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<br />practice
<br />
<br />Conflnueci from page},'
<br />
<br />Bill Sillldl'r~, principal, S;lIldef'> \\'aCkl'f
<br />lIl'rgly, Inc. S1. l\iUl, agrees that llatln:'
<br />plants drl' inul'<lsingly \'alucd lor their utili.
<br />urian hClll'tit'i. lie"; finding that lin:mcial
<br /><';l\'ings ;Ifl: ;UHI1!Jc[ compL.lling :lrgulTIclll
<br />((n their U\l': Once cslalllhlll'd. fl,l!i\"{' plants
<br />11Wal1 k-." m:lii'lklUIKl', IL'\\'l'f pn.lbknls and
<br />]()\\Tl lu'>h, nol {() lllL'lltlrHl ~'e;lr"IUtllld
<br />llt'duty. III ((lIltra"t, many tHHlIlalin' pl;l1lt\
<br />l:l!11101 SllPP\lf"t t!ll'lmd\'(.',> \\'illH1UI (O'itl\
<br />and harmtullL'rtili/l'rs ;md chcmical", irriga
<br />liulI lInd ("(Instant Clfl'.
<br />rill' C()!lSl'!Tatiotl [)c,>ign lorUlll, d
<br />llicilg()-llilScd lirtll, {'\\illlall''> Ill:l! il 111;llllrl'
<br />[]aliH' IdJ1lhrape ran [('suIt in ,1Il annual
<br />lll;lirlll'lldJlll'-Ul\! s;J\'illg<i (II S...f,{}(}() 111.'1' acrl.'
<br />ltllllp;m-'d \\'ith a lr,lditio!lallurl lalHhl";!jll'
<br />llll' 1_I1\'i!'(lllllll'nt;lI Prlltl'llinll ,-\gl.'lln \ug-
<br />W'\ts Ill;lt lIlt' cOfnhilll'd lmt\ 1)1 in\t;dlaliull
<br />alld lllaillll.'n;lIKl' 'jtlr ,I 11;llur;lI I;HllhclPl'
<br />11\'lT <l l{}"~'l'ar pcriod llld~' hl' lHll'-liltll ul
<br />till' Cll\h ror C(}!l\'l'llli()I1,t1 j;lIlthcapl.' rn;lin-
<br />Il'fUlln' rlll'\l' l;ll"t\ Illl';lll gll(ld hu\illl'\\ ill
<br />;!lklitioll tll tilt' l0!1111l1111ity ,L;o()d\\'i1lulI11-
<br />P;ll1il'\ ,1Ild .lgl'11Cil'\ Cdll g:lin frOlll 1!clllllJ]-
<br />\trating ;1 UlIlllllit111l'J]t to l'll\'jronrl1l'llt;lI
<br />,>tl'l\'<Inhl1ip,
<br />Buth 1'l'\idl'nti,ll and hu\im',>\ clil.'nts ap-
<br />IlI'L'ei,lte tll(,\l' \<t\'ings, But thl'~' abu may ap-
<br />IlI'l'ciate thl' bl\luty' ot l1iltiH' pbnh; till' op-
<br />portunity to \\'itl1l'\\ tIll' l'w1'.cl1anging l'll-
<br />\-ironJllelll 01 culllr, light, IV,\tllrl', \Olllld
<br />;lf1d motioJ] tllat \\'ritcrlohn Tl''',tt'r find,> in
<br />(Jl;r n;ltur;1l heritage_ Brtlce Cl1,1l1111l'rlain,
<br />\Kl' pt'e\idl'l1t, l-lnj<;jngtol1 1(1)(',\.;Il'r (;f(lUP,
<br />Inc., \lillJle;lpolh, \a~'\ Ill' prolllotl'\ natiw
<br />pbnts (1\ mudl fur ae\thetic rcason", <1\ jO!
<br />functi(lJlall1l'nd'ih
<br />":\ctuillly, nati\'{' wrsus llOlln<ltiH' IS not
<br />tile \\'~l\' I dl'\nilw ()ur dc\igm," <__bamher-
<br />ldin \(I\'S, "Rathel'. I try to bring the chl'1l1
<br />along with a morl' holistic" appruilch, pro-
<br />motIng color, Ilardilll'ss, the attraction of
<br />\\'i!dlifl', \l'a\onal changv and \\.il1tl'r inter-
<br />est-tIll' c\scncL' of the region'\ unique
<br />heauty and charadcr."
