Recommended book for lakescaping your cabin's shoreline

Joan Roelke

You're gazing out your cabin window at the lake and thinking, wouldn't it be nice to have flower beds, blooming shrubs and perhaps a patch of grass for Rover? If you have ever taken a lake tour of the shoreline by boat, you may have noticed how certain landscape designs can enhance the property. Did you know lakeshore landscaping can also enhance the quality of the lake?

When designing your lakescape, determine which plants are native to your area. Undeveloped shorelines can give you an idea of what vegetation grows well.

Perennials offer a variety of color and texture, bloom from spring until autumn and can help stabilize your shoreline. The following information can be useful when selecting plant material for your lakescape:

• Perennials with vigorous rhizomes withstand wind and large waves better than annuals with small root systems.
• Certain aquatic plants and planting designs will help protect the shoreline from wave action.
• Knowing your property's soil type will help you choose plants that will thrive.
• Plants with roots that bind soil will help minimize erosion on steep slopes.

• Some plants thrive in the sun and some thrive in the shade. Your site's sun exposure will determine which plants will do best on your site.

Here's a link to a list of native plants for the lakeshore developed by the University of Minnesota that shows the great variety of plant material available: http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/8464-19lnp.pdf. And here's a link to Lakescaping for Wildlife & Water Quality by Carrol L. Henderson, a book listed at Amazon.com and published by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: http://www.amazon.com/Lakescaping-Wildlife-Quality-Carrol-Henderson/dp/0964745127.

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