Native Plants and Aesthetic Design in Beaver Creek

Before moving out to Beaver Creek this past Spring I spent a few days staying with a friend in Whitehorse, giving myself a break from being on the road the days prior.  While in Whitehorse, I wanted to find a plant identification book about herbs of the Boreal forest but was recommended 'The Boreal Herbal' by a few friends instead.  The book, which I had purchased shortly thereafter, focuses on Boreal herbology and provides extensive information on topics like edible plants of the north or medicinal plants and their traditional uses.  Since then, the book has become my bible and I have been putting its lessons into practice.  

To bring you up to speed, I manage 35 - 40 garden beds ranging from 6' X 1' to 10' X 18' in size - this includes constructing, prepping, planting, maintaining and harvesting / autumn clean-up(ing) either some or all beds.  I work at a roadside resort here, in Beaver Creek, where I am paid to make gardens look good, and I have full creative control over what aesthetic approach and horticultural methods I choose to use.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Fireweed

The more 'traditional' approach to landscaping involves removing any vegetation from a given piece of land, including much of the existing soil, and replacing it with top soil and non-native species of plants.  Though adding more soil is often a smart move to any garden, the use of non-native species of plants often makes for difficulties when maintaining (different plants from different ecosystems require different amounts of water, sunlight, heat, etc..).

Not only does traditional landscaping often require more maintenance and use of chemical fertilizers, but it also disables our abilities to use native plants for edible or medicinal means.  The use of non-native and ornamental plants in landscaping disable us from understanding our local ecosystems and what they offer.

Yarrow

For example, early in the season, Fireweed can be harvested and cooked with butter and garlic for a type of "wild asparagus".

                                                                                         

Also, the flower of the Yarrow plant is an effective antiseptic / anti inflammatory / antibacterial medication.  While on hikes, many people up here use it to stop the bleeding of scrapes and cuts by lightly pressing the Yarrow flower onto the wound.


Simply put, the benefits of using native plants in landscaping are plenty:

       a) Native plants have edible and medicinal uses that many of us could benefit from.

       b) Native plants are free as they grow everywhere.  In the Boreal forest, Fireweed and Yarrow are as common as the dandelions and thistles of the Carolinian forest (southern Ontario and eastern US).

       c) Native plants can also look awesome in gardens when a bit of planning and creativity is added to the mix.

As such, I've been working on a few projects which are now (mid-season) beginning to come to fruition.  For the garden bed in the picture to the right, for instance, I kept Fireweed (purple) and Arctic Poppies (orange) in the centre of the bed to add dimension and a backdrop for anything ornamental planted close to the border.  I also kept the wild Yarrow (white) mixed in with ornamentals to give to garden a wild yet managed look.

Good times.