Our Environment

What to consider in
selecting plants

Choose plants wisely by considering;

• watering needs and drought tolerance

• height and width ranges (right-sized plants in right space)

• limited root space

• deer-resistance

• non-poisonous berries

Choose a variety of plants;

• aesthetic appeal of different flowers, berries, leaves, needles,

• bark disease or pests will not harm entire landscape

• winter interest with berries(birds love), bark, evergreens

Choose disease-resistant varieties;

• not foolproof, but will help

• usually best varieties for particular for our area

• less need for pesticides

• use native alternatives to invasive plants whenever possible

We will be offering suggestions for a series of plantings for: ground cover, shrubs, small trees, perennials and annuals.

If you have suggestions, contact the following people to offer your ideas or concerns

Rebecca Schenck email: rhschenck@gmail.com

Jan Bowman, email: janwriter@comcast.net ,

Robert Coley email: rcoley4@verizon.net , or

Janet Carsetti email: jkcarsetti@verizon.net.

Plant Suggestions

Small Trees

• Cherry tree on the parking median looks good, so why not put another of the same variety at the other end?

• Dogwood tree (white) on the parking median looks good, so why not put another of the same variety at the other end.

• Langerstroemia Indica (Crepe Myrtles)-year-round interest, long flowering, July- Oct., wide range of bloom colors, peeling bark (rust, red, tan). Two near the parking area look happy. Why not repeat them along the parking median? Hollies – some hollies can be classified as shrubs, depending on height. Hollies were planted successfully in this area, but were removed. Could plant them again.

Shrubs

• Ceanothus Americanus (New Jersey Tea shrub)-native, 3 feet height, sun-part-sun, drought tolerant, fragrant flowers May-Sept., black berries Sept-Oct. (winter bird food)

• Gaultheria Procumbens (Wintergreen)-evergreen, grows to ½ foot (also could be used as a ground cover, white-pink flowers May-Aug, red berries Jul-Apr (winter interest), part sun to shade (good under the trees), dry to moist conditions

• Photinia Melanocarpa (Black Chokeberry)-3-6 feet, sun to part sun, tolerates dry as well as wet, white flowers Apr-May,Black, berries Sept-Nov.

• Ilex Crenata (Helleri holly)-evergreen, height 3 feet, width 3-5 feet, sun to part sun

Ground Cover

• Sedum- drought tolerant, evergreen, many low-growing varieties, blooms in summer.

• Lirope- variegated and solid green grass, evergreen, good for limited space surrounded by curbs, low-growing, (several areas of the parking lot already have lirope planted.

• Creeping Thyme- low-growing ground level (maybe 5-6” depending on variety), evergreen, tiny flowers in spring/summer, wonderful scent.

Perennials: Many of these flowers encourage butterflies and love the sunlight.

• Butterfly weed (orange

• Cardinal flower (red

• Lavender

• Monarda (Bee Balm-red, rose, pink

• Coneflowers (variety of colors)

• Black-eyed Susans (gold-yellow)

• Yarrow (variety of colors)

• Heliopsis (lavender, purple)

Annuals- Provide great color in mid-summer when nothing seems to be blooming.

They are great, inexpensive “fillers” in the garden.

• Zinnia (many colors)

• Marigolds

• Lantana (many colors)

• Verbana (several colors

*Regarding the perennials and annuals – Mary Staub, our Master Gardener recommends deadheading (pinching or cutting off dead flowers). “Your flowers will bloom far longer if you keep getting rid of the flowers that have already bloomed. Find someone who would like to do this quiet little gardening chore each week!” Volunteers?

Consider in future planting phases

Additional Ground Cover Plants

• Mitchella repens(Partridgeberry) -native, evergreen, creeps along the ground, likessunny/part-sunny dry areas

• Ophiopogon japonicus(Mondo grass)-dwarf variety (2-4”), more common variety (4-6”, evergreen, sun to part sun, drought tolerant, no need to clipping back in spring.

Additional Shrubs

• Nandina Domestica(Heavenly Bamboo)-NOT the invasive bamboo, low-growing varieties are quite pretty, semi-evergreen to evergreen, 2-4 feet, red berries, green-red leaves in winter, sun to shade, fairly adaptable; have several varieties in the areas surrounding areas of the parking lot

• Viburnums – too numerous to list here, natives, most flower and have berries, look at the compact varieties

• Nana Gracilis(Hinoki falsecypress)-evergreen, reaches 6 feet, full sun, moist to dry soil, grows only ½ “ per year!, beautiful specimen plant, dark green

Thank you for volunteering to help maintain the beauty of
our Waters Edge community.