Making Your Landscape More Adaptable

Weather conditions in Ohio usually vary widely from one year to another. In the last several years, there have been changes from season to season or even within one season. Variations enough to keep gardeners on edge.

The uncertainty of change that makes it especially important for us to take care to group our plants correctly. By placing plants of like needs in the correct spots, we can make our landscapes more adaptable to climate variations and more manageable overall.

Basically, we need to place plants that are more tolerant of dry conditions in those high and dry areas of our landscapes that are not conveniently irrigated. For instance, the ‘Ohio Pioneer’ hawthorn is just one tree that does well in this setting. The butterfly weed is a perennial and viburnum is a shrub that will likewise thrive. It you’re looking for annuals, the marigolds and zinnias will work quite nicely; and the Japanese yew and junipers are ideal evergreens for this type of site. These are just a few examples, and a trip to your garden center will yield even more options. The point is, you need to choose plants specifically for these drier spots.

On the other hand, the low, wet areas of your yard that trap water can be equally hard on the wrong plant. Therefore, you should again choose plants specifically suited to these soil conditions. The River Birch is one appropriately named tree that works well in low, wet areas. Astilbe, ligularia and certain bulb-like plants such as canna and some varieties of iris also work in these conditions. As for annuals, impatiens will work and one form of serviceberry (Amelanchier stolonifera) can fill in when a shrub is needed. If your are looking for an evergreen, arborvitae is an excellent choice for this problem area.

Most plants, however, require soil conditions somewhere between the two extremes. And some, the much-discussed lythrum for example, will grow differently under different conditions. In a high, dry setting, lythrum grows nicely clumped to a height of about two to three feet. In a marsh-like environment, though, it grows out of control and certain varieties have been designated illegal in Ohio. For reasons like this, and to insure your new plants do well, ask questions about what soil conditions will best suit any particular plant.

Another tactic for making your total landscape more adaptable to different weather conditions is to choose proper grass types. Turf-type tall fescues will develop deeper root systems that will survive longer with less watering under drought conditions and will, in general, work well no matter what the weather is. Of course, if you can tolerate a short summer dormant period, the emerald green of blue grasses is still a good choice for most of Ohio in spring and fall.

Sometimes it is acceptable to ignore these guidelines about hard-to-plant spots and plant what you like for effect. Just be sure to do so with the full understanding that this will require some site manipulation and work on your part.

In these ways, you can prepare your landscape to react as favorably as possible to whatever the weather tosses its way. And, in Ohio, that could be just about anything.