Seeking Garden Design Advice
21 days ago
last modified: 21 days ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (8)
- 18 days ago
- 18 days agolast modified: 18 days ago
Related Discussions
New Garden, seeking hedge/screen advice
Comments (1)Lex: while photos are extremely helpful to us in visualizing the situation, the one you provided is not doing your garden justice - it's a bit too small and the panorama effect distorts the perspective. Is it possible for you repost with individual photos of the garden areas rather than a panoramic composite? And a quick plan sketch with some measurements would be equally helpful. Beyond this, suggestions will be unfortunately vague :-) Depth of available planting areas will determine to a large extent what can be used successfully for screening as well as layering.......and if this is your intent, it is best to err on the side of generosity. And some quick thoughts on plant selection. It's impossible to see from the photo provided where formalized, sheared hedging may be appropriate. Arborvitaes are ideal for taller formal hedges and pruning or shearing is optional, as many (like the Emerald Green) are by habit narrow and columnar. For shorter hedges, box or Japanese holly are popular and for good reason, but germander, rosemary, even lavender could work in the right situation. Formalized hedges require ongoing routine maintenance to keep them looking sharp, so keep that in mind when making your plant choices - don't select a shrub or tree that naturally wants to grow to 20+ feet when all you are looking for is an 8' hedge.......too much work involved :-) Otherwise, an informal screening as a backdrop for lower plantings is relatively easy to achieve, provided the depth of the planting bed is suitable. A mix of evergreen shrubs/small trees and deciduous plants will accomplish this, with the weight placed on the evergreens. Your second group of listed plants could comprise the bulk of this, but I might consider replacing the viburnum choices with the evergreen V. tinus and adding Choisya ternata, camellia or smaller selections of Hinoki cypress. I am personally very fond of fastigiate hornbeams for deciduous screening purposes and use them often in designs. Their very upright and dense branching structure makes them pretty effective for this purpose even out of leaf. Carpinus betulus 'Frans Fontaine' is my cultivar of choice. And some of your listed plants are just not well advised for your area or for the purpose you have in mind. Butterfly bush is a listed Oregon invasive plant, redbuds tend to be rather short-lived in the NW, sumac suckers aggressively and over a wide distance and privet has a host of issues that make it a less than wonderful choice. Hope this will be a start to get you thinking. And come back to us with more photos if you can....See MoreSeeking advice on building brick raised garden bed on slope
Comments (10)Thanks for the frank assessment, marcinde. You can see gaps at the back corner because we haven't finished. We needed to get a rotor blade that could cut masonry, but we were trying to lay things out to get a sense of the sizes we needed. Yeah, the material we used was labeled "wall" at the big-box store where we got them. Perhaps misleading. Today we had a nice long talk at the local, independent garden center, showing them pictures of what we've done so far. They gave some advice on how we could salvage the work we've done and make use of the materials we have. First, they suggested using a surface bond on the inside of the walls, rather than dismantling the wall and using mortar. Next, line the inside with landscaper's cloth. Then, make sure to really tamp down that earth that we use to fill the bed, tamping down each layer as we go. Then leave it all for a week to further settle, before we start planting. We are going to give it a go, and hope for the best. But we welcome further input. Thanks, MSP & JLP...See MoreSeeking advice re: my plan for turning lawn to organic garden
Comments (6)Your plan seems reasonably complete but I would change the order - site prep first (clearing out any existing plantings, layout of features, grading/excavating, lasagna conversion), then the hardscaping. Planting is always the last step in a landscape renovation other than any mulch application. Not sure what kind of lawn type you have now, but if a Bermuda grass, the lasagna method is not gonna work. Even digging out the sod and flipping it over and piling on other layers will not kill the Bermuda. It will remain around forever and create a huge weedy grass issue. If a Bermuda grass lawn, you will need to kill it off somehow before attempting the lasagna layering. Otherwise, I agree that mowing the lawn short is not a requirement but might make work easier. Roger's Gardens in Corona del Mar holds a 'California Friendly' gardening contest each year. These are conversions of water consuming landscapes into eco-friendly, drought tolerant but still lush and attractive waterwise and fire retardant gardens. Whether or not you choose to enter the contest, looking at their album of gardens from previous contest years could be a great inspiration. And they carry a wonderful selection of appropriate plantings. Worth a Sunday drive for a visit if nothing else ;-) And I'd suggest you post in the regional California Gardening forum your request for sources for materials. Locals will have a much better idea of directing you to appropriate vendors for your needs. Craigslist is a good resource as well. As I stated in your previous post, this is really more of a landscape design issue than necessarily one just focused on soils or organic gardening. You've got the concept nailed down pretty well..........it's only the methodology (organic or not) that is up for discussion and it is certainly possible to accomplish your intent without resorting to chemicals. But don't get too wound up in the "organic" mindset. Sometimes this terminology can get confusing and interfere with the most efficient process to achieve your intent. This is more an issue of sustainability or designing your garden to accommodate your climate with minimal input and recycling materials to create the effect you want. And the recycling can/should include the hardscaping and mulching as well as the lasagna layering. Here is a link that might be useful: California Friendly gardens...See MoreInfo. to Give Us When You Seek Design Advice!
Comments (1)add 'I'm panning/not planning to water'...See More- 18 days ago
- 18 days ago
- 18 days ago
- 15 days ago
- 11 days agolast modified: 11 days ago
Related Stories
GARDENING GUIDESLandscape Designers Share 8 Tips for Creating a Cohesive Garden
If this past year has sparked an interest in making more of your outdoors, this expert advice will lay the groundwork
Full StoryOUTBUILDINGSReady for a Garden Shed? Read This Professional Advice First
A good shed can provide storage, become a focal point and make it easier to garden. Here’s how to get it right
Full StoryLATEST NEWS FOR PROFESSIONALS‘On Style’ Offers Inspiration and Advice From Interior Designers
Peek into the approaches and design philosophies of five of the country’s top interior designers profiled in a new book
Full StoryFALL GARDENINGWhat Monarch Butterflies Taught Me About Garden Design
Thinking like a butterfly leads to fresh perspectives in the garden and in life
Full StoryEARTH DAY12 Sustainable Gardening Ideas From Landscape Design Pros
Create a more earth-friendly garden by planting for pollinators, ditching pesticide use and more
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNThe Case for Functional Garden Design
Clear away the decoration to give every area of your garden a clear function
Full StoryREGIONAL GARDEN GUIDESWelcome the Turning Season: Advice for Your September Garden
Roll with the cooler weather by planting away. Our gardening guides tell you what plant picks are best for each U.S. region
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNHow to Design an HOA-Approved Pollinator Garden
Take these steps and be aware of these issues to create a landscape that helps nature thrive
Full StoryGARDENING AND LANDSCAPINGWorld of Design: 10 Home Gardeners Show Us Their Sweet Summer Harvests
From New York to Tokyo, these gardeners have turned their yards, terraces and rooftops into places of bounty
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDES10 Design Tips Learned From the Worst Advice Ever
If these Houzzers’ tales don’t bolster the courage of your design convictions, nothing will
Full StorySponsored
floraluk2