Looking for ideas for patio area (pics)

17 years ago

OK, I need to start somewhere... I'll start with the most visible part of the garden if you're standing inside the house and looking out toward the backyard.

I'm looking for ideas for the bare spots.

Here's what it looked like in better days, taken from the step of the patio right outside the huge windows at the back of the family room. We've cut down the pink rose in the background (Zepherine Drouhin) and plan to remove it.... it is disease-prone and blooms only in spring. That bright red geranium to the right of it is also gone. To the right of that are Salvia elegans (pineapple sage) and Iochroma. The blue pot is also gone since the plant that was in it drowned in the very wet winter 2 years ago.

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Here it is now from a closer perspective. I've removed some of the plants that were overgrown (I just remembered that I did actually get some gardening done this year!). I'm planning to add some Agapanthus to the foreground at the base of the vine (Pandorea Jasminoides), and we want low-growing plants so they don't hinder the view to the background. But, WHAT?? Soil is amended clay and the spot gets about half-day sun in summer. Rosemary thrived there, as do Nemesia (still here) and the 'Roseanne' geranium.

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Here's the other side of those steps. The big mound behind the rock is Salvia chiapensis (currently not blooming and needs trimming). The new daylilies in the foreground are a famous variety named after a woman (whose name escapes me now), the flowers are a gorgeous peach color. Currently there are ugly, upright white Pentas between them. I'd like to replace the Pentas with something a little lower and wider to fill in... more Agapanthus? I know they are ubiquitous but I like them, they'd love this spot, the blue flowers would nicely complement the daylilies, they'd balance the Agapanthus I'm planning to add to the other side of the steps.... and I'm stumped for other ideas. The spot gets about half sun. The tree is carrotwood, which throws seeds EVERYWHERE and is a nuisance... we'd like to remove it but that's another big job. On the far right is part of a large Agapanthus which I may or may not keep there. The pots are questionable... high maintenance in summer and I tend to forget to water them. However, I'd like something in front of the wall that thrives on low water (again, about half-day sun).

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Any ideas or suggestions are welcome. Easy care, attractive all year, low-growing (to see beyond them next to the patio) are the main criteria, but I'm open to any suggestions.

Jen

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Comments (5)

BecR
17 years ago
plants that come to mind, that do well in your zone (same as mine) and with your light/water/soil/maintenance conditions...

dusty miller
carpet roses
heavenly bamboo (some varieties are low growing)
asparagus fern
foxtail fern
ivy pelargonium
scabiosa 'blue butterfly'
fernleaf lavender

Becky
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gobluedjm 9/18 CA
17 years ago
You could put in Lantana and let it cascade over the wall.
It comes in several colors. Mine is still blooming. It got frosted a little. Little maintenance and it will fill in but it might do better with more sun...hence cut the tree down.
Pin cushion scabiosa is low, requires just dead heading and it will multiply.
Ceanothus carmel creeper
Blue fescue
Blue oat grass
Blue plumbago, the low growing kind
Manzanita
Garden Penstemon, penstemon heterophyllus
Sea Lavender, statice
Wallflower, erysimum, not always long lived.
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Thought I would provide an update since I used some of the suggestions provided above. I removed the dead juniper and moved the good, left-sided juniper (the one next to the sandcherry) and placed it in front of the two remaining junipers on the right to create a triangle. I pruned each a little so they are all slightly different heights--the tallest being closest to the house. Two of the spirea were moved in front of the juniper triangle to the front of the bed and the remaining one to the front, left side of the bed, slightly right of the sandcherry. In the remaining space--the gap left by the removal of the spriea and the 2 junipers on the left--I planted a viburnum (maresii [sp?]. I think this should provide a decent amount of space for both the sancherry and viburnum (with pruning). It also created the more informal look I was going for and added some height and bulk at the corner of the house that was much needed. I think I will really like it once things fill in a little. Thanks again for the suggestions
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It doesn't look like your drainage problems is that severe. First gutters are needed to capture and direct the water away from the house and that low area. Run the downspouts to buried 4" plastic pipe. There are two not so hard fixes for the low area. One is to install a catchbasin in the ground and dig a trench along the property line to a point where it is lower than the catchbasin (it only looks like 20-30'). Then let the water drain with the slope. Alternatively, you could dig out that rise to allow the water to escape. After that is fixed get some bermuda sod. For privacy, look into some native pines that stay full near the ground. The grow fast and are relatively cheap. A grove of them near the drainage ditch will start to add structure to your yard while you decide what your overall plan is.
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HI Spazzycat Beautiful, beautiful work. You are amazing! It's not my place but I know I always welcome ideas when trying to make changes to my place. It sounds like you want to somehow integrate the waterfeature (I have a pondless and I love it) into your landscape. Why not place the feature close to the patio (I find it really draws me to it and have placed a low bench and a couple of chairs facing it because it is mesmerizing) I noticed that you have some very pretty trees in the yard. Why not ancher the wall with a lovely small tree (flowering or winter interest whatever you think you may need) near the end and then place a grouping of flagstone set simply and not to regularly in stone dust near it so you can look at the fountain from a different perspective. the path could be stone dust with flagging that would be similar to your patio but maybe a little more casual feeling. I'm not sure how much space you have there. It may be that you can't even fit a walkway but I know what you mean about wanting to branch out. You could also go one step further and create a garden room there by putting in a hedge of some sort that would enclose it somehow. If you wanted it to really take you to the other part of the yard, (looks like you have a beautiful shrub border) you could trim the hedge to allow a doorway through it. I've seen this and done it and it is charming.... I love to create garden rooms. I think they really do draw you in and if each one has a place to sit, you are really drawn to the seat (though it doesn't look like you sit down too much!) your place is beautiful. Best of luck and have fun dreaming! mps
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Hi! Am new to this forum, so bear with me. A recent home improvement show showed them using some flagstone on a mesh backing...and it was awesome. A sample of the stone can be seen at www.slate-quartzite.com under flagstone. I am currently trying to find it here in Indiana so that I can use it to refurbish a small patio area similiar to what you have. The installation was quick and the results very impressive. I've put down stone patios stone by stone, but goodness that is a LOT of work! Hope this helps!
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wanda
17 years ago
Why not go with some interesting succulents? There are plenty of lower growing Aloes, Sedums, Graptoveria, Echeverias, etc. They give you a lot of texture, color and need very little maintenance.

