Landscape Therapy: Anxiety, or Talking About the Weather (part 2)
“Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams than emperors.” Mary Cantwell
Let’s go back to our imagined meadow, the one we envisioned when we thought about our shared future. Grasses? Check. Bees? Buzz, I mean, check. Our meadow is lovely to think about on a rather gloomy February day, after absorbing my daily ration of bad news. I love all the seasons, but in winter, I feel a bit like a child whose friends have all absconded to sleep away camp. And they have, sort of — many of my favorite creatures are dormant underground or they’ve migrated far away. It’s months before the gang will be reunited, so I just have to remember them and prepare for their reappearance in a few months.
So dreaming is pleasant, but in my experience, it doesn’t really help me with my climate anxiety. Planting and caring for the land are beneficial for my outlook, especially when I’m in company with others, but even then, I can’t avoid difficult questions. Will our current plant neighbors and bug neighbors be able to thrive in the changing climate? If not, what plants do we grow in our gardens? Will anything survive?
Scientists have worked on models for what various futures could look like, and predictions vary dramatically according to geography. There is the heat, of course, and then there are the deep freezes and hailstorms and winds following behind like demented bridesmaids. Much of the discussion around native plants right now is how will their ranges shift. Should we just look south and base our plant palette on whatever is thriving 200 miles south from us? Will blue columbines bloom in Denver? What tree species will survive the increased wind and unpredictable spring and fall freezes?
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At this time, horticulturists and climate experts do have some general tips about how to make our local landscapes more resilient, but specifics differ according to geography and land context use. And it is likely that we will have to adjust our approach in the face of tremendously unpredictable challenges. It doesn’t mean we should give up and stop planting. Instead, we can harness our curiosity and build our collaboration muscles in the service of something new. Here are a few examples of adaptations:
- Prepare for your most likely threats and challenges — fire, floods, storms, freezes, hail, drought. Some areas around the world will see them all (hi! it’s me from Denver!). Safety first — check with your local experts on how best to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community.
- Choose the toughest native plant species for your landscapes, especially those that can provide additional services such as forage for wildlife, storing carbon and slowing runoff. You might have some in mind now — the ones that are ok with heat but can bounce back from the random spring freeze just in time to feed some bees. There’s a saying in gardening circles, “right plant, right place”, that means that thoughtfully identifying which species will thrive in specific conditions can result in better survival and save a lot of work on the back end. If your rabbitbrush is already happily growing in a dry, well-drained, sunny place, you will have to do very little to keep it alive and fabulous.
- Trees and shrubs, wisely planted while keeping future storms and fire in mind, can provide cooling services, as well as habitat and sequestration services. Depending too much on a small selection of trees is risky, since we’ve seen repeatedly how pests and diseases can decimate the tree canopy. Diversifying your street’s tree selections can be an opportunity to chat with neighbors and local foresters. You’ll get to know some awesome people and some awesome trees.
- Keep an eye out for new pests, diseases, and weeds; sometimes novelty isn’t a good thing! I remember (not fondly), the first time I had a Japanese beetle on my grapevines. And I had seen them before that in the city, so I knew it would be a matter of time and could prepare.
- Learn about your local soils. I love to complain about clay soil all day long, but you know what is worse than complaining about your soil? Over-tilling and then adding a bunch of petrochemicals before you plant! So complain constantly and creatively, but also treat your soil as its own ecosystem. With every project, we’re nurturing the soil and all the fascinating things that live in it as much as we are nurturing the life aboveground.
- How many of us have forgotten to baby our new plantings for the first few years? We leave them to fend for themselves instead of watering gently and deeply and watching for sources of disturbance? Establishment as mindful practice should become the hot trend, especially in arid regions when we can’t depend on natural moisture to water our plants in. Design gets all the glamor, and planting gets all the fun, but establishment is what makes a successful garden.
If you look at a landscape architectural plan, you might get the idea that the plans are drawn, the plants go in those spots, and presto, you have a landscape. But there are lots of reasons why landscape projects don’t go the way we plan. Instead of shouldering this uncertainty alone and letting it sour into anxiety, we can reach out and ask our fellow plant-lovers. One of our greatest talents may be the ability to observe the world around us and then change course if something isn’t working. If we are willing to approach our shared spaces as a team effort, we can create new traditions and cultivate new community, along with a sense of place. It’s unavoidable but also beautiful how we change and so does the environment, and then we change again.
