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What are the Health Benefits of Elderberries? Learn About Elderberries with Mary Palmer Dargan

Source: Dargan Landscape Architects
Source: Dargan Landscape Architects

One of our goals here at Dargan Landscape Architects is to heal the planet one garden at a time. In practice, this is an overarching goal as we work to create sustainable landscapes that do more good than harm for our communities and planet-at-large. However, the same plants you use to heal the earth can also be used to heal yourself.

Are You Familiar With the Health Benefits of Elderberries?

Mother Nature has provided free healthcare and remedies via her plants’ roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and plants. Until recently, medicinal gardens were a staple of any home landscape and slowly but surely, the pendulum is swinging back to nature (literally!) as people learn the health benefits of the plants and herbs growing in their gardens. Today, I’m going to talk to you about the health benefits of elderberries, the fruit of an easy-to-grow shrub that is also an aesthetically pleasing addition to your landscape species roster.

Elderberries are the products of a common North American shrub that goes by many names, including elderberry trees, golden elder flower trees, black elderberry or North American elderberry. The berries grow in clusters (although the birds can diminish a cluster in no time leaving only the occasional berry here and there!), and proper treatment of these berries, including the making of teas, bitters, tinctures and even wines and cordials all yield healing benefits.

Elderberry has been used medicinally for hundreds of years. The berries contain high levels of Vitamin C as well as antioxidants. Bioflavonoids and unique proteins lend elderberries antiviral properties as well. The healing benefits of elderberry compounds include:

  • Lower cholesterol
  • Enhanced immune system function
  • Improved vision
  • Protection against both bacteria and viruses, providing relief from colds, flus and tonsillitis.
  • Mild laxative properties
  • Diuretic properties
  • Improved heart health

In some families, elderberry is still the primary go-to source for relief of the first signs of a flu or bug. Check out our video on how to harvest elderberries. Keep posted for more information on how to make tasty elderberry bitters and wines or contact Dargan Landscapes to learn more.

 

How to Support Sustainable Gardening? Join Forces with the Highlands Biological Station

I have dedicated the bulk of my life to sustainable gardening in one form or another. My passion for plants inspired me to pursue – and obtain – a degree in botany from the University of Tennessee in the 1970s. My courses and educational contacts led me to a job at the Tennessee Botanical Gardens, which resulted in the receipt of a prestigious award for propagating a special species of Echinacea (Echinacea Tennesseensis). Thus began my passionate career as a botanist and landscape architect, or – as I like to say – my lifelong career as “a real plant geek.”

Highlands-Biological-Station
Source: Highlands Biological Station

Support Sustainable Living and Gardening at Highlands Biological Station

Part of any landscape architect’s job is educating clients through the process. I have worked as an expert educator, including a professorship at Clemson University where I taught landscape architecture and planning. I continue to travel the country speaking and lecturing for various plant- and landscape-related organizations. In addition to running a successful landscape architecture firm in Atlanta with my life partner, Hugh Dargan, I also lead and represent four states  – Alabama, Florida, South Carolina and Georgia – in conservation and national affairs legislation for the National Garden Club of America.

Through all of these life experiences, I have maintained a very close and hands-on relationship with the Highlands Biological Station, and now you have an opportunity to personally support the long-view mission of this unique enterprise. The goal is to transform the Highlands Biological Station into a more interactive learning grounds for children and adults. The final vision includes enthusiastic children, students, and groups making their way from the botanical gardens, through the southern Appalachian swamp, back to the classrooms at the new dam and then up to an event facility overlooking the lake where they can apply the micro-aspects of what they have learned to the greater, global picture.

Do you share Dargan Landscape’s goal of saving the planet one garden at a time? Support our collective dream of sustainable living and gardening at Highlands Biological Station by visiting, donating, or volunteering. Contact Highlands Biological Station or Dargan Landscapes to learn more.

 

How Do I Prepare My Landscape for Winter?

Source: Dargan Landscape Architects
Source: Dargan Landscape Architects

You put too much time and passion into your garden to allow winter to destroy your efforts. Your delicate shrubs and plants cannot withstand cold temperatures without suffering damage, so they need protection. With weather becoming increasingly difficult to predict, prepping your landscape for winter will ensure that come spring, your garden will thrive anew. We have put together some great tips to help you get started.

Protective Fencing
While protective fencing is often used to protect plants along the edges of your property from salt or other melting products, it will also protect your gardens from animal activity in warmer climes. 

