reducing standing water and filtering pollutants.
• Using permeable pavement for driveways, patios, and other paved surfaces. There are several different kinds of permeable pavements, including porous concrete, porous asphalt, plastic grid systems, and interlocking block pavers. All types of permeable pavement allow water to sink into the ground instead of running off into stormwater systems or pooling on pavements or in nearby depressions. They are an especially good choice for the Midwest because they can reduce the development of dangerous ice on pavement during the winter. Permeable pavements are attractive and durable for low-to-moderate traffic areas such as residential driveways and patios.

A few more complicated low impact development projects to consider include:

• green roofs
• greywater lagoons
• constructed wetlands or living machines

In the Midwest today, hedges are most commonly used as simple privacy screens consisting of one or two species of shrubs. However, a traditional hedgerow incorporated a variety of trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers that served as a fence, a windbreak, a haven for beneficial insects and birds, and many other uses. Many of the plants incorporated into a traditional hedgerow were also edible for humans.

Modern gardeners can ...]]> Hedgerows are an ancient gardening technique that is currently undergoing a revival around the world thanks to the many benefits hedges provide.

In the Midwest today, hedges are most commonly used as simple privacy screens consisting of one or two species of shrubs. However, a traditional hedgerow incorporated a variety of trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers that served as a fence, a windbreak, a haven for beneficial insects and birds, and many other uses. Many of the plants incorporated into a traditional hedgerow were also edible for humans.

Modern gardeners can adapt traditional agricultural hedgerows to transform a simple privacy hedge into a beautiful and productive part of your garden.

The easiest way to create an edible hedge is to start from scratch.

If you have a large backyard or acreage, consider incorporating trees such as apples, plums, oaks, hickories, and dogwood into your hedgerow. If you plan to use the hedge as a windbreak to lower your winter heating bills, be sure to incorporate plenty of evergreens as well.

In a smaller yard, however, it is probably best to use flowering and fruiting shrubs as the tallest plants in your hedge. Good choices for the Midwest include serviceberries, raspberries, shrub roses, chokecherry, and elderberry.

In addition to trees and shrubs, incorporate native ornamental grasses and flowering plants. These are not only beautiful, they also attract plenty of pollinators, which will increase the productivity of your edible plants. Good choices for the Midwest include little bluestem, switchgrass, purple coneflower, New England aster, bee balm, joe pye weed, cupplant, and sunflowers.

Depending on your hedge design, you may also be able to incorporate vines such as wild grapes.

Finally, incorporate annual and perennial vegetables, fruits, and herbs such as basil, thyme, strawberry,  and tomatoes on the sunny side of your edible hedge.

Mulch your new hedge heavily to reduce weeding and watering needs while it becomes established. Replant annuals as necessary every year, and every 5-10 years, thin the hedge strategically so that it remains diverse and productive. Prune as necessary to keep the neighbors happy.

If you already have a hedge that you want to convert to an edible hedge, thin it strategically and start planting edible shrubs, trees, and herbaceous plants in the gaps and edges. A good goal is to convert a single row into two or three staggered rows of plants to encourage maximum productivity.

Using the principles of xeriscaping, Midwestern gardeners can design attractive landscapes that require little or no extra watering in the hot summer months, saving both water and money. Xeriscapes are also more tolerant of drought than conventional landscapes, ensuring that your garden will remain lush and green longer during periods of water restrictions.

The basic techniques of xeriscaping are very simple to learn ...]]> Many people associate the term xeriscaping with desert landscapes, but the principles of xeriscaping are just as useful in the Midwest as they are in the drier Southwest.

Using the principles of xeriscaping, Midwestern gardeners can design attractive landscapes that require little or no extra watering in the hot summer months, saving both water and money. Xeriscapes are also more tolerant of drought than conventional landscapes, ensuring that your garden will remain lush and green longer during periods of water restrictions.

The basic techniques of xeriscaping are very simple to learn and put into practice. They include:

Choose drought tolerant plants whenever possible.

The first and most important step is to choose plants that are hardy and drought tolerant. In general, native plants are the best choices for a xeriscape landscape because they are best adapted to handle the weather conditions of their native region. In fact, many native plants will need no watering at all to thrive once they are established. (Usually 1-2 years.) Non-native plants that are naturalized to your area are the second best choice.

