Natural Gardening in Small Spaces

Many of us struggle with how to emulate natural places in their gardens when space is limited or in an urban setting.  Gardens where plants and wildflowers mingle and wildlife feel like a mini reserve, full of birds, butterflies, moths and dragonflies that are frequent visitors.

A garden is an ecosystem full of complexity and diversity, and nature is the role model in which we gain our inspiration.  Being aware of which plants grow in particular natural habitats can be a very useful guide as to what will flourish in similar conditions in our gardens.  We realize the importance and significance a natural garden that attracts wildlife but we also need a garden that pleases us and fulfills our needs.  Complexity in planting design keeps us interested and engaged and rewards a long sustained look, however, too much complexity may not be a good thing visually, as it may cause confusion and we may loose our design intent and direction.  Try and visualize focal points, such as a vertical element or an area of negative space, for these focal points create coherence, a ‘punctuation mark’ for the eye and the brain.

Small spaces require imagination and creativity to create balance and yet avoid the sameness in plants that are globalized.  What constitutes distinctive regional planting?  Trees are an obvious place to start, and even in small space natural gardening, links can be forged to the wider region through appropriate selection.  In an area where the surroundings feature pines and low evergreen shrubs, a combination of similar plants, including perhaps both native and ornamental non-native species could be used, such as a deciduous Amelanchier grandiflora or a conifer Pinus flexilis ‘Vanderwolf’. 

An awareness of natural habitats and the plants that grow in them can be a useful guide not only ecologically but also aesthetically.  Natural gardening is a very intuitive business and it involves a lot of trial and error, and learning over time.  It is important to trust your own judgment and to do what you feel is right, and not to be swayed by the opinions of others.  You will make mistakes, but so long as you learn from them, little harm will be done, so go and enjoy this journey!

The Roles of Trees

Trees create micro-climates:  microclimates are formed when trees block air mixing, reduce radiative heat loss, and cast shade.  A foliated tree will block sunlight during the day, slowing the warming of the ground beneath it.   At night, the canopy reduces heat transfer; the warmth to radiate back into the open sky. The leaves of a tree act as a wind break, keeping the warmth from being swept away by the wind.  This is very important during winter months when the sloping sun angles reach under the leaves to warm the soil, keeping the heat from returning to the open sky and protecting plants below. 

Trees reduce heat islands.  A single tree may have 10 to 30 acres of leaf surface, not only casting shade, but collecting dust and pollutants from the air.

Trees are air conditioning units, as their leaves absorb sunlight and warm the air within its internal branches; this hot, moist air rises and mixes with drier, cool air above.  Convection currents begin to churn, and morning breezes begin, creating cooling winds.

Trees help spawn several species of beneficial fungus that grow symbiotically amid the roots, secreting nutrients and antibiotics that feed and protect the tree.

Trees are supreme erosion-control systems with 30-40% of the tree’s mass below the ground.

Trees are fun for kids, providing a climbing gym.

Trees create their own fertilizer through pollutants, bird and insect droppings, bacteria and fungi that collects on its leaves, mixes with rain, and is released to the ground below, feeding itself and the myriad of nearby plants.

Trees are a food source, such as an oak tree supplying acorns to squirrels and bluejays and the bark a feeding source for other birds, and yet others depend on the inconspicuous flowers for food.

Trees create passive solar- when foliated, they cast shade lowering temperatures by as much as 10’ on south facing, summer days.  When defoliated, they allow the lower winter sun angles to warm, by as much as 5-7’.

Trees are a major contributor to a healthy ecosystem each fall.  Leaf litter is essential part of the soil life, providing the micro-nutrients essential to build the sub surface layering for a successful and healthy ecosystem.  From the moment it reaches the ground, the leaf is enjoyed by invertebrates and primary decomposers, turning the leaf into fertile, organically enriched earth.

Trees are excellent water purifiers- up to 2,000 gallons of water on a hot, dry day can be transpired through a mature tree.

 

Our Piece of Paradise

We at Flora Pacifica are very proud to continue and expand upon the hard work started by The Mitchell Family nearly 18 years ago in our little piece of paradise, Harbor Oregon.  We will expand and build upon our beliefs which is teaching and promoting as we continue our landscape classes for the do it yourselfer's along with wreath making classes.

Our goal is to be a resource for our community and outside of our community so please continue to read our blogs including our sustainability blog, ericjstrickland@blogspot.com

Happy gardening!