(followed next month, with design tips for backyards) by Candy Venning

  • Going grassless or losing the lawn? Awesome! Skip the boxwoods; they’re not native, they’re all starting to succumb to box blight and there are other choices. Try for a 70% native mix (Liatris, Asclepias, New jersey Tea, Coreopsis) and save that last 30% of non-natives for your true faves I.E. Tree Peonies to tropicals, Japanese Maples to annuals.
  • Skinny concrete path? Consider mapping out a whole new walkway, a jaunty zig zag can add interest as well as updating a tired old standard. Building a wider path to the front door is more welcoming and to allows plants to flop and spread out a little.
  • Pee rocks, maybe you think I made a wee (pun intended) typo there? Nope, I really meant Pee rocks & not pea gravel. Ever noticed shrubs that come up to the edge of a garden somehow don’t make it? Plants that are the regular target of the local canines ‘watering’ will die, rocks won’t die and you can stop shaking your fist at every passing Fido.
  • Repetition, I repeat, repetition. If a plant works in your yard and you like it then get several more and consider a ‘drift’ of them with a drift of something else in front or behind. Repetition is the easiest way to add calmness and organization to a busy yard – easier said than done because we are all out of control when we get to a nursery and want one of everything!
  • Bird bath to go with all those lovely native plants you’re growing so the birdies can eat your insects and grubs, seeds of your plants AND bathe and drink. If you go this route it’s important to be diligent with cleaning it out daily as diseases can spread amongst birds and they will come to rely on it as a source.
  • Fencing – I will admit I’m partial to picket fences – they are low and charming – keep the neighbourhood off your plants and add great structure (especially great if you’re going to ‘lose the lawn’) – they suit so many of the older Hamilton houses and their low height makes them much more inviting than backyard fences (which are for privacy) plus if it means you’ll use the front porch more (especially with small humans and your own pups) then you’re adding to the neighbourhood vibe with eyes on the street as well as a friendly wave.
  • Have a bit of fun but also consider the ‘bones’ of your house and porch consider a ‘foundation planting’ (literally used to hide ugly foundations) with a yew hedge as a backdrop and dwarf Oakleaf hydrangeas in front, then grass or groundcover if going formal or structure like a fence if going wild and woolly.
  • Lighting & Irrigation – subtle lighting on porch steps, a motion sensor porch light or fairy lights around an arbour add a bit of charm and are especially lovely in winter with our shorter days.
  • Plant a Tree. The city has a free front tree program but choosing and planting your own native Ontario tree from a nursery is a lovely way to mark a birth or memorialize the loss of a dear one – it’s the number one thing you can do for improving habitat for humans – shade and cleaning the air, habitat for bees as they feast on the early blooms that we often don’t even notice, habitat for birds who feed on the grubs and insects in the tree and even habitat for neighbours – treed streets are more walkable and safer and add to your own property value.
  • And then plant another tree – they’re that important! (there are plenty of native ‘understory’ trees that will add interest and depth to your landscape.)