Jason McKenzie

Most suburbanites pay hundreds of dollars each month to landscape, clip and mow their perfectly manicured, and useless, lawn and garden. The ornamental shrubs, flowers and trees are lawn companies’ idea of potted gold, but Jason McKenzie, owner of The Pineywoods Nursery and Landscaping in Shenandoah, is reeducating the public to return them to their agricultural roots.

Instead of the usual flora, McKenzie urges homeowners to try planting fruit-bearing trees, blueberry shrubs or training blackberries on a trellis. Known as habitat gardening, these plants create a functional habitat for residents, as well as providing a greener landscape, in terms of money and the environment.

Not only can people save money growing their own fruits and vegetables, but using the ground space to grow food is more economical than paying weekly for a professional grooming service, McKenzie said.
For those not quite ready to pick up a spade and trowel, herb gardens are a popular starting point for fresh rosemary, thyme and mint. While none of these plants are evergreen, the payoff is baskets of fruit in season and fall foliage during the winter.  Jason is well known in Montgomery County especially in regards to his native Texas plant knowledge.