Safeg uard
Your Shoreline
18 |^ Log Home Living^ |^ AUGUST^2019
by Elizabeth MillardSave your “blank slates” for art and interior design projects — when it
comes to landscaping a waterfront log home, starting from zero is a bad
idea. Here’s how to prevent selling your home’s water view down the river.
The roots and foliage of
mature shrubs and trees
act as a natural filter,
keeping runoff and debris
from entering the water.Safeg uard
Your Shoreline
Save your “blank slates” for art and interior design projects. When it
comes to landscaping a waterfront log home, starting from scratch is a
bad idea. Here’s how to make the most of your home’s water views.
W
hen planning a log
home, it’s natural to
be drawn to a site near
a body of water. What
could be more relaxing than listening to
the soothing sounds of a flowing river
or taking in the morning mist atop a
glassy pond? If you love log homes,
chances are you also love to feel at one
with the outdoors. If enjoying watery
views is part of your plan, it’s essential to
take care not to sabotage these magical
moments before they can ever happen.
Unwittingly or not, many builders
and landscapers take a “clear everything”
approach when prepping a build site. This
seems to make sense, since that’s often what
would happen on a typical, non-water-
edged site, and it would enable you to put
grass all the way down to the shoreline.
But here’s the problem, and it’s a big
one: That strategy is so hazardous to the
health of a lake or river’s ecosystem that it
has led to serious, irreversible degradation
of numerous bodies of water (and, is now
even illegal in some states). In other words,
that sweeping lawn is likely to kill the very
water source you are so eager to enjoy.Here are some alternate strategies to
preserve your land and water views:- RETAIN EXISTING VEGETATION
Creating a “blank slate” and then plant-
ing trees and shrubs is tempting, but it’s
better to work with the bushes, ground-
cover, trees and other plants that are
native to the shoreline. They provide a
built-in filtration system thanks to their
deeply established roots. These root sys-
tems not only keep runoff from invading
the water, they also support pollinators,
frogs, dragonflies and other critters that photo by fotolia.com/dplett