At a busy corner in Newburgh you can see a striking cedar fence, with young trees growing alongside it. If you look closer, you can see that the fence actually weaves in front and behind the peaks of a large earthen berm, which is dotted with plants and elevates the garden above the sloping streetside. Beyond the fence you can see the fruits of native shrubs such as blueberries and blackberries, while vegetables grow alongside in raised agricultural beds. The fence, the trees, the berms, and the edible plant life are all part of a solution, a solution to the noisiness and visual clutter that crops up in urban environments.
Read MoreNative wildflowers are beautiful, but they’re more than just that. In our planting design at an on-the-market house, the wildflowers we planted provide a number of functions. Tall Echinacea paradoxa (Yellow Coneflower) stalks provide privacy for the front of the home, along with a flash of color. Wildflowers growing along a bioswale that curves around the house help to direct and absorb stormwater, while providing a nice visual edge to the garden. Additionally, the edge of the property is lined with native shrub species. Together, the planted species provide key habitat for local pollinators, and other plants and animals indirectly.
Read MoreIn 2014, One Nature was commissioned to rethink a private residence in Beacon, NY. The new landscape features a tiny low-mow lawn, wild harvested trees, shrubs, and herbaceous material, three stormwater gardens, a privacy fence, and a reclaimed bluestone entryway.
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