When gardens burst forth with bloom, nostalgia unexpectedly creeps into my experience. It is triggered by the sweet-scent of blooming flowers, a garden activity or the sight of prospering plants shared by another gardener. For, I am reminded when I see plants in bloom that were transplanted from the gardens of my mother, grandmother or elderly aunts.
I enjoy sitting outside in a garden space, smelling the sweet-scent of blooming flowers, listening to the hum of visiting bees, and reminiscing of a gardening era presently labeled heritage. Still, while ‘living green’ texture, color and fragrance should be enjoyed, it is more important that each of us understand its life-supporting role.
The month of May is designated both national flower and clean air month, a time to celebrate the beauty and health of ‘living green’; but were you aware of this connection? Research conducted by Virginia’s land grant university Virginia Tech identifies each 50 by 50 square foot space whether planted with turf or other plant material or a mid to large size tree to annually provide the air quality for a family of four.
My colleague Alex X. Niemiera, Extension Horticulturist for the department of Horticulture at Virginia Tech, has further identified landscaping to significantly influence perceived property value. In fact, the value of landscaping appears to range dependent upon location: 5.5 percent (Louisiana) to 11.4 percent (South Carolina). In other words, a home valued at $150,000 with no landscape (lawn only) could be worth $8,250 to $19,050 more with a sophisticated landscape that includes color and large plants.
So, whether your motivation is to recapture an era of yesterday or contribute to air quality or insure the value of your real-estate, invest in eco-landscaping. In my newly published book, From Eco-weak to Eco-chic: landscape green (http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/from-eco-weak-to-eco-chic-lan...), I emphasize eco-landscape concepts. In honor of national Flower Month, I want to spotlight a flowering shrub, 'Limelight' Hardy Hydrangea, http://www.provenwinners.com/plants/detail.cfm?photoID=7687. Not only have I found this shrub to work-well but provide ongoing seasonal interest. It jump-starts spring with unique bright chartreuse blooms. From mid-summer to fall, the blooms hold a refreshing color; and before frost, become tinged with pink. Then, during winter, the blooms extend the gardening season as dry fluffy puffs.
Although ‘Limelight’ hydrangea is not in the category of plants that make me reminisce, when seasonal cool, gray skies and shorten-days of winter begin, I look out my home-office window and am reminded by its dried blooms of the promise of spring. And, perhaps, some day because of its seasonal beauty, this shrub will trigger nostalgia for my grandchildren. So, my question to you is “Are you participating in activities that celebrate the beauty and health of ‘living green’?” For, landscapes should not simply be aesthetically pleasing but offset the carbon atmosphere that plagues urban environments.
To acquire a ‘free’ garden design that features 'Limelight' Hardy Hydrangea or to share comments, ideas or strategies on this or similar topics, contact me. Together, let’s identify column topics that enable awareness of ‘living green’, create a legacy of eco-healthy spaces.
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The first goal is to harmonize with the site. Real estate folks like to say, "location, location, location," and the same is really true in ecological design: understanding the topography, the microclimate, the vegetation and the ecosysystems that are at work at a place and really trying to put those into action.
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