We asked our experts to tell us how we can take a sustainable approach to gardening. Below are their answers
Host: Tish Leizens, Editor & Founding Publisher
Scott Rothenberger
Designer
Scott Rothenberger's Place
Rothenberger, based in Barto, Pa., has been in the design industry for about 20 years. He is a frequent lecturer and his garden designs have appeared in books and in national and regional magazines.
Susan Tantsits
Owner
Edge of the Woods Native Plant Nursery
Tantsits co-founded the Orefield, Pa.-based nursery specializing in native plants in 2003. She serves on the Lehigh Carbon Community College Horticulture Advisory Committee.
OurHouse: What is sustainable gardening?
Susan Tantsits: We need to think about the impact we make on the ecosystems within the garden/landscape we wish to manipulate, and ask ourselves if the garden will be successful with minimal interaction from us. Will the garden be peaceful, beautiful and a healthy place? Will it support the wildlife, from bees, butterflies, birds and all the insects and critters that balance a system?
Scott Rothenberger: It is gardening in a way that is as self-sufficient as possible. It is gardening that does not negatively affect our environment and does not misuse or damage our natural resources.
OH: What are some important gardening considerations?
ST: Any garden that has human hands involved needs tending from time to time, but we should choose plants that will not require fertilizing and watering, invade a natural area or choke out native species and use too much fertilizer that will pollute the groundwater.
SR: As a landscape designer, there are aesthetic issues that cannot be overlooked. What will the garden look like in the winter? Will the plant outgrow its space and does it require unnecessary shearing or trimming? Will the planting affect the energy bills of the home? Does the planting provide shade in the summer and sunlight in the winter?
OH: Why should we take a sustainable approach in gardening?
ST: The practices we use in our gardens can and will affect the air, water, soil and plant and wildlife within our neighborhoods and beyond.
SR: Sustainable landscape practices can help our planet and enrich our lives. Choosing the right plant for the right place can lower energy costs, lower our water bills, lessen our maintenance burden, and ensure a beautiful space for us to enjoy with our friends and families. Another thing to consider is the increased property value that comes with a professionally designed landscape and how much faster homes sell with curb appeal. If your landscape or garden solves the issues above and is also beautiful to look at it, it can be viewed as a win for the environment and win for you.
OH: What is the first thing we should do if we want to be green?
ST: Learn about your landscape—what makes it unique? When you know the conditions that exist in your garden you can match the plants and create plant communities that will allow your garden to be sustainable.
SR: Consult with your local professionals and consider increasing the use of native plants. Beyond the element of plants in your garden there are hardscaping considerations that also aid in being green. More recycled products are being used to manufacture paved surfaces such as recycled tires and bricks from deconstructed buildings of yesteryear. Manufacturers of concrete pavers have also now developed pervious pavers, which allow water to naturally infiltrate into the earth.
OH: Give us examples of native plants that will thrive in our gardens.
ST: For warm, drier, sun landscapes: Asters (many species available), coneflowers, native warm season grasses; goldenrods and garden phlox. For cool shady landscapes: Christmas ferns, alumroots, ginger, native pachysandra—Allegheny spruge and woodland phlox. For wet, sunny landscapes: swamp milkweed, turtlehead, cardinal flowers and blue flag iris.
SR: I certainly have many sustainable favorites. I can’t say enough about grasses, many are native, many are sustainable, there are grasses for shade, grasses that are for sun, low ground cover grasses and dramatic tall grasses. For me grasses add movement and texture to a designed landscape that no other plant achieves.OH: What do you see are the trends for green landscaping this year?
There is a strong push in the landscape design industry to have far less mowed lawn that needs pesticides, fertilizers, water during droughts and maintenance of weekly mowing. More are using native plant material and eco-friendly building materials like permeable pavers and LED low-voltage landscape lighting systems. There is also much interest in capturing rainwater in rain gardens and barrels.
To learn more about sustainable gardening, you can contact Scott Rothenberger at 610-428-1801 or designbyplace.com. Rothenberger is one of the designers featured at the Saucon Valley Garden Tour on June 27. Susan Tantsits can be reached at 610-395-2570 or edgeofthewoodsnursery.com.