Whenever possible, look for drought hardy native or naturalized plants to replace thirsty exotics. For example, consider drought tolerant zoysia or buffalograss instead of thirsty Kentucky bluegrass, or hardy Knockout roses instead of more delicate hybrid tea roses.

Plant tender exotics close to the house or other water source.

Depending on the type of garden you want, it is not always possible to avoid thirsty exotic species entirely. For example, many species of vegetable are most productive with regular watering, and cool season turf grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass require frequent watering to stay green during the Midwest’s hot summer. Planting thirsty plants closer to the house ensures that you will keep a better eye on them and develop a better understanding of the watering schedule necessary to keep them healthy. In general, it is also easier to install waterwise watering systems such as drip irrigation, closer to the house, and in case of water restrictions, it will be easier to transport graywater or stored rainwater to nearby plants.

You can also minimize the need to water these thirstier plants with the following techniques:

Add organic matter to the soil.

Soil with a high percentage of organic matter reduces the need to water because organic matter acts kind of like a sponge, soaking up water quickly after rain and slowly releasing it to the surrounding soil as it begins to dry out. Compost is the best source of organic matter. Other sources include leaf mould, aged animal manures, spoiled hay or straw, and organic mulches such as wood chips.

Mulch.

Mulching conserves soil moisture and reduces the need to water by keeping the soil cool and moist. Organic mulches such as wood chips or straw are best because they also add organic matter to the soil. You can also plant “living mulches” – groundcovers or cover crops which shade the soil and reduce evaporation.

Water wisely.

When you must water, make the most of it by watering early in the morning before the sun is intense to reduce evaporation. You can also reduce evaporation by watering close to the ground and avoiding watering on windy days as much as possible.

If you have a vegetable garden or another bed of thirsty plants, one of the best things you can do is install a drip irrigation system. These slowly add water directly to the soil, significantly reducing water lost to evaporation.

Finally, water on a schedule that ensures that most plants are watered deeply but infrequently, rather than shallowly and often. This encourages the plants to develop a deeper root system, improving their ability to resist drought.

More xeriscaping tips:

• Xeriscape Handbook: A How-to Guide to Natural Resource-Wise Gardening
• The Weather-Resilient Garden: A Defensive Approach to Planning & Landscaping

Many native and naturalized shrubs produce berries that linger until midwinter or even early spring.

One way to add winter interest to your garden is to choose deciduous trees and shrubs with beautiful bark. There are almost as many bark textures as there are trees and shrubs in the world. Smooth bark, ridged bark, bark that looks like puzzle pieces, peeling bark, shaggy bark… And though most people think of bark as brown, bark is ...]]>

River Birch bark

In the Midwest, when cold weather lasts for 6 or more months a year, it’s very important to design your garden so it is beautiful in winter as well as summer.

One way to add winter interest to your garden is to choose deciduous trees and shrubs with beautiful bark. There are almost as many bark textures as there are trees and shrubs in the world. Smooth bark, ridged bark, bark that looks like puzzle pieces, peeling bark, shaggy bark… And though most people think of bark as brown, bark is just as likely to be white, black, red, yellow, orange, or even striped!

Trees and shrubs with extraordinary bark that are native or naturalized to the Midwestern United States include:

