Living In Your Outdoors

You own it, so you should use it. You should have a variety of living spaces in your back and even front yards and you should spend as much time as possible out there living in it.A first step is to spend a few weeks paying attention to how you spend your time. What do you do when you come home from work? How much time to do you spend at the kitchen table dining with your family? What do you and various family members to after dinner? How do you spend your at-home time on the weekends?This will give you a list of things that you might want to do outdoors. Once you have this list of outdoor functions, sort the list into things that require similar furniture.
Reading a book might require a bench, but conversing with friends might require an L-shape of two benches. Playing chess or checkers would require a 'coffee table' between them. Now you have small, relatively private living space that can serve multiple needs. Dining requires a large table and chairs, but it is also a space that you can do crafts on or where several people can play games. If several of you work on computers in the evening, can you provide wireless Internet or cable access and electric access so that you can gather outdoors at the dining table?

If you have read about landscape design, you might have read a directive to put the dining area no more than a few feet from the back kitchen door. But what tends to happen in this arrangement? We dart out to grill our dinner, we eat it on the adjacent dining table, then we duck back indoors for the rest of the evening. We only see the plants that we can see from our deck or patio. What if that living space designated for dining is in a far back corner? We will spend more time packing up the food and dishes and condiments to get it out there, but we will probably develop a caddy of some sort for that which we keep stocked and handy. And once we are out there, we will have 'moved' out there and so we will linger. We might run back in for a magazine, or we might bring the laptop computer with us when we bring out the dining kit. We might get up and stroll through the plantings and return to converse with family for a while. We might linger so long that we decide to install some pathway lighting. We might linger so long that we decide to build some screened walls around the space to protect us from the mosquitoes at dusk and add a ceiling so that we can linger even in the rain.
There are two key ingredients to living more of your life outdoors. One is thoughtfully planning out the spaces where you can do the things you like to do in an outdoors setting. The second is getting into the habit of getting out there and staying out there. It takes a bit of planning and some effort to make these things happen, but once you begin to spend more of your time outdoors, you begin to appreciate the subtlety of nature more fully. Instead of seeing the flower when it is in full glorious bloom, you will notice the buds and look forward in anticipation of the day they open. You will notice the flowers turning into seed heads or seed pods. You will notice the seed pod opining to release the seeds.
The more time you spend outdoors, the more you then spend quiet time out there, and that leads to the wildlife becoming used to you as a part on their habitat. You will see hummingbirds and bees coming to the flowers for their nectar and notice the different flight patterns of the many kinds of native bees. You will see spiders forming their webs if you stay long enough. Birds get used to you and come in close to get the plant seeds or grab a bit of dried leaf from the ground to line a nest. If you are quiet enough and lucky, you may see raccoons, skunks, foxes, coyotes, opossums, and other animals make their rounds in your yard.
You will come to experience your own piece of nature as a part of it and not just a distant observer, as you watch the day pass into dark and the plants change through the seasons and you will enjoy new dimensions of nature in your very own back yard.
And in winter, your garden spaces will serve as hopeful reminders that spring and green will return, and you will be able to return to living outdoors.  So make sure you can see one of them from a window to keep you thinking outdoors all year long.

What Is Best?

