An Inspiring Backyard Habitat

By Lynda Strain

            Carrie Roschlau Dubberley is an accomplished artist in horticulture.  She has completed a degree from Colorado State Univ., from Richland College; she completed degree programs in Landscape Design, Landscape Management, Interiorscape, and a Florist certificate.  She also attended the Masters program in Landscape architecture for one semester at the University of Texas at Arlington.  Carrie was an interior landscaper for 10 years before turning to exterior. Carrie has her own business Earthly Designs (now called Dubberley Landscape Design.)  She continues to educate herself through active involvement in several area organizations (North Texas Water Gardening Society, Master Gardeners, Master Composter, Heritage Herb Clue, and Collin County Native Plant Society of Texas.)  Her interests in natives came from a desire to landscape with long lasting, low-maintenance plants.  She knew that with the birth of her daughter that her time would be limited.

            Carrie’s backyard was on our native garden tour earlier this year.  Don, (Carrie’s husband), has been a major contributor to this project.  It is a garden that began 3 ˝ years ago and focuses on a beautiful pond, waterfall and bog area that Don and Carrie installed.  The waterfall flows down through three small pools before reaching the bog area and pond.  Each of these areas naturally filters the water, maintaining a healthy balance for plants and fish.  The yellow, pink and white hardy waterlilies and one pale blue tropical water lily float serenely on the pond’s surface.  Purple Thalia dealbala (a favorite), pickerel weed, a rainbow of spring flowering iris, arrowhead, floating heart and parrots feather add to the ponds texture.  Two oxygenators, Anacharis and Cabomba caroliniana are used to provide food and spawning sources for fish.  Oxygenators also help control algae and filter the water.  The bog area contains more sweet flag, Cyperus and horsetail (an aggressive that needs frequent thinning to prevent taking over.)  The pond and surrounding area are edged and sculpted with stones creating natural pockets for many marginal plants and a large rock garden to the side.  Behind the waterfall are tall graceful ornamental grasses (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gracillimus’, Morning Light’ & Zebrinus’), backed by a Mexican plum tree.  Cascading down the side is a large rock garden containing many natives and hardy perennials.  Tucked in with these are a few Rocky Mountain natives she has transplanted from her home in Estes Park, Colorado – (sulfur flower, Artemisia, pussy toes and a juniper.)  Some of the Texas natives in this area are Salvia greggii, blue mealy sage, Calylophus, Greggs dalea, black dalea, Mexican bush sage, yarrow millefolium, skullcap and red yucca.  A Texas star hibiscus and a bald cypress seedling reside in the upper ponds.  Many different kinds of sedums and ground hugging juniper edge the pond with water clover, Frogfruit, rock Penstemon and clumps of chalky blue grass – festuca ovina ‘Elija Blue’.  On the other side of the pond is a garden around a wax myrtle.  Included in this area are spring obedient plant, lyre leaf sage, creeping plumbago and a beautiful specimen of blue mist (Caryopteris clandonensis.)  In the garden bed surrounding a young live oak are purple coneflower, Anisacanthus, coralberry, Engelmann daisy, Turkscap, a native clematis, mountain sage (salvia regla) and a beautiful vitex chaste trimmed into tree form.  Carrie has a fondness for herbs and tucks many different specimens in as fillers.

            Along the shady side of the house are many native wood ferns.  Texture and color are added with Hostas and other shade loving perennials.  In an area enclosed from the backyard she maintains a small raised vegetable bed and two compost bins.

            Thank you Carrie and Don for sharing with us your beautiful backyard.  An inspiration for all!