Focus — The Pros at Home

sedge. “John Mariani turned me on to June grass (Koeleria macrantha)—a native.” Golden Alexander is one native perennial he refuses to plant. “It seeds everywhere. It has to be deadheaded and I don’t have time for that.”

Challenges and Opportunities

When the couple’s hot tub stopped working during the pandemic, he couldn’t get a replacement so he added white beach sand to his pond. “I used to really be into Japanese gardens then I learned as long as you’ve got good bones and structure you fill it in with plants. I let everything grow and fill in and I like to plant tight. You can always pull it out.” He built the pergola for entertaining and he prefers green foliage to flowers, so the couple chose bright Adirondack chairs for a pop of color around the fire pit. Weeping spruce and a giant aronia attract birds. “I love the oak-leaf hydrangeas and I love the prairie dropseed—the smell.”

With three big German shepherds and a new rescue dog, he fences the beds after the snow melts to keep young plants from being trampled. A special flagstone path hugs a long fence and serves as a dog run.

“On the weekends, if I’m not doing appointments I just vegetate. Sundays are my de-stress time—I clean my pond filters, weed, do chores, but I enjoy it. The weeds are a nonissue when the plants are full.” In the fall, he lets the leaves cover the beds. Maintenance is simple: he cuts the plants back once a year and applies leaf mulch and Preen in spring. Dog number four has put a hold on new garden additions. “Last year, I