Thinking Beyond the Lawn Local landscape designers educate community on creating yards that are useful, sustainable and beautiful. by Liz Weslander, photos courtesy Jerry Jost and Low Maintenance Landscape
While some may consider bright green turfgrass and non-native ornamental accents to be the gold standards of an attractive yard, the truth is that this traditional approach to landscaping has some major drawbacks. Aside from the water, chemicals and labor required to maintain them, turfgrass and non-native ornamentals create an environment that does little to feed native pollinators or protect wildlife. The good news is that it is quite possible to incorporate low-maintenance, beneficial plants into a landscape while still maintaining curb appeal. Even better, these two local experts regularly share their knowledge both professionally and as a service to the community.
and self-regulating gardens. Odell’s specialty means that she often works with customers who are interested in using plants that are beneficial to wildlife and pollinators, and who are looking to incorporate edible, medicinal and native plants into their landscaping. She also designs rain gardens that address drainage concerns by using rainwater in a way that is beneficial for wildlife and pollinators.
Laura Odell is one of three landscape designers at Low Maintenance Landscape, a full-service landscaping outfit that has been serving the Lawrence area since 2001.
And to be clear, using beneficial, edible and low-maintenance plants does not mean sacrificing beauty. For instance, Odell says a beautiful perennial flower border could easily incorporate native and pollinator-friendly plants, as well as attractive edibles such as rainbow chard, that can be harvested repeatedly during the growing season.
Odell says Low Maintenance Landscape has a holistic approach to landscaping that aims to create attractive designs with year-round interest while also reducing lawn, water usage and chemical input. Low Maintenance Landscape uses a mix of natives and exotics in their designs, but as part of a low-maintenance approach, they only recommend plants they have tried and tested in their on-site example gardens. “Before we can recommend a plant for landscape, we have to know how it will perform here in Lawrence, Kansas,” Odell explains. “Something might do great in St. Louis or even Kansas City, but we have different topography and our own special microclimate here. Anytime we are considering a new plant, we put it in an example garden first, and we let it go through a couple of seasons to see how it really performs.” Odell’s landscape-design specialty is permaculture, a set of sustainable land-use design principles that emphasizes “working with, not against, nature” to create self-sustaining 18
“If a plant is providing a benefit—whether it is medicinal, food producing for humans and wildlife, or good for pollinators—I would say it has a place in the garden. The more diverse you can make it, the stronger it is,” Odell says. “If we have a choice of planting something, why not plant something that will give you a yield, something that will give back for all your hard work and effort? I love all kinds of plants, but the ones that feed me are probably my favorites.”
Odell’s love of permaculture and edible landscaping extends beyond her work with clients at Low Maintenance Landscape. She also volunteers her time as the coordinator for PermaCommons, a permaculture demonstration and teaching garden at 1304 Pennsylvania St. The collectively maintained garden uses no herbicides and no chemical fertilizers. The plants at PermaCommons are chosen for their low-maintenance and multifunctional aspects, and placed in locations that make the most of varying microclimates on the site. For instance, a sump pump from the neighboring property drains into the gardens onto the north side, so moisture-tolerant plants like wild ginger and pawpaw trees grow there. A sloped section of the garden that is hot and dry is home to sun-loving echinacea and lavender. “It’s amazing,” Odell exclaims. “We have a very diverse se-