<br />"1 helic\'(' thue has hceIl a paradigm
<br />\hift," say\ .Jason :\urll' ot the client dcmand
<br />tor llati\'(' pbnting\, "I'coplt' arl' llHHC {j\\'arc
<br />of their surroundings, It seelm that the
<br />Illore the l11etro area h dc\'elopccl, t he more
<br />people lleed to feel rectHlJ1cl1cd to the nat-
<br />
<br />urall,-lIldsGlIW ;llld n,ltur,d cyell''', 'I'lli'; rt'lll--
<br />lioll, together with \',lri(lm educalional pro-
<br />gram\, has b('gun to nll1\'jnCl' pcople that
<br />native planting') han' pO')itiH' \',dul' tor a
<br />projclt, and are rap;lbll' o! enriching c'\'c'ry-
<br />da~'lilt' and s('ml' uf pl.Kl','
<br />I)l'spilc dl1lflCrl'<l,>iI1g Ifltcrcst ill tIll' tN'
<br />ut natiw planh, lhl' tk\igl1 ,lfld U,lrltract(lr
<br />indmtrie<, ha\'l' llluch tn l('<lm lldorl' dl'\igll-
<br />l.r,> em sucl'e\stully specify, in,>t;dl and m:lin-
<br />tain ,\ rldtin- 1:llllhcapl' that llIeet):l cliellt\
<br />l'.\]1l'cLltiull'>, -\s Ill;!ny sut'(l',>,>iul ---('\'l:1l
<br />:lwan!.willnillg..,,-llati\'l' larllhcapes :1\ tl1\'re
<br />
<br />Native plants mean
<br />
<br />less maintenance,
<br />
<br />lower costs and
<br />
<br />year-round beauty.
<br />
<br />Il;!\'l' hl'l'I1, l';lt'1l dl'siglll'l' 11;1'> ;llll'.\;lll1pk (11
<br />n,lti\'('-pl;1I1t illSt;lll;ltiOl1\ tllat 11;1\'l' lJcl'n ,11-
<br />tned 1'01' ,Ul\' number of l'l':I\Oll"
<br />SOllll' rl',>tlnatioll\ !l;]\'l' Ill'Cll t'o-nptcd hy
<br />c.\p~lllsions ,1Ild parking t;lCilities, \Iany' \Ur-
<br />kr from neglect as surroullllill,~ lll'ighhm.
<br />hootb hdW changed and puhlic budget\ fur
<br />!Jlai!ltl'n,lncc Ila\'(' dl'clinvd, 'rh()usand\ (If
<br />\l1ruhs ,llld \m;llltl"('('\ hll\'e 1K'l'n cut down
<br />
<br />tnI' security t'Cll\()n\ or Iwc<llI\1' '>Url1C()llL'
<br />thought thl'\' \\'l'rC o\'crgr()\\"ll '\fHl,ol
<br />C(l\lr\t', (llKl' a,!2,gws"I\'(' !111f1ndti\'(' plant-. In-
<br />\'ade lldtil'l' C0ll1lll11llitil'S, thl' cll,lracll'r ;lllt!
