Plan Example 1 – NS-Conventional
Plan Example 1 – NS-Conventional
A 12′ x 15′ area bordered by a driveway to the south, a side walk, a front walkway and a brick foot path. The design consists of overstory trees (2-red alder, clustered) and a small tree/large shrub (vine maple). The vine maple is situated toward the house to create a larger separation between the house and the canopy of the larger trees (the alders).
Various shrubs can be placed under the trees and various smaller plants can be placed around the shrubs. In the present design, we have selected salal, creeping Oregon grape and sword fern as shrubs because they are low to the ground, creating a separation between the trees and the shrubs, and they are evergreen (which is apparently desired in conventional landscaping). The smaller plants include a mix of strawberry (coastal or wood) and twinflower, which both may exhibit ground cover like tendencies and are also evergreen. Other smaller plants and wild flowers could be added amongst the strawberry and twinflower to add color and varied texture/structure. Substitute trees and shrubs could also be provided and a few of those are pointed out below. Though not shown in the diagrams, red flowering currant could be provided on both sides of the front walkway near the house to add color and fragrance.
Notes for Example 1 – Naturescaping-conventional appearance:
- Implementation may be staggered, trees first, then shrubs, then smaller plants. Grass or other pre-existing plants could similarly be removed in stages.
- Downspouts of an adjacent building can be directed to the area to provide water.
- The basic design can be repeated with the following or other substitutions (though efforts should be made to "mix and match" trees, shrubs and smaller plants that grow under similar conditions).
- Substitute for Alder: Quaking Aspen, Ash, Cascara, conifers, etc.
- Substitute for Vine Maple: Red Elderberry, Red Osier Dogwood, Western Hazelnut (hard to find), Ocean Spray, Indian Plum, etc.
- Substitute for shrubs: Nine Bark, Huckleberry, Douglas Spirea, Nootka Rose, Snowberry, other ferns.
- Various shade and sun/shade smaller plants could be added among or in place of the Strawberry and Twinflower.
