The landscaping around a home is more than just an arrangement of plants, trees and shrubs; it can be a reflection of life and a natural representation of your personality and attitude. This is certainly true of Bob and Gertrude Gebhardt’s garden.
The Gebhardts have long enjoyed hikes and canoe trips in Pennsylvania’s natural areas. As nature enthusiasts, they appreciated the many wildflowers and other native flora they observed on their outings and soon began to change their typical suburban garden into a more nature-influenced landscape.
Their efforts to both mimic nature and preserve it began after discovering a patch of white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) in the moist bottomlands of the neglected ravine behind their home where a stream runs through it.
In order to safeguard the trillium habitat they first had to remove over 40 invasive Norway maple trees (Acer platanoides) that grew on the hillsides of the ravine. Norway maple is an introduced, fast-growing shade tree that reseeds prolifically and creates such dense shade that eventually nothing else can grow underneath it. Its shallow roots make it prone to being blown over and can lift up sidewalks and patios.
Unfortunately, because they are ornamental, Norway maples are still widely sold and planted. The better alternative is to plant native trees such as Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and red maple (Acer rubrum), which the Gebhardts did after removing the offending Norway maple.
They have since planted over eight varieties of trillium and about 50 other native spring woodland wildflowers throughout the ravine and the rest of their garden.
Bob also spent time building a few check dams in the stream by utilizing some of the rocks in the stream bed. The dams serve to slow the flow of storm water after a rain, prevent erosion and help to stabilize the stream bank.
The Gebhardts took the initiative by including the ravine as an extension of their garden and have mostly planted native wildflowers, trees and shrubs in an effort to preserve its natural beauty and habitat.
In the plantings closest to their home, they have co-mingled native and well-behaved, introduced plants that survive in our climate. The overall effect is a naturalistic design that evokes the feeling of an authentic Pennsylvania woodland without strictly adhering to a palette of native plants.
Most non-native plants are not invasive and some are beneficial. Many of them have been welcomed in our American gardens since this country was established. The lilac, for example, with its enchanting fragrance heralding the arrival of spring, is a favorite of bees and it has become naturalized in our gardens without being a nuisance.
However, one bad actor in your garden has the potential to spread into natural areas and be costly to control. Moreover, invasive plants upset the balance of the ecosystem, which can be detrimental not only for native plant life, but also wildlife that need native plant habitat to survive. It’s important that every home gardener get to know which plants to avoid planting.
Bob and Gertrude both have a keen eye for observing and learning from what they’ve seen in nature on their decades of outdoor adventures. They have successfully integrated their experiences into their garden.
Bob and Gertrude both have a keen eye for observing and learning from what they’ve seen in nature on their decades of outdoor adventures. They have successfully integrated their experiences into their garden.