Doing it for me, benefiting us all

I took my kayak to one of the county’s more remote lakes on the weekend. We were the only ones there, apart from an osprey on its nest. And thousands of dragonflies.

At one end of the lake was a beaver dam, holding water back. In front of the dam, the water was fairly deep; behind much drier. Totally different vegetation on either side.

Beavers are known as ecosystem engineers. They build dams to create safe spaces to live in, but they affect wildlife far beyond their fur. Their dams change waterflows, making some places wetter, others drier. And perhaps most interestingly, creating more interstitial areas, those biodiversity-rich habitats that are neither land nor lake.

Beavers build dams to suit themselves. But because they’ve evolved over millions of years, their selfish creations are ecologically beneficial.

Flying in

I have a client who had a goose problem. Her land was mostly lawn down to the lake, so she had an airstrip with a buffet attached. Geese flew in, ate, left behind something special, then flew out.

We planted some shrubs and other plants to make the shoreline less attractive, removing the sense of safety geese need when they can see the lake from the lawn and making it harder to fly in and out.
We planted red osier dogwood – a plant that likes wet feet and will form goose-deterring thickets, as well as a bunch of perennials: swamp milkweed, boneset, blue flag iris.

From lawn to habitat: food and homes for insects, seasonal colour for my client, and a less attractive landing spot for geese.

Holding together

A client had a new septic bed installed and wanted it planted. They also wanted to make sure the side of the mound didn’t erode.

So I planted a few hundred shallow-rooted plants, including some sedges densely on the sloped side of the bed. They filled in quickly.

On the top of the bed were more sedges and perennials; mountain mint, lanceleaf coreopsis, pearly everlasting, hairy beardtongue.

A septic became a meadow, with movement and colour, home to insects and birds. And it was more stable, with the sedge roots knitting together the sandy soil.

Fitting in

I’m in the process of designing some landscapes to meet the requirements of local bylaws, rehabilitating some shorelines that are mostly lawn.

I’ll be adding plenty of plants to help prevent runoff and erosion, but I’ll also be creating views by framing the lake, adding colour and texture through seasonal blooms and shaded foliage. I’ll be making each of the cottages sit comfortably within its landscape by softening the edge between the forest and the cottage, like the building is meant to be there rather than an imposition. Protecting the shoreline that keeps this place special ends up building habitat, and a place my clients will look forward to being in.

The lake I kayaked on is one of my favourite places in the county. Fish were jumping for insects, dragonflies rested on the pointed leaves of irises, sweet gale protected the shoreline by softening the waves.

And the osprey, sitting on its nest and waiting for the evening to come when it will dive for fish for its chicks.