Comments on Ecological Gardening: In Praise of Native Shrubs

Hi Thomas, I agree about size, though we could al...

2011-04-12T08:27:46.465-07:00

Hi Thomas,

I agree about size, though we could also say that too many yards are too small, not that the shrubs are too big. ;)

I suspect you could select for size. There are smaller shrubs--they just aren't that well known.

Running serviceberry, for example (Amelanchier stolonifera) only gets 3-4 feet high (or so I'm told--I'm testing it in my

Love your definition of a shrub, and particularly ...

2011-04-12T07:50:37.092-07:00

Love your definition of a shrub, and particularly the plug for not shearing them. Driving down the parkway the other day, I was admiring the billowy natural structure of Baccharis and Myrica along the Potomac. The idea of mixed shrub border is a great one, and one that fits into the context of most American gardens.

While I am cautious of plant breeding, I do think there's a

Hi Garden Girl, Glad you like Possibility Place,...

2011-04-09T16:15:54.247-07:00

Hi Garden Girl,

Glad you like Possibility Place, too. I just went to their propagation workshop last week--very worthwhile.

Re your shrubs--good for you!

Amen! I've planted mixed-shrub borders at pre...

2011-04-09T06:10:18.131-07:00

Amen! I've planted mixed-shrub borders at previous homes. We have a blackhaw viburnum hedge that's been sheared for years (before I moved here.) That's how my husband likes it, and I've been unable to convince him otherwise. The poor shrubs don't bloom, hence no berries for the wildlife, and are a shadow of what they could be. Same for a Cornelian cherry hedge (not native,

Thanks, Megan, glad you agree.

2011-04-08T10:57:34.300-07:00

Thanks, Megan, glad you agree.

Hooray for mixed shrubs! No matter how beautifu...

2011-04-08T08:37:49.238-07:00

Hooray for mixed shrubs!

No matter how beautiful the particular shrub at hand, they all look so sad when planted in a rigid monoculture formation.

Nice article!

Hi Heather, a source from 1900 says that as Americ...

2011-04-07T16:48:23.880-07:00

Hi Heather, a source from 1900 says that as American plums sucker, you just cut out anything dying or dead and let everything else alone--except don't forget to harvest the plums and make jam.

I'm glad, Jean. Some rhodies are native, who knows about yours--it sounds lovely.

You go, Don. Viburnum dentatum is a very bird-friendly bush that responds well to

I have a Viburnum dentata in the front of t...

2011-04-07T13:40:50.906-07:00

I have a Viburnum dentata in the front of the house by the porch. It's been home and cafeteria to mockingbirds, among other feathered creatures. I do need to prune it this year, though. :)

In the back yard, I'm going to plant some native hazelnuts (Corylus americana) this spring. I hope to get some tasty nuts from them! Also in the back, I have other native

Adrian, I will always be grateful to my mother for...

2011-04-07T12:08:11.176-07:00

Adrian, I will always be grateful to my mother for giving me a rhododendron seedling (a volunteer from a woody area of her next door neighbor's property) when I first bought my house. I have no way of knowing if this plant is a native, but it is certainly tough and adaptable. In my ignorance, I plopped it in the ground in full sun near the top of a steep sandy slope that I was desperate to

Hi Adrian, Well said about the shrub shearing. One...

2011-04-07T11:42:33.673-07:00

Hi Adrian,
Well said about the shrub shearing. One of my major sources of frustration in the landscape industry. All shrubs have unique and interesting forms and that should be celebrated and fostered. I have to admit there are a few native shrubs and trees that can trip me up with finding the best way to prune them, for example American Plum.

Heather