BACKGROUND The Schroeders had persistent problems with geese taking over their lakeside property, rendering the backyard almost unusable. They wanted a beautiful and environmentally conscientious landscape that deterred geese and attracted more desirable wildlife.

GOALS/CONCERNS The existing yard was dminated by sod, which extended to the lakeshore.  Geese love this. The clients' property was not continuous along the shoreline. The house is sited on a small inlet on Lake Owasso. The property inludes art of a point not directly attached to the yard. Access had to be carefully planned around neighbors' concerns.

SOLUTIONS First we graded the yard with a gentle slope leading down to the water. We placed biologs, erosion control fabric and mulch to protect the shoreline while the plants were establishing themselves. Native plantings were installed along the length of the shoreline, except for a portion where a boat dock could be accessed. Geese avoid native shoreline plantings because taller plants limit their view of potential predators. We planted a strip of native aquatic and transitional plants fifteen feet wide. The planing area on the point includes aquatic, transitional and upland nativesas well as a flagstone patio We periodically return to control invasive plants (including purple loosestrife and yellow nutsedge), to install supplemental plants, and to water the new plantings. The new landscape attracts numerous birds (including hummingbirds) and butterflies, and the Schroeders have not had a problem with geese even once since the restoration.