Where a more formal look is desired, it will be seeded with No-Mow grass, which grows only 6 inches and doesn't need fertilizer or irrigation. Working with a Canton Township engineer, Kelly Kelly, SmithGroup JJR and the developers came up with special storm water detention ponds. They have a holding bay that lets water empty more slowly, giving nature more chances to filter impurities. These ponds are not the usual shape, shallow and wide, but dug deep to minimize the amount of trees that must be cleared for them. The sides are lined with hand-set boulders and covered with local vegetation, to increase both filtering and natural appearance.
Landscaping is added to any subdivision to emphasize the entrance and enhance common areas.
But it's nearly always the same trees and shrubs easily grown by nurseries, says Beckjord. Many native trees are hard to buy. Others, like the beautiful, slow-growing shagbark hickory take a century to replace. Shrubs include shining sumac, cranberry bush viburnum and low, sweet blueberry. Woodland flowers are wild geranium, nodding wild onion, woodland sunflower and trillium.