Wednesday, October 30, 2013

By Rachael Gutierrez


Beautiful rolling hills, swamps and timber farms; Baton Rouge is a grab bag of natural landscaping events that stretch from its low- lying swamps to its highland dry areas. Preliminary thoughts on complementing that natural beauty may initiate feelings of anxiety and worry but if you start with the topography, landscaping Baton Rouge may not be a reason to reach for the aspirin.

Baton Rouge stretches across three different bio regions: 1, 3 and 4. This means that the city as a whole, is comprised of different types of soil. Bio regions are the naturally occurring divisions of a piece of land. Lakes, rivers, mountains, etc; divide the land into different parts as well as different soil types. Plants differ in growth and life requirements, so the bio-region is the best place to start, when deciding on plant type.

Areas in the Red Alluvial plain are a part of bio region 1. These low laying plains are frequently flooded subsequently; the dirt content is mostly eroded silt and Mississippi river clay. The area is aligned between Port Allen and South Baton Rouge.

This is the largest bio region in the state. Frequent flooding and loose clay cause smaller more delicate plants to struggle to survive in this region. Indigenous plants include mostly Oaks and Elms and other types of resilient hardwood trees. Items used in landscaping like stones or planters should be well secured if used.

Bio region 3 is the area surrounding Tunica Hills and the majority of Central Baton Rouge. It encompasses mid- city through Shenandoah and is a mix of dirt types. Because there is such a range of soil types and unpredictable weather, a definite statement about the soil in region 3 is almost impossible to make. Close to the flood plains, the dirt will be similar to the dirt of region 1, wet, loose clay.

Areas around the dry hills of the third region may be easier to cultivate. Nutrient rich soil combined with the humidity of the area make a natural greenhouse. Plants, both deciduous and otherwise, flourish here. The indigenous plants also vary, like the areas soil.

Region 4 was once known for its long-leaf pines. It is the area next to region 3. It runs from the south through north most part of the city. There is a plethora of timber farms and huge hardwood trees throughout this area. The dirt content is also mostly clay but there is not as much flooding as region 1, so erosion is less significant. Deciduous plants as those found in the swamps of the low country will fail here.

Baton Rouge is the second largest city and capital of Louisiana with topography as varied as its natural landscape. Starting with the dirt will avail you to a plethora of landscaping possibilities as diverse as the city itself. While some areas will fail high maintenance plants, there is an area that will support just about every type of plant. Landscaping Baton Rouge boils down to the knowledge of the environment and the dirt is the most important aspect.




About the Author:



0 Comments:

Post a Comment