wanda
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kathi_mdgd
17 years ago
Here are some things i have,I'm in Oceanside.N.San Diego Cnty.

The first are a form of impatients ,not the run of the mill ones,but another form.I started these from seed this past summer and they have bloomed and bloomed.I pull them out if they start getting scraggly,and there's always new one to take their place,They are still blooming now,and throw lots of seed.

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Here's a nice succulent that looks good blooming or not,the blooms are an added bonus.It's a Kalanchoe,grey leaves,lavendar flowers.

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this i also love,and another i started from seed.It's called moneywort,and is also a self seeder,and blooms a long time.

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This is evening primrose,low growing,long bloomer,self seeder.

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Cobbity daisys

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freeway daisys

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Hawaaiian Snowbush,this is a nice bush to have in the background,the more sun it gets the more colors it has,no flowers,just colorful leaves.

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Other things are poor mans orchids,kinda grow like the lilies,but sturdier,spread quite well and give you nice full seed pods.The flower is white with purple centers and are repeat bloomers.

The pink and purple are alstromerias and are also repeat bloomers off and on all year long,also nice seed pods.

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These are just a few of my many flowers.I'll have to look in another album for the poor mans orchid.

HTH
Kathi

Just noticed that the firstpicture i said is a cobbity daisy,is in fact more freeway daisys.I posted the wrong picture there,sorry.
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bettyn_gardener
17 years ago
Jenn,

I've been mulling over your two posts since I read them yesterday...

You've gotten some great feedback in both threads and here's my two cents.
Â The suggestion to get some help with the big tasks that overwhelm is right on. This fall we hired some mow and blow guys to take care of the leaves. I can't tell you what a relief it is to look out in the garden and to see it tidy every week. The leaves had just become a big burden.

Â The rose on the trellis is so beautiful. I would replace it with another rose that is less disease prone and maybe add a few more roses as well. A few roses are not too terrible to maintain.

Â Last Christmas, my gift to myself was a consult with a landscape architect. It wasn't a full-blown plan - just a rough sketch with multiple possibilities. I so enjoyed spending time in my garden with someone who really SAW it and understood what I was doing. It was both validating and inspiring. His recommendation to me was to include more greenery. These are the carefree things that can add a great deal of foundation and background to your garden. Less than a year is too soon to see the full affect in my garden yet, but I think it will make a big difference. He emphasized a range of color, texture, form and size. I added pittosporum tobira and crassifolia, more boxwood, abutilon, deflexa loquat, Oregon grape, rosemary, thuja, dwarf blue spruce. More suggestions - barberry, toyon, nandina, rhapheolepis, arbutifolia, sweet olive.

Â I would recommended fewer and larger pots. That would also encourage using that wall for sitting. Install a drip system and mulch to the top of the pot and they don't have to watered daily even in the Sacramento valley. You can even put a large nicely formed pot right in the garden bed as a sculpture. It doesn't even need to have a plant in it - that's about as carefree as you can get!

Â And of course, if you need a good ear, sympathy or cheer-leading, come on back the the Garden Web.
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Looking for ideas for patio area (pics)

Comments (5)

BecR

gobluedjm 9/18 CA

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