Layers of Abundance

The suburban gardener tends to view their property with a mindset of wanting to shove a pretty flower or green foliage into an unused area. Unfortunately, much of suburbia isn’t currently aware of just how financially wasteful this is, nor do they fully understand the degree of layering that goes into some of the most gorgeous public gardens. If you are going to spend your money on plants, why not spend that money investing in your children and grandchildren’s future? It is not we who will grow up in these gardens, but it’s future generations who will need to hold plants in high esteem.

In many gardens, many miss out on the multi-layered functions and beauty of a well laid out eco-system. Before you begin any project involving the outside areas around your home, I always recommend that you spend at least one full year on the property. It’s imperative that you discover how the property changes as it cycles through the ebbing and flowing of the seasons. One location may get a deluge during the spring and summer rains yet become barren during fall and winter.

Let’s take a moment to look at the most common categories that homestead minded families aim to take on and how you can better incorporate these layers into your suburban environment.

• Roots – Sweet Potato, Yacon, Garlic, Saffron Crocus, Daikon Radish, Cassava
• Ground Covers – Chickweed, Red Clover, Seminole Pumpkin, English Ivy
• Culinary Plants: Rosemary, Oregano, Parsley, Tarragon, Lettuce
• Shrubs – Bay Laurel, Yaupon Holly, Blueberries, Firebush, Pineapple Guava, Rose
• Annual Edibles – Broccoli, Carrots, Peas, Marigold, Balsam, Borage
• Food Trees – Elderberry, Anna Apple, Peach Tree, Mulberry Tree, Olive Tree
• Wilderness Canopy – Southern Magnolia, Pecan, Maple, Pawpaw, Bottlebrush
• Vining – Passion Fruit, Jasmine, Hops, Honeysuckle, Clemtatis

The above layers are commonly spoken of in homestead forums, and this is due to the fact that each of these layers are extremely important and have a valuable part to play within any eco-system. If we continue into the ideology of layers upon layers, we find another sub-category that we refer to as functions.

• Edibles – Sweet Potato, Broccoli, Anna Apple, Mulberries, Pecans, Passion Fruit
• Ornamentals – Gardenia, Hops, Artichokes, Passion Fruit, Yaupon Holly, Almond Verbena
• Fibers – Witch Hazel, Cattails, English Ivy, Blackberry, Cedar, Jute, Hops
• *NFT – Mimosa Tree, Pigeon Peas, Spring Peas, Peanuts, Autumn Olive, Vetch
• **Insectaries – Dill, Peppermint, Chives, Tulips, Nasturtiums, Hot Peppers, Milk Weed
• ***Medicinals – Yarrow, Valerian, Oregano, Motherwort, Echinacea, Peppermint

*NFT does not necessarily mean that it must be a Nitrogen Fixing Tree, there are many plants that aren’t trees which assist with nitrogen production.
** Insectaries are not limited to plants that kill or discourage insects but include a category of beneficial insect attracting plants.
*** Consult with a physician before using any medicinal plant as some due interact with synthetic medications, which could be dangerous or fatal.

The next sub-category is one that even many homesteaders ignore due to these seemingly being a little too new age for them. In reality, I just scratch the surface of these because our environment is filled with so many layers that I would dare say that we haven’t discovered some yet.

• Hue: Pink, Red, Yellow, Purple, Fuschia, Coral, Lilac, Mauve, Light Green
• Aromatics: Lavender, Lemongrass, Peppermint, Southern Magnolia, Rose, Jasmine
• Sounds: Bubbling fountain, metal wind chime, wind-blown grasses, bird calls, frogs croaking, crunching gravel underfoot, dried fallen leaves rustling
• Visual Pleasure: Archway, wishing well, comfortable bench, pagoda, decorative statues, pond, stone walkway, rock walls, manicured hedges, spiral garden
• Enjoyable Flavors: Blackberries, Raspberries, Mulberries, Apples, Peaches, Grapes
• Environments: After it rains, crisp fall weather, sunny warmth

Think these categories are unimportant? Do you only have time to consider the basics and nothing else? Allow me to illustrate my point another way.

“Dried fallen leaves crunch underneath the weight of your boots as you make your way over to the fruiting vines. Into a small basket you toss a variety of purple, dark blue, crimson red, golden yellow and creamy white berries, all perfectly ripe. You make your way across the stone pathway while native birds chirp and tweet in the canopy above. You make a brief pause at your verdant fruit trees where you pluck a ripe peach off one of branches. The wind blows deeply causing the nearby lemongrass to crack against each other and release the aromatics within. Onward you continue across a gravel path that leads you to a bench that is seated under an English Ivy adorned archway. The wind blows against a nearby metal wind chime causing it to sing its melodious tunes. You sit happily on your bench and give the peach a good wipe off on your pants. Bringing the wooly fruit to your nose you inhale its sweet aroma and let it invoke nostalgic memories of your youth. Your teeth pierce through the fuzzy flesh as a gush of ambrosia like liquid flows down the corners of your mouth. You are, at this moment in time, in your peaceful place. “

Everything we invest into our properties should be done so, with a series of goals and directions on where you are going with your projects. The place outside your home should evoke relaxation, not be yet another place of chaos and mess. It’s easy to go to your local big box garden store and randomly throw a bunch of visually appealing plants into your cart, but to carefully carve out a piece of harmony and balance on your property will have a much higher value and greater rewards. It’s takes both an artistic hand and creative eye to spend meticulous hours taking a garden of the mind into the eco-system within reality.

I wish you happy gardening and many years of beauty and relaxation in your restorative gardens.