Lot Lines – the Official Blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects
5 Reasons to Reconsider your Hatred of Juniper Bushes
Juniper bushes are the most despised landscaping plant in existence. I know this to be true, because 75% of the time that I talk with a homeowner or property owner about renovating their landscape, they say something like “those Junipers have GOT to go!”.
Juniper bushes are common in older landscapes. Here they were not given adequate room, so they have been sheared off along the walkway.
Why is this? I think there are a few main reasons, aside from the fact that they are prickly beasts that we have all tangled with a one point (either landing in one while playing as a kid, or getting that annoying rash on your arm while trimming them) :
1) They were simply overused in the past. People are just tired of them and want something unique and new. And since they live for ages and rarely die, they are often the only living survivors guarding the front doors of homes in any older neighborhood.
2) They were not planted with enough room to grow. Many of the varieties get quite large after say, 20 years, and quickly outgrow the planting bed. Because they grow too large for their setting they require excessive pruning to keep them at a manageable size. This pruning then exposes all of the dead old growth inside the base of the plant- ugly!
3) The aforementioned prickliness. And good luck getting the baseball you were tossing around out of the center of that green monster.
Given these negatives, why then should you consider using Juniper plants in your landscape?
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Plan Unveiled to Restore the National Mall in Washington DC
After several years of planning and public input, this week the United States Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and the National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis announced an agreement on a final plan to revitalize the National Mall. The final plan was developed after four years of input from the public, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), and other stakeholders.
According to the article released by ASLA (ASLA Advocacy Network), “the plan seeks to accomplish a number of objectives, including improving resources, public access, visitor amenities and monument preservation.”
Here are more excerpts from the article:
Some of the high priority projects include: improving the design and redevelopment of Union Square in front of the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial; replacing the Capitol Reflecting Pool with a smaller pool or fountain that could also be used as a gathering place to ease strain on the nearby trees and grass; rebuilding the Tidal Basin seawalls; creating a multi-purpose visitor center; and building more restrooms.
This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects. For more information about our business and our services, click here.
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Photo of the Day – Golden Rain Tree Seed Pods
The interesting seed pods of the Golden Rain Tree appear like hanging paper lanterns. They start out a golden yellow in late summer, and fade to shades of red and brown through the fall.
This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects. For more information about our business and our services, click here.