What is the "right" way to achieve natural landscaping? There are as many answers to that as there are people and landscapes. The only true right answer is "Whatever next step you are ready for."
If 'best for the environment' was the only criteria, then the following would be true:
1) Traditional landscaping where no lawn chemicals are used is better than a traditional landscaping where chemicals are used.
2) Traditional landscaping that is mowed later in spring, mowed less often, and where mowing is stopped earlier in fall and no chemicals are used is better than 1).
3) Traditional landscaping where those steps are taken and all new plantings are native is better than 2).
4) Traditional landscaping where old non-native plants are replaced by native plants is better than 3)
5) Landscaping that is redesigned with very minimal lawn and the rest of the plantings are native plants is better than 4)
6) Naive landscaping with no lawn is better than 5).
If human use is the only consideration
1) Adding some benches and picnic sets to a traditional landscape is a good starting point.
2) Adding good enclosure around living spaces is better than just adding some furniture.
3) Making a serious study of how the family spends their time and designing living spaces that meet those needs is better than just randomly adding living spaces.
4) Planning for purposeful circulation makes the adding of living spaces in 3) even better.
5) Using only native plants in the design will lower the need for maintenance and increase the interest due to increased insect, bird, and wildlife presence.
If fitting into the neighborhood were the most important criteria
1) Traditional landscaping would be the best answer. Period.
If budget was not an issue we would
1) Redesign and install the whole thing this coming spring.
Since all landscapes are influenced by a combination of environmental factors, family needs, a desire to conform to the neighborhood, and family budget, there is no perfect answer.
So the answer right now is the next step that you are ready for that fits your particular combination of conditions and needs and factors. It doesn't matter so much where you are on the continuum of making changes toward a more native natural landscape, but rather that you are identifying which step to take next and making plans to do it. Every change you made is an improvement over what was there before and so should be celebrated even it if does not meet someone elses ideal criteria. A bit a at time, or slow and steady wins the race. You know what I mean, so get on with it!

Some Obstacles and My Answers to Them

"I can't have a prairie in my front yard because no one else in the neighborhood does."
You can have a very very small lawn in that is designed to be an aesthetically pleasing simple shape and the rest of the 'beds' can be native plantings. You can push the limits yet still 'fit in'.
"Prairie looks messy and wild."
You can find books and catalogs that list prairie plants by height allowing you to design beds with taller plants in the center or in the back, shorter plants along the front and along walks and drives and along neighbor's lawns, and you can fill in between the tall prairie plants and the low prairie plants with medium height prairie plants. This is the same design concept that has been used for years in perennial gardens to keep them looking 'designed' and 'organized'. Planting in masses of each species of plants instead of in a mixed jumble also helps create blocks of color and texture that bring a 'tidier' look to the design.
"I can't burn in my yard so I cannot have prairie."
Most ordinances that prohibit burning of yard waste or garbage have provisions for maintenance burning of a prairie. You file for an EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) permit and take that to your fire department to register, and they notify the other agencies such as police and emergency dispatch services. The way to get the fastest answer is to pretend you already have a prairie to burn and file the paperwork and see what objections you raise. Most people find there are none because exceptions have been written into the laws for these landscaping maintenance burns. Even if you uncover laws that are insurmountable, you can still maintain your prairie without fire. Your biggest problem will be the invasion of woody weeds such as buckthorn, Norway maple, boxelder, honeysuckle, multiflora rose, mulberry and others depending on what trees and shrubs are in your neighborhood to be spread by seed to your yard. You can remove these woody weeds to maintain your prairie with an annual mowing. Or you can just inspect the prairie a few times a year and hand cut the seedlings. Hand cutting them will result in resprouting probably multiple sprouts that you will need to cut again for several successive years, or you can treat the cut stump with a glysophate herbicide by spraying it directly onto the stump. This limited herbicide use will prevent the sprouting and reduce woody weed removal to a manageable chore.
"I need lawn for my kids to play."
There are dozens of lawns at your kids' friends houses. There are lawns at school and at parks. There are lawns by churches and businesses where no one will mind if you toss a ball around. Give your kids something special and unique and alive! Give them a prairie with some paths that circle around and some that dead end into little openings and they will play far more imaginative games on them. The plants will be alive with insects that they can observe and it will draw in birds that they can watch and listen to and it will attract cute furry animals and interesting frogs and toads. There will be pretty flowers and once kids notice those, they will notice the interesting buds that lead to the flowers and the amazing seed heads and seedpods that come after the flowers. Kids don't want lawn. Kids want novelty. They can FIND lawn in the neighborhood in so many places that you can afford to give them prairie and when the neighbor kids are jealous, you can let them come over and play in the cool wonderful interesting alive prairie.

