Beauty in the Landscape

As a young girl growing up in middle school and high school in the late 70s and early 80s, our landscapes looked green and tidy. Landscapes in most of our neighborhood consisted of the following: a walkway through the middle of the yard connecting the front door to the street, a rounded tree on either side of the walkway, three evergreen shrubs on each side of the doorway, maybe some hosta that would line that walkway, and marigolds in front of the evergreen shrubs. 

Beauty was defined by order. Shrubs were sheared into balls, squares, or something in between. Lawns were viewed as pretty by the vast color of green. The early blooming purple flowers of the speedwell were frowned upon. Dead nettle ruined the nice spikey texture of a monochromatic turf. And yellow dandelions? Yikes! Let's just hope the course texture of chicory and plantain in the summer didn’t make their appearance. 

The 90s brought a bit more freedom. I was fresh out of college and had learned all about manipulating the land, plants, and design, and learned how plants interact with one another. Going to school near the city of Philadelphia also opened many types of design options. Curving beds, meandering walkways all brought about a "new" landscape for me. It allowed for more creativity as well as learning about plants and how they work in the landscape. However "natural" our designs may have been, unusual plants—plants that were poodled, swirled, and balled—created focal points in the landscape. Introductions of new cultivars were, and still are, always exciting as was visiting plant collections at arboretums.

The word "garden" developed a different meaning than just a place where vegetables grew. It started to become a place for flowers, shrubs, and perennials. It also became a word that indicated themes, like "children's garden," "cutting garden," and "conifer garden."

Although the freedom of the design was more liberating in the 90s, the maintenance of the landscape was not. We were still putting a lot of pride in our lawns—the greener the better. We were still pruning and shearing with the intent of controlling the size of plants, and we were very concerned about keeping bugs off our plants to keep them "healthy." We loved the color of mulch. A mulched bed was a pretty bed.

The early 2000s brought a new wave of thought—the natural landscape. We began to learn more about how insects and plants interact—how one supports the other. We began to recognize the starkness of our landscapes and that pruning and spraying of pesticides were not the answer to a lovely garden. We learned and experienced more about the repercussions of our actions. We recognized the importance of bees, beetles, and flies to our food source and our livelihood. 

As the 2010s took over, researchers began to make strides in proving the interactions between plant life and wildlife. They were able to show, through research, the importance of using fewer pesticides, accepting insects as a part of the food chain, and the value of insects to humans in sustaining ourselves.  

We began hearing terms like "Conventional Landscapes" and "Ecological Landscapes." The conventional landscape is what was done when I was a kid. We had an expansion of lawns. Most plants we used were introduced, not native. The ecological landscape, in comparison, is reduced lawn. Lawn is used for pathways and play areas. Plantings are groups of plants, not single specimens. We encourage layering: tree, shrub, and herbaceous layers, developing plant communities, not just focal points within the lawn. These plant communities create a biodiversity that doesn’t happen in the conventional landscape. The interaction of insects, fungi, mammals, birds, and other microorganisms all work together for a healthy environment. 

As a trained designer, I always am thinking of how plants, structures, and outdoor living spaces work together. Ecological landscaping allows us to live within our environment. It allows for beauty to be seen quite differently than it did in the 80s and 90s. It lets us look at not just the plant, but the things fluttering around it. We can enjoy the activity insects add to the landscape. We can experience a plant community instead of viewing just a plant.

Dandelions take on a whole new meaning when we consider that they are the pretty yellow flowers that grow in the grass and provide pollen for our bees. It allows us to accept the tiny purple flowers of the speedwell that are one of the first bloomers of the season. We can look closely at those tiny flowers and enjoy the beauty each one brings to our grass and bed’s edge. 

Now in the 2020s, we are looking at the big picture. How are my choices in my own garden affecting the overall environment? For every weed we pull and every squirt we spray, every choice made in plant selection, there is an impact. Beauty is different for everyone. I’d like to think that we, as a culture, are becoming more tolerant of critters and recognizing the beauty in the natural surroundings. The more we learn about it, the better prepared we can be to do our part in keeping a healthy landscape for everyone and everything.

Thursdays in March we will be offering a design series focusing on ecological design. Classes will be held at the Agricultural and Natural Resources Center, 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Gettysburg. Class dates are: March 21, 28, April 4, 11, 18 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. You will be provided drawing supplies, paper, a pencil, and a portable drawing clipboard. If interested in learning how to incorporate ecological design into your landscape, join us for these five weeks. These classes will walk you through the steps of design. You will develop your own plan. When the classes are over, you’ll have a good start for your landscape. The class fee for all five classes and listed supplies is $95. Register online for this workshop. Contact Penn State Extension, Adams County, 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Gettysburg, 717-334-6271.

by Mary Ann Ryan, Consumer Horticulture Program Coordinator, Penn State Extension

Mary Ann Ryan is a Penn State Consumer Horticulture Program Coordinator from Adams County.  Penn State Cooperative Extension of Adams County is located at 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Suite 204, Gettysburg, phone 334-6271.

Master Gardener Hotline is open Wednesdays from 10 a m. to 2 p.m. Please send an email (with pictures if possible) to adamsmg@psu.edu with your gardening questions, or stop by Penn State Extension, 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Gettysburg.

Ecological Landscaping. March 21 and 28 and April 4, 11, and 18, 6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m. Gain insight into the impact homeowners wield on water conservation, pollinators, and local wildlife. Through hands-on drawing exercises, explore concepts such as meadows, native plants, and effective water runoff management, aimed at transforming your landscape. Each class builds upon the last. To register: https://extension.psu.edu/ecological-landscaping

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