Nurturing natural allure
Using plants native to Michigan can improve water quality, add interest and promote shoreline stability.

Choosing the right plants in and along the water not only creates beautiful settings, it prevents runoff, filters water and provides shoreline stability. Thick and colorful sedges, reedy rushes and delicate lilies planted in the water near the shore clean the water naturally.

“Using the proper plants can improve the quality of the water,” explained Rick Tuttle, landscape architect with Novi-based Great Oaks Landscape Associates Inc. “If everybody was on the same page, gradually the quality would improve, and they’d all have a better view from their houses.”

Master gardeners or professional landscapers are prime resources for homeowners who would like to restore beach areas with new and colorful plants, he added. For example, goldenrod, purple coneflower, butterfly weed, marsh marigold, catmint, and iris are hardy perennials that flourish in wet soil.

“We try to encourage people to go for an entirely different look, not the perfectly manicured and pruned landscape,” said Bruce Snyder, a landscape designer and horticulturalist with Gull Lake Landscape Co. in Richland. “If you work with native plants, they provide the best eco-friendly landscape you can have.”

There are a number of ways to promote lake health, landscape responsibly and add interest:
Dogwood, winterberry, and spice bush thrive in wet soils as they prevent erosion. “The Red Osier dogwood has good fall color and the stem is awesome in the winter,” Tuttle said.

Rain gardens, specialized planting areas created to allow water to pool and absorb water naturally, are ideally suited to lakeside landscapes. The rain gardens catch runoff and trap sediments. Large cisterns can also be used to catch rainwater for landscape irrigation.

Organic fertilizers and herbicides cut down on the amount of nitrogen that can make its way into the water system. Soapy water is a good alternative to pesticides for shrubs and other plants.

Liriope Spicada, a vigorously spreading groundcover that only grows to be between 6 and 8 inches tall, provides a native plant alternative to a lawn, said Snyder. “From a distance it looks like turf grass and it grows in dense shade. You don’t have to fertilize it and you don’t have to water it three times a day.”

For more information, visit www.greatoakslandscape.com and www.mannslandscapes.com.
— Cyndi Lieske