Sloped garden design with big challenge
daysquid
11 years ago
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daysquid
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agokarinl
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Steep Side yard slope + big picture planning
Comments (64)CCP - I am late to respond, but I am not sure what pictures to add. If you look at the ones I put up on 4/15/11 and imagine grass, you pretty much have the layout. The swings are steps from the patio, and running around space is more open behind the garage. General Update - Another season in, we cured the drainage issue in the spring, mostly. The dry creek to nowhere, that my architect and landscaper thought would work, didn't. We were left with rocks on top of mud, instead of mud. We pulled it, and did a DIY (disaster filled install) french drain going across two and a half properties. We used "EZ-Flow" Pipes from NDS, which is basically an alternative to gravel. We are having some problems with the pipes bucking after a heavy rain and needing to be re-worked in my next,next door neighbor's yard, but we are planning to add more fill to weigh it down. Moving the water away to the community retention pond was the only cure though. Kind of wish we had written a check as opposed to DIY though. In terms of the plantings, almost everything has thrived - except the dogwood and sourwood in the rear. We replaced the sourwood once and its replacement is hurting. There is a bit of grade there and we've read that sourwood's like water, so we think that its iffy that we have the right plant there given that the water drains. The dogwood, we may replace this weekend. That particular tree was always kind of weak even before the transplant from the front yard to the back, so we will give it one more shot before looking at another selection. The patio (and deck above) gather mold rather easily. In a few years I'd like to rip the cheap composite deck out and replace it with something (tropical hardwood?, regular wood?), but we'll live with it for a while. The mold/moss (green stuff) on the bluestone is a bit more disconcerting, as we wonder if it is a sign that the area below the patio is on the wetter side. The ground is firm, and there is gravel below, and the gutters are buried/routed away, but we speculate that water may be a factor. In terms of our enjoyment - we had a labor day party last weekend and could put a couple dozen people in the yard no problem. The kids like to hid in the tall grasses by the side stairs, and the curb appeal is nice. So far, so good....See MoreWhy I'm winter sowing... or, my insane gardening challenge
Comments (14)I should point out that I'm not winter sowing for that back woodland area this year. I'm actually wintersowing edibles and flowers for my front garden - mostly edibles for the terraces and a herbaceous border for the side slopes. Growing plants from seed for my 1/4 acre front garden seemed ambitious enough for the first year... I have coughed up cash for foundation shrubs and trees, particularly ones necessary for privacy and to stabilize steep slopes and pull water out of wet areas. I picked up 10 Western Red Cedars and 10 Oregon Grape for now from the local native plant sale. That's about all the cedars we can fit in until we clear more uphill (and all the Tubex tree tubes I can afford). We'll put more in next year and keep working our way uphill. The Oregon Grape we're putting along the property line up the hill. Hopefully it will eventually block out the view of the neighbors driveway and parking pad so they're not looking in the back of the house. I'm still tempted to head out to the King County sale to pick up sword fern, which works really well here. The local sale only has shrubs and trees. As for island living, I'm personally in love with "the moat" as the locals call it. Keeps out the riffraff. ;) Living here would be much less convenient if we commuted, but we both work from home, so it suits us perfectly. We end up over on the mainland every week or two for some appointment or another, which keeps us from getting cabin fever....See MoreGarden progression challenge
Comments (88)Looks like I never updated my progression after July, so here's the rest of the year, now that frost is upon us: April 29: May 3: May 17: May 26: June 4: July 15: July 27: August 20 (After a large branch smashed it pretty badly during a storm): September 16: October 13: Since houzz won't let me put any more photos in this post, I think I'm done for the year. It's all over but the cutting back, anyway. It was a bad year for deer and a lot of plants got munched before they bloomed. With that and the endless cycle of rain and heat in our area, the garden wasn't looking it's best. But I still had bloom from March through at least November (assuming all the blooming plants don't suddenly die in the next four days) and that's not bad for a still novice gardener! I am excited for the thousand bulbs I planted in my little patch of woodland to come up next spring, and I know I will be digging and rearranging the front yard in the spring, too. I have really enjoyed everyone's progressions, and am very inspired to keep "biggering" my garden!...See MoreI have a landscape design challenge. Here is the before and after.
Comments (15)You have a lot of different things going on. Because the spot it directly in front of the house (as viewed from the street) I'd be inclined to simplify the area and calm it down. And keep it low. So low, sun tolerant groundcover would be my choice. Within that category, there's be options on height and character, dependent, of course, on what the conditions are offering. It could be 1' high, 3' high or in between, depending on what you choose. But groundcover will automatically limit the height whereas shrub masses usually keep getting forever taller....See MoreMike Larkin
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agoYardvaark
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7 years ago
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