Want your garden to thrive? Think local

Wouldn't it be nice if your landscape thrived instead of just survived next season? If you follow Richard Liberto's example, it could happen. But first, you'll have to forget about what you see on HGTV and at the big-box stores.

Now, focus on local.

Liberto, a landscape designer, is a strong proponent of regional landscaping. His Pittsburgh-area garden is a living example of what can be done using native plants along with a judicious mix of ones from around the world.

"Diversity is essential," he says. "It's essential to maintain our vernacular landscapes and culture, and it's essential to combat the spread of diseases and insects,"

Which doesn't mean we can't tweak the local with global.

"A good (plant) palette should take a broader global perspective. Horticulture and conservation are on a movement to preserve green spaces around the world. Therefore, we cannot restrict the landscape to plants that only existed before anybody touched it."

Liberto admits that he was one of the first to embrace the "native plant" movement. But it doesn't go far enough, he says, and at the same time, it is too limiting.

"It did not allow for, say Japanese plants such as the Kousa dogwood or Japanese iris. Many of our urban landscapes are too far degraded now for our native dogwood or serviceberry trees -- or so many other natives that flourished before the onslaught of concrete and asphalt," he says.

The goal is to find plants that will thrive without additional water, fertilizer and pesticides. It's also imperative that non-natives be non-invasive and be in harmony with existing plants and the immediate landscape.

Liberto also espouses a theory that he calls "holistic" or "naturalistic" landscaping. The idea is to reclaim a landscape as a "total" living space by eliminating old-fashioned, high-maintenance foundation plants. This allows use of more relaxed plantings that express seasonal change and don't require pesticides or lots of maintenance. Of course, these landscapes are also filled with native plants and materials that are self-sustaining.

Liberto sees his role as both designer and educator, spreading the word to his clients.

"Some get it and understand it right from the start," he says. "(Clients) are becoming more and more informed."

Trust and honesty between designer and client is paramount to a successful project, Liberto says.

If you are considering hiring a designer, says Liberto, you have to be honest about how much time you are willing to devote to your landscape. So many people lead busy lifestyles these days that they tend to gravitate toward lower maintenance landscapes. But understand this, he says: There is no such thing as a no-maintenance landscape.

Liberto specializes in naturalistic landscapes, which he says can function well within a variety of architectural types and usually require less pruning and other maintenance.

"While these types of designs can't fit every single type of architecture, they can be done in a more refined aspect, toned down to fit most homes," he says.

Whoever you hire to design your landscaping, be realistic about what you can spend. Design fees and the first phase can run from $10,000 to $12,000.

Plans without installation are less, but they can still cost several thousand dollars. Add in hardscape (walkways, walls, etc.) or fancy items like outdoor kitchens, and the price can easily reach $30,000 or more, Liberto says.

These days, it's not unusual for people to stretch projects over three to five years. As a result, Liberto has a chance to build a relationship with clients, which makes it easy for him to interpret what they want and to nudge them along the path toward more imaginative plantings.

"People become 'informed' by what they see" -- which can be both good and bad, says Liberto.

And above all, he says, have patience.

"These days, so many things are instant that it's expected in landscaping."

Plants still grow in their own time.