Frost Protection
Frost can hit us at any time during the winter season, so it is essential to have frost protection fabric for your sensitive plants. If your daytime temperatures are warm, it is best to cover your plants at night when frost is expected and remove the coverings during the heat of the day.

Insulate with Mulch
To keep the soil temperature near the roots of your plants moderated, apply a two-inch layer of mulch at the base of your plants and trees. Mulch will also aid in water retention in dry winters and help prevent soil erosion in the event of a spring runoff. 

Compost Protection
Some perennials that are limited in hardiness, such as roses, require compost to be mounded up to the crown to protect them in winter. Whenever possible you should use pulverized topsoil as it is less likely to cause root rot in the event of a warm, wet winter.

Pruning Tip
If you plan to prune any plants, wait until winter is almost over. By pruning later in the dormant season, the fresh wounds will not be exposed very long before new growth begins.

Prepping your landscape for winter does not have to mean an end to inspiration for your landscaping and garden wishes. Dargan Landscape Architects would be happy to meet with you to design your ideal outdoor space. View some of our project photos and contact us to learn more.

 

Can I Use Gravel and Stone for Garden Walkways?

Source: Dargan Landscape Architects
Source: Dargan Landscape Architects

When you think of a floor, chances are good you do not immediately think of your garden. By its very definition, however, a floor is a surface that is walked on. With that in mind, choosing the proper flooring for your gardens and their walkways is very important for both the function and overall appeal of your garden. Utilizing soft materials for garden floors can add to a tranquil setting and not take away too much attention from the work you have put into design and planting.

The first thing to determine is whether your garden is casual or formal. A general rule of thumb is to use loose materials for casual spaces and more structured materials for formal areas. The exception to that general rule would be maintenance. If you have many trees dropping leaves and seed pods onto your garden floor, loose materials can be difficult to keep clean-looking. The following are some ideas for utilizing soft materials for garden floors:

  • Flat pea gravel is a popular choice for both casual and formal spaces because of its compact size and versatility. It can be used for many applications such as walkways with edging, seating areas, and as filler between larger stone elements such as flagstone. Be careful not to put In too deep; we used a crusher run base of 3” and a 1” topping of gravel on the surface.

  • River rock is large stones that have been worn smooth from tumbling in a river. A natural-looking product, river rock can direct drainage and create dry creek beds for focal points. The stones can be difficult to walk on, so you may use them to edge a garden path rather than create main pathways.

  • Crushed granite can be used in both formal and casual gardens to create garden floors or pathways. The crushed stone is not smooth like pea gravel, however, the natural coloring blends well with most landscapes. It needs an edging of brick, metal or river rocks to hold it in place.

  • Soft-looking, smooth and fairly uniform in color, Mexican beach pebbles are a sophisticated choice for lining beds, walkways, and creating a zen-like atmosphere.

Let Dargan Landscape Architects design a master plan for your garden. View our past designs and contact us to learn more.

How Can I Incorporate Natural Elements into Garden Paths?

Source: Dargan Landscape Architects
Source: Dargan Landscape Architects

Garden paths may be functional and lead to a specific destination or they may be decorative and lend themselves to a stroll through your landscape. Regardless of their purpose, paths should always have a destination as a type of reward for whomever chooses to follow them. For a stroll-type path, the destination may be a beautiful centerpiece such as the one we created as a Dargan Landscape Architects project in this photo. Other destinations may be a sitting area or even a view of water. Incorporating natural elements into garden paths will ensure that whether the design is for function or fancy, they will still be beautiful and tie well into your garden’s overall design.

Once you have determined the destination, you need to assess what elements your garden path will pass through. When incorporating natural elements into garden paths, the idea is to keep them in character with the surroundings rather than having them clash or seem to be an afterthought. For example, a meandering pathway of variegated stones may not work well with a landscape that is ultra-modern and geometric.

To ensure the garden path is safe and comfortable for walking, stones or pavers should not have gaps larger than four inches between them and gravel-type paths must be secure enough to walk over without turning an ankle. Such safety measures do not have to impede your design, however. The materials you choose can be used in many ways to blend beautifully with your landscape. Irregular shapes can be used to create interesting walkways with live plants or pea gravel as space fillers. Uniform shapes can be mixed and matched to create interesting patterns or a cobbled look.

Before beginning construction on your garden paths, you should determine the end result you wish to achieve and create a plan. You can get some inspiration from our Dargan Landscape Architects photos or contact us to help you design and build the perfect pathway for your landscape.