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Creating a diverse & interesting yard
The standard privet hedge is popular on Nantucket because deer do not eat it, it is fairly inexpensive to install, it grows quickly and can be shaped in several different ways. Cost becomes a factor depending on how often the hedge needs pruning, how large it is and if that work is done by a gardening crew. People like grass because it is soft to walk on, good for children to play on and is traditional, but it has its drawbacks. Grass needs frequent mowing, and to achieve a lush look it requires fertilization and either mechanical or chemical weed control. "Any of these chemicals, if not used judiciously, will get into our water system," said Robert Stark of Surfing Hydrangea Nursery, which carries a wide line of plant alternatives to grass and privet but does not do installation. "There are organic fertilizers and weed controls, but they can still be labor intensive and take a lot or time or money or some of each."
"People don't realize the sheer number of alternatives they have," said Godfrey, who actually prefers a varied and natural yard appearance. For hedges, Rose of Sharon works well. It is dense, has pretty white or purple flowers in singles or doubles, grows tall and quickly and only needs an annual pruning in the spring before its greenery emerges. There are many evergreen varieties that do not shed their leaves in winter. Upright holly can be grown as a hedge and will produce bright red berries if both female and male species are planted. The males can be planted anywhere in the yard because bees carry their pollen to the females. Holly, while hardy, grows best in areas fairly protected from harsh wind, said Stark.
Stark said Leyland cypress is often used for Nantucket hedges. It grows fast and high and has needle-type leaves similar to arborvitae, another evergreen common to the island. Less common here is beech, which is actually a tree but will form a hedge if pruned from a young age. Copper beech has purple leaves and is often found mixed into English hedges to create a tapestry design.
Instead of grass, Stark suggests plants such as English ivy and small ivies with variegated leaf colors, Japanese Spurge, a low umbrellashaped evergreen that forms a solid mass and Myrtle, or common vinca, that sprawls and has small, usually blue flowers in the spring. "It's not a big show, but it has its moment," he said, noting that none of these ground covers need mowing. "I'm really kind of a green grass guy, but that aside, there is American beach grass that would work naturally in a setting near the ocean and low ornamental grasses that are perennial and give you the green cover," said Misurelli. "Everybody has a different opinion of what looks neat or good to them." Another suggestion for those who want to avoid regular mowing is a natural grass mixture called "Reclaim" that is used to restore meadows. Natural, taller varieties include Sweet Fern, which is actually in the shrub family and reaches about 30 inches.
Misurelli added that, in his opinion, a mass planting of one species should be used to reduce lawn area. "To me, it looks like tossed salad when you've got too many things around." Summer Sweet, that grows all over the Dionis area, is a shrub that grows 30 inches and higher and has multiple flower shades. It does not mind wind and only needs light pruning to maintain its shape. It can also be used as a loose hedge if allowed to grow tall. A combination of nepeta and Russian sage, both with purple flowers and which grow to about two feet, gives nice color from June through September. Misurelli favors oak leaf hydrangea, which has a subtle, lace cap-type flower, oak-like leaves and turns deep red in the fall.
Spreading ferns are a good choice for ground cover in shady locations along with hostas, some of which flower. "There are as many varieties as you can imagine with different leaves and sizes, and spreading ferns that proliferate on their own," he said. Barberry is a ground cover found all through the moors, but it grows very slowly and can be costly because it comes through specialty nurseries. The bonuses are that it prefers sandy soil and needs no primping. For hedge alternatives, Misurelli suggests Ilex, which is similar to privet in that it can be shaped with shears, but it is a semi-evergreen and just needs spring fertilization to encourage its health. He likes Vitex for hedges, too. That plant flowers in August when not many other flowers are thriving. The blooms are large, spikey and purpleblue; the plant grows rather quickly, can reach 10 to 12 feet and is well suited for the island's climate.
Two varieties of roses are another alternative ground cover for a more formal appearance, such as the Max Graf Rose, a rambling three-foot plant with pink flowers and golden centers that blooms in June, and the Memorial Rose, a one-foot tall, quite fragrant variety that has white flowers in early summer, grows tight to the ground, is very dense and pleasing to the eye. But Godfrey said he loves Frau Dagmar Hastrup, a hybrid rose not resembling the island's beach roses. This plant does not exceed two and a half feet, has lovely pink flowers, blooms later than beach roses and will blossom twice in the season if its rose hips are trimmed off.
"I've planted a lot of places with masses of it," said Godfrey, who added that he likes to plant Spirea, particularly "Pink Princess," in with the St. John's Wort. He is also fond of ornamental grasses. "There are so many it's hard to give a number. Some have different color foliage, different plume times and different plumes in pink, purple, brown, black and white and can be mixed." Godfrey said the first consideration for alternatives to grass is the fact that many plant species do not require as much water as a lawn and do not need chemical treatments to be disease and weed-free.
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