Let Screening Come Naturally
Landscape design requires thinking about function, and natural areas provide inspiration because they are working landscapes.
Their floral and faunal associations developed together, and the plants are serving important functions in the natural community. Thinking about the role each plant plays can give us insight for managed landscapes.
Artist and landscape architect Preston Montague uses this approach in his design practice. In this video, he walks a dormant landscape, looking for clues about how he might design a screen planting. Rather than a regimental row of typical landscape shrubs, he keys in on native evergreen trees and the lower layers that will help create a designed plant community. Join Preston for this look at the natural landscape with design in mind.
For ideas on how to use herbaceous perennials and native grasses to create a screen, check out our blog post on hedging your bets. The winter landscape also reveals opportunities to get better coverage for the garden. Check out our blog post on covering ground in winter for ideas and suggestions for evergreen groundcovers.
Preston Montague is a landscape architect and artist who developed a passion for the natural world while growing up in the rural foothills of Virginia. Currently, he lives in Durham, North Carolina working on projects that encourage stronger relationships between people and the natural world for the purpose of improving public and environmental health. Preston is a recipient of the Perennial Plant Association’s 2022 Landscape Design Awards.
