Neglect

MAINTENANCE: PROCESS NOT AN EVENT - Gardens/landscapes require ongoing maintenance. There is no such thing as a zero maintenance plant or landscape. The above example was a beautifully conceived and executed little blue stem and Russian sage bed backdropped by serviceberry at the entrance to a new apartment complex. Unfortunately, yet another example of install and walk away, with the area being overrun with woody invaders and thistle within a year. The thistle produced hundreds of thousands of seeds and will be in the soil seed bank for years to come. The woody plants (grey dogwood and smooth sumac) are native and potentially nice ornamentals in their own right, but not here.