Photo by Chambers Design of Grasses in Snow
Winter gardening needs two other ingredients to look and be awesome. One is a density of plants that fill the landscape throughout the year. The other is, simply, time. It takes time for new plants to mature, bloom and establish themselves. Unlike, say, a bathroom renovation, that is completed once a contractor has finished painting the walls. Landscapes are more flexible and want to be engaged long after the last perennial is put in the ground.
Photo by Chambers Design of Natural Meadow in Allentown, NJ
(Find this link for part 1, this for part 2 and this for part 3 of this series) Winter gardening is really about using a design approach that reflects and celebrates the natural world. Plant communities do not grow like lollipops in a sea of mulch. Instead, they are dynamic and intermingled. Multiple species twist and dance together to form a space full of life and color for all four seasons. Density is one of the secret ingredients need to express nature. This is a revolutionary perspective for landscape designers and contractors alike, and often aren’t sure how to depict this new way of design in a planting plan. Contractors usually have little understanding of how to source all of the plants needed in an affordable way.
Density is Natural
Naturally occurring landscapes like meadows or woodlands are denser than standard gardens. In the book, Planting: A New Perspective, the authors explain that conventional gardens have around 10 plants every square meter where sustainable landscape design can have hundreds of plants in the same area. It is this body of plants that emulates the ecological realm and grabs us so deeply. It is also how you eliminate erosion, invite butterflies, bees & birds to the space and have the intensity of beauty in the after.
Naturally occurring landscapes like meadows or woodlands are denser than standard gardens. In the book, Planting: A New Perspective, the authors explain that conventional gardens have around 10 plants every square meter where sustainable landscape design can have hundreds of plants in the same area. It is this body of plants that emulates the ecological realm and grabs us so deeply. It is also how you eliminate erosion, invite butterflies, bees & birds to the space and have the intensity of beauty in the after.
Photo by Chambers Design of Enhanced Natural Meadow Design
 Photo by Chambers Design |  Photo by Chambers Design |
Of course, we don’t just want to replicate nature. We want to magnify the qualities that overpower our visual experience and supercharge a sense of connection with life. This is where the design comes in. It’s a matter of selecting the right plants for the landscape and the right number. We can use Liatris spicata or Monarda didyma with other perennials and grasses to create works of art in ways a local ecosystem would never consider. Think big gestures of purple and red with flowing reeds of tall grasses that change from summer to autumn to winter and back into spring.
Expensive is Optional
When I first discuss four-season landscapes with clients, they always love it. As I describe the number of plants needed to get the density necessary, they automatically start thinking, “How much is that gonna cost?” I’ve found that it isn’t more expensive as long as you can source all the materials in the right way.
Expensive is Optional
When I first discuss four-season landscapes with clients, they always love it. As I describe the number of plants needed to get the density necessary, they automatically start thinking, “How much is that gonna cost?” I’ve found that it isn’t more expensive as long as you can source all the materials in the right way.
 Seed is ready for Artsy Photo within months. #plantsatnight series by Neil Chambers |  Seed mixes have fast growing flowers for coverage in first season. |
For example, say you want to redesign and plant the front beds of a house. Conventional landscaping would select shrubs like boxwoods with a few accent plants like lavender or hosta and then cover the ground with mulch. If you need 10 boxwoods, 5 hostas and 4 yards of mulch, the cost of materials could be around $1,000.00. Plus, the mulch will need to be replaced every year forever. For the same price, you could get hundreds of perennials or grasses as plugs with money left for groundcover seed and never need to buy mulch. The plugs will be smaller and the seed will need to be managed, but the end result is breathtaking. With all the money saved from not buying mulch every year, you can reinvest in the beds to continue developing it into greater and greater art.
Time, Time, Time
Time is the other ingredient to consider. Perennials and grasses planted as plugs will need time to grow, and seed needs to be sowed correctly for the best result. Yet, even with conventional gardens, the desired outcome can take lots of time. Shrubs like boxwoods take 4 to 5 years to mature while rhododendron can take up to a decade.
Four season landscapes take a fraction of that time to become awesome. Nearly 95% of any perennial used will bloom within 2 seasons. Nearly 100% of all grasses will likely get to full height in the same time.
Below are images from an installation I did for a residence in Maplewood during Aug of 2016. The planting area needed over 600 plants plus seed to cover the bare dirt. The majority of the plants were installed as plugs. You can see Shenandoah plugs below. They are no more than 6 inches tall.
Time, Time, Time
Time is the other ingredient to consider. Perennials and grasses planted as plugs will need time to grow, and seed needs to be sowed correctly for the best result. Yet, even with conventional gardens, the desired outcome can take lots of time. Shrubs like boxwoods take 4 to 5 years to mature while rhododendron can take up to a decade.
Four season landscapes take a fraction of that time to become awesome. Nearly 95% of any perennial used will bloom within 2 seasons. Nearly 100% of all grasses will likely get to full height in the same time.
Below are images from an installation I did for a residence in Maplewood during Aug of 2016. The planting area needed over 600 plants plus seed to cover the bare dirt. The majority of the plants were installed as plugs. You can see Shenandoah plugs below. They are no more than 6 inches tall.
 P. virgatum 'Shenandoah' plugs installed in Aug 2016 |  Closeup of Shenandoah plug |
Though they are small, you can see the reddish-purple blades of grass already. By Aug 2017, these grasses will be tall and full bodied.
Seed is Good
This project needed seed as well because we wanted to cover as much of the soil as possible. The seed was dropped in early September and within the same month we had flowers blooming. You can see the flowers in the image below.
Seed is Good
This project needed seed as well because we wanted to cover as much of the soil as possible. The seed was dropped in early September and within the same month we had flowers blooming. You can see the flowers in the image below.
Installation includes seed for ground cover. Early autumn flowers blooming in late September
Yoga, Breath, Repeat
The last part of the time factor is that sustainable landscapes are inviting and should be engaged. Just like yoga or meditation, gardening can be a transcendent experience. With a sustainable landscape, you can have a little chuck of wilderness just out your front door. Research has found just a short time in nature on a regular basis has huge positive impacts on both our mental and physical lives. Digging in the dirt has never been so easy. It’s worth the investment and the payoff is an incredible winter garden.
The last part of the time factor is that sustainable landscapes are inviting and should be engaged. Just like yoga or meditation, gardening can be a transcendent experience. With a sustainable landscape, you can have a little chuck of wilderness just out your front door. Research has found just a short time in nature on a regular basis has huge positive impacts on both our mental and physical lives. Digging in the dirt has never been so easy. It’s worth the investment and the payoff is an incredible winter garden.
Visit our Lawn Shop for sustainable lawn products and plants.
Read the Entire Series with the Links Below:
Winter Gardening: Beauty in the After
Beauty in the After, the Series
Beauty in the After, the Series Part 2
Beauty in the After, Part 3 - Groundcover
Winter Gardening: Beauty in the After
Beauty in the After, the Series
Beauty in the After, the Series Part 2
Beauty in the After, Part 3 - Groundcover
RSS Feed