Setting Goals for Your Natural Landscaping

Before embarking on any endeavor, it is important to know what your goals are. It is especially important to resolve any conflicting goals that one might have, and in cooperatively living with a spouse, roommate, or family members, it is important that agreement on goals be reached.
Following is a list of reasons that you might give to support having or NOT having a natural landscape. You can the importance of each one on a scale, or simply designate them as important or not important in order to help you work out your landscaping goals.
(Email me if you want me to send you a Word document with a table of these items)
-Recreate an accurate slice of a native ecosystem to preserve species and ecosystem interaction patterns
-Include native plants to preserve species
-Include native plants for lowered maintenance
-Include native plants for water conservation
-Include native plants for aesthetic reasons
-Keep plants given to me by others or that have sentimental value even if not native
-Remove all natives to make sure my garden is not a source of invasive plants
-Reduce level of chemical use
-Reduce level of energy use
-Reduce level of pollution
-Reduce level of water use
-Reduce amount of water that flows away from property
-Reduce waste of resources
-Reduce impact on landfills
-Reduce creation of noise pollution
-Reduce dependence on petrochemical fuels
-Grow garden produce or other crops for food, decoration or other hobbies
-Grow cut flowers
-Teach kids to enjoy nature
-Teach kids specific details about ecosystems or another aspect of nature
-Teach kids mechanics and process of gardening
-Create a place that attracts garden visitors
-Create a place that educates the public about an aspect of natural landscaping
-Preserve heirloom varieties created by human cultivation
-Create a garden consistent with the historic style of your home
-Preserve or recreate historic aspects of your landscape
-Awe garden visitors
-Get published in a garden magazine or newspaper or gain other forms of public recognition
-Active enjoyment of garden work as a long term hobby
-Presenting an attractive view to the neighbors
-Presenting an attractive view to the street
-Tidy organized look
-Cottage garden look with abundant variety
-Conform to the landscaping norm of your neighborhood
-Provide privacy/screening from neighbors or undesirable views
-An expression of self/personality
-An expression of philosophy/religious views
-To create spaces so that my family can spend more time outdoors
-Low maintenance levels
-Create pretty gardens to look at from house
-Create pretty gardens to look at from outdoors
-Provide spaces outdoors for family to relax
-Provide spaces outdoors for family to dine and cook
-Provide spaces outdoors for entertaining small groups
-Provide spaces outdoors for entertaining large groups
-Provide spaces for active outdoor recreation
-Provide peaceful soothing spaces
-Provide secret private hideaways
-Provide space for gathering around fire
-Provide adventure or themed or imaginative gardens for children
-Limit size of lawn to minimize mowing/for other environmental reasons
-Attract birds
-Attract butterflies
-Attract wildlife
-Discourage wildlife
-Limit money spent on landscaping

Sweet Black Eyed Susan in School Garden

Sweet Black Eyed Susan

Rudbeckia subtomentosa

4' Tall

Smaller and more abundant flowers than Black Eyed Susan, more reliably perennial

School garden in Madison, Wisconsin

Seeds feed songbirds in winter

Each plant can be short-lived but they usually seed in by themselves.  To ensure some is left to seed in, cut a few seed heads to scatter on the ground before birds eat them all.
Excellent cut flower!

Yellow Coneflower Seedheads

Yellow Coneflower Seedheads

Ratibida pinnata

4' tall

Early and mid September with flowering goldenrod

Seedheads are fragrant when crushed and much enjoyed by small songbirds in winter

Prairie Dock

Prairie Dock
Silphium terebinthinaceum

6' - 7' tall flower stalk towers above 2' tall basal rosette of thick ovoid leaves
Roots can reach to 30 feet below ground
Leaves feel cool to the touch

Mountain Mint

Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum virginianum

2' tall
July - August
Long Blooming followed by silver button seedheads that persist into winter
Mint scented foliage

Use near living spaces along paths to enjoy the minty fragrance when leaves are brushed or crushed