Instead of the same old straight line of evergreens (usually arborvitae), which is so overdone and boring, why not use a more interesting variety of native shrubs and trees? Whether you are here in White Plains or Croton-on-the Hudson, you can make your landscape so much more attractive and highly eco-functional. I recently planted a hedge of clethra which is flowering and fragrant. It also attracts bees and humming birds.
Other plant suggestions are river birch, shrub dogwoods and viburnum.
Some great resources are; Armitage’s Native Plants for North American Gardens, William Cullina’s Native Trees, Shrubs & Vines and Donald Leopolds ’s Native Plants of the Northeast. Another good one is The Xerces Society Guide, Attracting Native Pollinators by Dr. Marla Spivak.
There are many good web sites including ELA (Ecological Landscape Association) ecolandscaping.org, Wild Ones, wildones.org, and The Native Plant Center, sunywcc.edu/about/npc/, or https://nycgovpark.org or wetchestergov.com.
Why not make landscaping artistic, fun and functional. Increase your ecological, aesthetic and economic value by Going Green!
