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Conference
2006
Plants as infrastructure
Abstract:
How
can urban riparian planting chime with residential garden design?
- amenity planting trial for urban streamsides
LESLIE
HAINES and JACQUELINE MARGETTS
Current research on riparian
planting is focussing on re-vegetation. This emphasis on native
plants and their associated ecological values is appropriate for
much riparian planting, especially where native biodiversity is
to be maximised. Non-native plants often have the potential to enhance
ecological values (such as faunal habitat) too. When an urban stream
flows through private property, visual amenity also becomes important.
Designers, who, while wishing to maintain or enhance the ecological
values of the stream, also have to attend to aesthetics - they have
to ask how the riparian planting can chime in with the design of
the rest of the garden.
Designers need to be
able to select from a broad range of plants, both native and exotic,
and know that their choice is appropriate in terms of bank stabilisation
and flood tolerance while at the same time possessing the desired
aesthetic characteristics. During the plant selection process, consideration
needs to be given to the potential for species invasiveness. Non-native
water dispersed plants (whatever the characteristic of the propagule)
are of particular concern. As well planting design has a role to
play in the suppression of weeds, effectively minimising the need
for mechanical and chemical plant mass reduction.
The benefits of offering
a wider range of suitable plants are that designers will be encouraged,
not only to consider more carefully the planting of the stream sides,
but also be guided to choose those species which are most suitable
for the task, rather than using species "on a wing and a prayer"
which look good, but not knowing if they will also do the 'ecological'
job.
Leslie Haines and
Jacqueline Margetts
Lecturers in Landscape Architecture, Unitec.
Email: lhaines@unitec.ac.nz
Email: jmargetts@unitec.ac.nz.
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