<br />illtegrlty oj the site dl'clirll' markedly until
<br />the ulldcrsl;l/ld;lhk rl'SpClfl\l' i\ to l'l'adic<ltl'
<br />tl1l' planting completely_
<br />\1(1\( comlllonly, prnjech arl' dL'stroH'd
<br />or rl'shtl'd hecalJ\l' people do llot undel'-
<br />\tand the idea and Y;lIue tll tile heart of the
<br />\\'mk, or they pl'rcl'in' till' maintenance <1\
<br />O\"CI'\\"hclming_ Pralril' and oal\-"a\',ll1l1<:l
<br />pJantings need a prescribed-Imming regime,
<br />which SOI11C clienh fear bCGlU\l' of Jiabilit~
<br />or IwighhcH complainl\, ":\atin'-pIJllt
<br />lllaintl'llJllCl" i\ r1l'\\ to people," e:xplJillS
<br />(;ar~ Findel!, \l'nlOf landscape architect,
<br />IJm, "Pl'Opll' often just don't kno\\' ho\\' to
<br />carl' for nati\'l' plantings,"
<br />
<br />!I()I) l'hl'>l', !lrillripaL (:lO\c l,<lndsc;lpc :\1'-
<br />chitl'ctufc, St. P,lul. finds 'iOflll' clients arl'I1'[
<br />prepared lor the long c')tahllslullel11 time a
<br />naliw.-plant design H'tllllf(~\ in order to lOOK
<br />it\ bl'\t; dil'llts aho often worry 1111.lt the
<br />short-term carl' i'-, too rostly. ,.\" noted aboH',
<br />nati\I:-r1lalll m,lintenancc, in tact, cosh
<br />IlllH:11 !L.ss than till' malnl\:n<lnn' of tradi-
<br />tional, lHltlllatiH' plantings, ~ati\T'pla111
<br />Illaintl'n~Hlt(', hmH'\TL docs rl'quire ,Ill un,
<br />dcr"tanding 01 planl gnl\\.th and ch;mg(' Ill-
<br />stl'ad of mindless mowing and clipping,
<br />With a bit uf knowledge and ",O!lll' c.\pc'ri-
<br />IlH.'ntatiol1 costly mistakc') can be anlidcd,
<br />HK(, ma~' l'ncmnagc a rlient to ('!llt'r into <l
<br />tlm'l'-war maint('nill!Ct-' cuntract with a qual-
<br />ified contractor ,md spl'cify a Ilumher u! l'X-
<br />pj;lIlator~' or intcrprl'ti\'l' signs pl'r an(' Inl
<br />liHgc fl'sturaliol1S, I'or public-park projl'cts,
<br />S;lIldl'rs lll;lkcs a point of im'(lh'ing till' upl'r-
<br />:lti(l!l\ di\'i\ioll in the dc"ign pnll"l's\,lu en..
<br />\lll'(, thl' puhliL- \\'l'lUlflH.''> natiH' planting\,
<br />l'lI11hLl]ll' dvsignel's llote the need 101' clean
<br />l'dgl'\, \Oll1l' b\\'n lor contra\t and pJJllt \e.
<br />kctiunlur \l1owilH's\ in natiw-plant designs,
<br />()n this Id,>l 11l1int, {lll:H1 remains C,HI
<br />timl'>, "\\'t, <1ft' \till ll\lmillg h{)\\' to U\l' na-
<br />li\'l-'-pldllt 111:1krial ill :1 lksign \(,I1'>e," he
<br />S;l\'S, "!lot just ,,", P:lrt of ,I I'l'\t()t'ation" Being
<br />:lhle t( 1 drltidpatl' and de\ign for the \m;llIl'\t
<br />dl'taih----tlll' blow)lll" ur the l'ldl'rbl'ny, thl'
<br />tral151ucl'Ilt foliagl' uf till' fl'nl or a wa\'l' 01
<br />long-\tl'lllllled !m1\\'ll-l'Yl'd SUSJllS-'-Ulllld
<br />tal\e a iildillle oj p1'acticl', ,c\<, the landscape
<br />dvsiglll'r and \nitl'1' )em )l'nsCIl de\crilwd,
<br />till' <Ht of blllbcaping j<, a "fleeting thC1Ught
<br />that must Ill' caught un I Ill' wing,"
<br />J'orlunatel\-, !lolh tlrcl1lkch ;lfld land-
<br />se-apc architct1\ arc beu)ming: more collabo-
<br />ratin' in LTeating ;llld allO\\'Ing for Ihese dl'-
<br />laih, .-\lthough till' originality and charactn.
<br />iSlic hl'<luty of our natin' prairies, \\"()odlamh
<br />;rnd \H'tlanth ha\'l' yet to become design
<br />standard"" ttll'Y arc features in \\'hich profl'\-
<br />\iullals incrl'a\ingiy arc taking an interest.
<br />"Landscape architcc\\ and their dients
<br />I11ll~ flut fully understand tIll' \',duc of native
<br />planb--where they fit and ho\\" they add to
<br />the proiect.-but they arc opell to them,"
<br />\unl' \d\'S. ":\-0 Olll' \\'110 ha\ en'r \\'alkcd
<br />through <l prairie or fore\t can help hut wanl
<br />to tap senne ()f till' e.\citenll'nt dnd enl'rgy
<br />containl'd tlwre " :\\1
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<br />!.-1::',PCH ,\PRll :)O!}.'~ 59
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