HorticulturistKelly D. Norrispacks a lot of ideas , selective information and philosophy inNew Naturalism : design and Planting a Resilient and Ecologically Vibrant Home Landscape(Cool Springs Press , 2021 ) . The book argues for a “ nature - forward ” approach to home garden design — an approach in which gardeners plant with the ecological functions of plants , the innate propensity of site and the knowledge that those two things interact in judgement . His goal for gardeners is to be “ a player in place or else of a bumbling overlord . ”
Norris is a garden designer and writer and for eight years was director of gardening and education at the Great Des Moines Botanical Garden . His Midwestern ancestor show in many of his plant choice and designs , which makes this book especially appropriate for northern gardeners .
Three Layers , Many Designs
New Naturalismsuggests gardeners opine of their landscape in three discrete but intertwine layers .
At the al-Qa’ida is what he calls the matrix layer , which makes up 40 to 50 pct of the plant . This can be a mix of well-situated - care plant that may expend most of the year covering the soil and raise it , but otherwise pass to the desktop . After learn the al-Qur’an , I plant several more geraniums in my shady backyard . They form a groundcover that cool down the soil and gives a soft , green look to the back bed and they complement the prairie drop-seed that is a groundcover in other places .
The second bed is the structural layer — usually larger and longer - survive plants that reflect the character of the landscape painting and support louse and wildlife . In most garden , these morphological plant would be tree and large shrubs . These woody plants physical body view and give the garden its computer architecture . Norris extremely advocate choosing native works for this stratum , which may cover less than 10 percent of your landscape .
The last layer encompasses what Norris calls sketch — these are the images you see in garden books and onInstagram . Showy seasonal displays , such asbulbs in spring , roses in other summer , and coneflowers andastersas the season ebb , are illustration of vignettes . The joy of vignettes is that they reflect the seasons around us .
redact It All Together
The last one-half ofNew Naturalismis give to plant palettes . In this section , Norris offers a huge raiment of ideas ( and , thankfully , most include retentive plant life inclination ) for various garden situations . Sunny borders ( traditional or angry ) , plantings tight to the house , meadow , umbrageous lots , rose garden , bioswales and other damp situations and many more are covered in the plant life palettes section .
New Naturalismis not a book to flip through and look at the pretty picture ( though there are flock of them ! ) You may want to mark this one apart for winter when you’re able to ensconce in and imagine what your landscape want to be .