• Red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea), also known as red twig dogwood, has beautiful bright red bark. A cultivar known as yellow twig dogwood has bright yellow bark.
• River birch (Betula nigra) is a native tree with beautiful peeling bark in shades of cream and cinnamon. Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera), European White Birch (Betula pendula), Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis), and Sweet Birch (Betula lenta) are among the other birch species that do well in the Midwest.
• Several varieties of willow (Salix) have bright red bark, including the hardy Eurasian native Redstem Willow (Salix alba) and its cultivars Flame Willow (Salix alba ‘Flame’) and Scarlet Curls Willow (Salix matsudana x S. alba ‘Scarlet Curls’).
• Residents of the southern Midwest may be able to grow the beautiful Japanese Coral Bark Maple (Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’), which is hardy only to zones 6-8 but offers especially beautiful color and form. Another tree with lovely red bark that is hardy only in zones 6-8 is the Cinnamon Clethra (Clethra acuminata).
• A native maple with interesting bark is the Striped Maple (Acer pensylvanicum), which has a green and white striped trunk.
• Another native Midwestern tree with unusual bark is the Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata) which has gray bark that appears to have gone through a shredder. The tree also has an edible and delicious nut, popular with both humans and wildlife.
• Paperbark cherry (Prunus serrula), also known as Tibetan cherry or birch bark cherry, is a native of western China that is hardy in zones 5-8 in the United States. It has stunning mahogany colored bark that peels in older specimans. Another Eurasian cherry, the Amur Cherry (Prunus maackii) is also well known for its extraordinary mahogany colored bark. The Amur cherry is hardy from zones 2-9.
• Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) is a native tree with beautiful smooth white bark that looks particularly beautiful against a backdrop of evergreens. Many relatives of the aspen, including poplars and cottonwoods, also have attractive bark.
• Another native tree with beautiful smooth bark is the American Beech (Fagus grandiflora) which develops ripples around branches that are reminiscent of elephant skin.
• Similarly, the American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) is also known as musclewood because the smooth bark grows over the twisted trunk and branches of the tree in ways that resemble muscle and sinews.
• The Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum), a Eurasian native hardy from zones 4-8, is an attractive small tree with reddish peeling bark.
• The American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) has intricate bark that resembles puzzle pieces in shades of gray, green, white, and tan.

More winter gardening tips:

• The Winter Garden: Create a Garden that Shines Through the Forgotten Season
• The Garden in Winter: Plant for Beauty and Interest in the Quiet Season

Many homeowners discard their autumn leaves, unaware that leaf mold is one of the best soil amendments available to gardeners. Unlike ordinary compost, leaf mold does not add many nutrients to the soil, but it is an outstanding soil conditioner that improves soil structure and provides food and habitat for earthworms ...]]> With autumn in full swing throughout the Midwest, it is time to start thinking about making leaf mold. Leaf mold, also known as leaf mould, is simply fallen leaves that have been composted into a dark, crumbly soil amendment.

Many homeowners discard their autumn leaves, unaware that leaf mold is one of the best soil amendments available to gardeners. Unlike ordinary compost, leaf mold does not add many nutrients to the soil, but it is an outstanding soil conditioner that improves soil structure and provides food and habitat for earthworms and other beneficial soil life.

Leaf mold also dramatically improves water retention, making it an especially important soil amendment for gardeners dealing with soils that drain too slowly or too quickly. Leaf mold can hold up to 500% its own weight in water, compared to 60% for average quality topsoil and just 20% for subsoil. During wet periods, leaf mold absorbs huge amounts of water, reducing flooding and other sluggish drainage problems associated with heavy clay soils and preventing the water from draining away too quickly from sandy soils. During dry periods, the water is gradually released back to the surrounding soil, reducing the need to water.

Fortunately, this amazing stuff is not only free, it is also extremely easy to make!

How to Make Leaf Mold

To make leaf mold, simply collect autumn leaves into a wire bin, plastic bag, or quiet corner of your yard. Moisten them and leave them in a relatively cool, shady part of your yard. Check moisture levels occasionally during dry periods and moisten them again if necessary. Otherwise, making leaf mold requires no other effort at all. Simply leave the leaves alone and in 6 to 12 months you will have a supply of rich, earth leaf mold to use as mulch or dig into your garden.

If you want to speed the process up, run over your leaves with a lawn mower or put them through a leaf shredder first and turn the pile occasionally.

Do not use black walnut leaves to make leaf mold, as they contain a toxin that can kill other plants.

More composting tips:

• Let it Rot!: The Gardener’s Guide to Composting (Third Edition) (Storey’s Down-to-Earth Guides)
• The Complete Compost Gardening Guide: Banner batches, grow heaps, comforter compost, and other amazing techniques for saving time and money, and producing the most flavorful, nutritous vegetables ever

The following species are well suited to ornamental use in gardens, as well as large scale habitat restorations:

Tallgrass Species