LAKE SHORE PLANTING

Home » Home Improvement » Green Living Join Sign in EzineArticles - Expert Authors Sharing Their Best Original Articles Custom Search Search Cheryl D. Jones Platinum Quality Author Platinum Author | 89 Articles Joined: February 17, 2010 United States Planting Along The Lake Shore By Cheryl D. Jones | Submitted On April 09, 2016 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Expert Author Cheryl D. Jones Lakeshores always pose an interesting scenario for the landscaper and gardener. In a wild, healthy setting, lake shores encompass their own little ecosystem and have unique conditions. This is why lakeshores always seem to have some of the most interesting plant (and animal) life. This is also the reason why making special considerations for your lakeshore is important. Building along lakeshores disturbs, even destroys, the natural micro-habitat that exists there. Your lakeshore doesn't have to revert back to a jungle for it to be a healthy, beautiful lake edge. You can plant along a lakeshore beautifully with great results too. Here's what to know when planting a lakeshore, and some plant ideas to get you started. Many people live on lakes that are large, and are commonly used for sporting. This can mean a summer-long assault on shores by waves made by large boats and other watercraft. These constant, unnatural waves erode the banks quickly. Rock, usually referred to as rip-rap, is often placed along the shoreline as a way to combat the erosion. This is one, very quick way to slow down the erosion process of the waves, but isn't ideal. Natural shorelines rarely consist of large, constant, unnatural boulders. Instead, you will see plant life, fallen wood, and other more natural elements along lakeshores. Plant life naturally filters the water that enters the lake. The roots of plants stop erosion and the natural life replaces the soil around the lake naturally as plants die. Wildlife relies on this zone for many things as well. Birds nest and feed here, animals like turtles and frogs use this area to breed and rest, mammals eat on lake edges with plant life, and so on. Rip-rap shorelines are often completely devoid of life. And finally, in areas where lakes freeze over with ice, the rip-rap has to often be repaired each season as ice expands and contracts, pushing rock out of place. Soil and plant material will expand and contract naturally with ice without damage. One alternative to rip-rap that you see often along lakeshores is the lawn that ends with a short seawall of sorts. This is extremely similar to the rip-rap shoreline. It doesn't encourage healthy filtration of water runoff back into the lake. It's always devoid of life. And, it can still be easily damaged in areas where lakes freeze over. The best option for lakeshores is to plant them beautifully, as they would occur naturally- with some tending to keep things neat if the wild look doesn't appeal to you. There are many trees, shrubs, and perennials that are especially adapted to living along lakeshores. You may see some of it growing on your property already. Beautiful and fast growing willows, especially romantic weeping willow trees like this amazing Niobe Gold Weeping Willow Tree, are ideal lakeshore trees. They quickly stop erosion along the lakeshore and naturally thrive there. They also often out-compete a lot of other vegetation, so if you're looking for a very clean lakeshore but want to keep it natural, weeping willows are excellent choices for this job. If you want a sunny lakeshore that's planted naturally, opt for beautiful native plants. Joe Pye Weed and Swamp Milkweed are two perennials that belong along lakeshores. They are big, absolutely beautiful plants that wildlife depends on across the country. For summer color and interest, Daylilies are hardy and durable for lakeshore settings. Cheryl D. Jones, shares gardening tips and landscape ideas through her blog, newsletters and her nursery's website. Visit https://www.GreenwoodNursery.com/ for a full line of plants for lake shores including trees, flowering shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses and ground covers. Join the Greenwood Gardeners Club free to receive Greenwood Nursery's weekly newsletter, seasonal promotions and 10% off your first order. Google+ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Cheryl_D._Jones/561826 0 Comments | Leave a Comment Did you find this article helpful? Happy Face0 Sad Face0 Viewed 8 times Word count: 567 Article Tools Download a PDF EzinePublisher Report this article Cite this article Stay Informed Subscribe to New Article Alerts: Home Improvement: Green-Living Cheryl D. Jones Email Address Subscribe We will never sell or rent your email address. Green Living Article Feed Green Living Article Feed Find More Articles Search Recent Articles Why Choose Solar Lighting? Why Log Cabins Provide The Perfect Summer Ideal Different Forms of Green Energy Log Cabins In Spring: What You Should Know Solar Power in the Years to Come High Housing Cost Getting You Down - An Eco-Friendly Log Home Is Much Cheaper 10 Tips For Choosing The Perfect Garden Log Cabin Farming With Integrity and Gardening Responsibly How Do I Compost? What Will Happen To Your Log Cabin After Five Years? EzineArticles.com About Us FAQ Contact Us Member Benefits Privacy Policy Shop Site Map Blog Training Video Library Advertising Affiliates Cartoons Authors Submit Articles Members Login Premium Membership Expert Authors Endorsements Editorial Guidelines Terms of Service Publishers Terms Of Service Ezines / Email Alerts Manage Subscriptions EzineArticles RSS © 2017 EzineArticles All Rights Reserved Worldwide