WHEN A GOOD PLAN COMES TOGETHER

GOOD PLAN WHEN A COMES TOGETHER

Irecently talked with a friend who had me design a landscape for her backyard a few years ago. She had purchased a house and with it came an old, overgrown, decorative pond that took up over half of the yard, along with a bunch of random plantings that made no sense. She had small children and didn’t feel the pond would be safe. I suggested filling in the pond, relocating the existing good plants, adding some fun new plants for birds and butterflies, and turning most of her backyard back to lawn so the kids had a safe place to play. When I saw her recently, she told me how much they were enjoying their yard and that it was just about zero maintenance for them (and what maintenance they had, her husband was enjoying the tasks). She says that the main reason that they think it’s been so smooth is that they had a design plan and stuck to it, and it was working. They haven’t had to stress about plants or how to keep things healthy. They followed the plan, and everything was doing what it was supposed to. I loved hearing the feedback and was so glad that I could make their yard one less thing to stress about; instead, it was a respite for them and their children during the pandemic. It validated my career choice as well as gave me something to think about with regards to designing! Raise your hand if you’ve walked into a garden center, felt overwhelmed and just randomly chosen plants that looked good and healthy. How many of those plants are still alive or are doing what you wanted them to do? My guess is less than 20%. Sometimes we forget that plants are living things and will do what they want, when they want. Trying to change that is a lesson in futility that also includes excessive pruning, lots of extra watering or even death. Why spend your budget replacing plants that don’t succeed when you could have a plan to work from that will pretty much guarantee “right plant, right spot” AND your successes in the garden? A landscape design is not a luxury — it’s a necessity. No matter the size of the project, it’s an organized plan that will help you shape your landscape into something that is easy for you to keep up, gives you color at different times (because that is a good designer’s specialty!), and is low maintenance!

Plants that are chosen randomly or not planned for will struggle and become something that you dislike over time. Plants chosen because the “landscaper” was the “cheapest and first available” will disappoint you … and possibly again when you can’t find that landscaper when you need help because the plants flamed out after a week. (Our industry has a huge problem with miseducation and accountability … that’s a story for another time …) Why not plan for the future and choose plants that will grow and thrive with little intervention? I have 30 years of experience dealing with plants in our local landscapes. I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen them at their best and their worst … and usually it’s the worst when there is no rhyme or reason to the garden. Even small spaces should be planned so that you get the most bang for your buck! A good design helps keep some of the bug and disease issues of plants out of your yard so you can reduce chemical use. A good design helps you select plants that attract pollinators and contributes positively to your ecosystem. We are fortunate that the Chicagoland area has many good plant people — whether it’s experts in trees, shrubs, perennials, natives or even houseplants! A good plant person knows what plants are on the “no” list or what will grow in your situation. A good plant person will help you pick the PERFECT plant(s) for your yard and make sure you are successful. Find your plant person ... and become BFFs so you can have a gloriously planned landscape that will reward you with happy plants for many years. We would love to be your BFF plant people!

Meagan is the Senior Landscape Designer at Wasco Nursery in St. Charles. She can be reached at 630-584-4424 or design@ wasconursery.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!