By
Denise Trowbridge
If you still cultivate your lawn and garden the way your parents or grandparents did, it might
be time to re-evaluate the habitual use of pesticides, fertilizers and watering hoses. Or, if your
yard and garden look very similar to your neighbors’ — with the same types of trees, flowers and
shrubs — it might also be time to branch out.
As a society, “We need to change the way we maintain our landscapes,” said Peter Lowe, the
native landscape manager at the Dawes Arboretum in Newark. “We sometimes garden the way our parents
did, out of habit, instead of thinking about the impact of what we’re doing. The normal everyday
practices of gardening are becoming harmful, because many gardeners aren’t aware of the
relationship between plants, the environment and the ecosystem. And we’re overusing chemicals.”
Lowe and the arboretum are hoping to change that. The arboretum has launched a sustainable
landscaping certificate program for homeowners consisting of four classes introducing the basics of
sustainable gardening. The classes will take place one Saturday a month from February through May,
beginning Feb. 9. The series costs $80, or $65 for arboretum members.
The classes will cover the basics of sustainable landscaping, such as the benefits of
incorporating more sustainable practices into home-gardening routines, garden-bed maintenance and
preparation, and wiser use of plant material and chemicals. Participants will learn to manage water
more efficiently, via use of rain gardens and rain barrels, and how to find the best plant
materials for their growing conditions. Lowe will also address topics such as composting; managing
garden soil; and the benefits of providing for wildlife.
At the same time, the classes will address big-picture issues such as the importance of
biodiversity in home landscapes. “Home gardens are becoming too much alike,” Lowe said. “We have
cookie-cutter landscapes. “If you look at your street, almost everyone has burning bush, taxus,
boxwood. We’re evolving toward lack of biodiversity, which is bad for wildlife and increases garden
maintenance and populations of garden pests.”
Dawes developed the class at first “out of the increasing need for native plant populations
within home gardens” in Ohio, Lowe said.
The class series is also part of a new focus for the 84-year-old arboretum.“Dawes wants to
become the go-to institution in central and southeast Ohio for native plant and sustainable
gardening information,” Lowe said. “We want people look to us as a resource when they want to make
changes in their lifestyle and need practical advice, plant material and the direction to get them
started.”
During the course of the class, Lowe hopes people will learn that having an eco-friendly and
sustainable landscape doesn’t mean your garden is unkempt or wild-looking.“You can have a beautiful
garden, or even the same garden you have now, and just tweak a few things to make it more
sustainable,” he said.
Sustainability isn’t just for the eco-minded.“People think doing things sustainably will cost
more money or be too difficult to do, but the reality is, sustainable is cheaper,” Lowe said.
Gardens that work with nature instead of against it are “lower maintenance, and require less money,
time, water and chemicals to maintain.”
For those who want to learn to revamp their garden or build more permanent structures, the
arboretum has also launched a four-class landscape design certificate program. Brent Pickering, the
arboretum’s ground curator, will teach participants the basics of landscape design, with
information on plants and materials. Participants are encouraged to bring photos and plans of their
yard, so their work in the course can be personalized to their needs. The program will take place
on four Saturdays, starting Feb. 2 and ending March 16. The cost is $80, or $65 for arboretum
members. For more information on courses, call 740-323-2355.
Denise Trowbridge is a Columbus freelance writer who covers garden topics.
cdecker@dispatch.com
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