Use things you already own to make your surroundings sizzle

By Jim Sollecito

Frequently I am asked to provide landscape plantings that are considered nativars, or basically selections of native plants that have great landscape value and few problems.

We all want to reduce pesticide use, and by using things that might have been found in our area from the get-go, we are already on the right road. We do not have native azaleas, rhododendrons or hollies growing in our area. Had they been able to survive, the deer would have finished them off by now.

So stop buying and planting out this buffet line, unless you treat them as annuals. We’ll talk about annuals in a column later this year, and why friends don’t let friends plant annuals. Personally, I want things that will last with a minimum of care.

So whenever I am invited to a potential client’s home to review their landscape opportunities and constraints, I always try to take a peek in the garage. I can see the level of chemical involvement the homeowners have, and also see what kind of treasures—some might refer to as “ junk”—that might work in their landscape.

You see, we all came from a tree—a family tree. If I can locate an old rusty coal scuttle, or maybe a piece of metal something or other that the family might have used in the past, I can add that to their landscape as a feature.

It would be in a location where they might see the item in a new light while it becomes a landscape focal point, or at the very least an item of interest.

I love old saws. They look sharp when nailed with aluminum nails on to a tree. Old chainsaw blades are cool too. Picture frames can be painted, and leaned against a tree to add a splash of color even in the shade. You can also paint an old wheelbarrow and place it anywhere.

But my favorites are old bicycles; the rustier, the better. It is difficult to grow things in the shade. This breaks the “LAWS,” which in a nutshell means you have to have good “Light, Air, Water and Soil” in order to have healthy plants. Bend one rule, maybe you’ll get away with it, but break two and you end up with “ever-browns.” That is not a good thing.

Enter the Schwinn, which functions perfectly as something pleasing to look at all year round, evokes memories of days gone by, and heck, you can even put a vine on it to create color during the growing season. Any clematis comes instantly to mind.

Want something edible? How about pole beans, or even cucumbers?

I bet if you look around when you do some spring cleaning, you’ll find at least three interesting objet de art that might put a smile on your face, jazz up your back yard, and when the kids come home, they’ll say, “hey, I wondered what happened to my old …

Plus, for the most part, you already own them.

Until next time, keep planting until you are planted.

Jim Sollecito is the first lifetime senior certified landscape professional in NYS. He operates Sollecito Landscaping Nursery in Syracuse. Contact him at 468-1142 or by e-mail at jim@sollecito.com.