Here's the plan....

15 years ago

So, I have to make a 3-year plan. My lot is shallow and wide, so I want to put in a garden along the frontage.

This is the old garden along the back of the property. Many of the plants are sun-loving, such as iris, but the trees are very mature now. This, however, is the template of what I want to create. I will move many plants from here.

{{gwi:680201}}

It is 14 spans of 12' - about 168'.

This is Adelaide Hoodless, a sub-zero rose grown on it's own roots. Very pretty - I have been inspired to try roses again. I have also put some lilac suckers in, as well as a forsythia. I have two weeping cyprus cedars that I will move there, as well as a very small oak. This will give me more privacy, as well as emphasizing the depth of the lot. I will do this as lasagne this fall. Do you think it will be OK to add some plants this fall, such as irises and bulbs for spring? I may take a year or so to get the wood for the fence, though I've seen some up a side road near here, so need to find the owner to try to make a deal.

This is the yard at the front door. I managed to kill the grass, as I did not move all of the wood from the shed from here right away. Hmmm...do I see an opportunity?? yea, more garden!!

Sylvester was chasing baby frogs, in this view. I will put lots of paths, as well as a flagstone sitting area.

And since I seem to be able to post pics again, one more:

This is the veg garden I dug this spring, taken on the 17th of July - everything is huge now.

So, the demise of the motherboard was premature - it was my AVG after all. It is now nicely loaded, and I can share again. Thanks for looking, and I apologize for the size of the pics. I am afraid to edit, because it keeps wanting me to upload a new flash thingie and that's when i crash...

Nancy.

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Comments (10)

lvtgrdn
15 years ago
Wow, what a nice big yard! I love the size of the photos, as I feel I'm right there in your yard and can look around. Your vegetable garden looks good, too.

I don't know the answer to your question of when to plant, but I read a bit on lasagna gardening when I was thinking of doing that for my new bed. It was already spring, and it was going to take awhile for everything to decompose. Plus, we have an underground sprinkler system, so we wouldn't have been able to stack things as high as you are supposed to. If it was me, I wouldn't try to do the whole thing at once.

Let us know how you proceed.

Sue
Annie
15 years ago
Nancy,

Your plans sound great and very ambitious. I think it will look terrific. I left the front of my property "wild" so I would have privacy. It also helps block the noise and dust that boils up off the road. Even so, this is a very dusty place to live - sheesh!

I LOVE your split-rail fence and the flowerbeds you planted there. Very AWESOME! Do you make those rails yourself? I would love to be able to build one like that. don't have a clue how to do it though. As you can tell from my pictures, I rather like the rustic look.

I envy your nice flat garden area close to your house. My property is on land that was contoured back in the Dust Bowl days to stop erosion. There is no flat area for a garden, so I have to grow on terraces, a little here and a little there. It makes my garden spread out all over the place and no area big enough to have a nice big patch of anything...'cept wild grasses and weeds, of course. It's a major pain, really. And when I dig down to plant something, I am constantly finding pieces of broken glass, crockery, dishes, parts of old tin structures and metal barrels, tools and even old tractor parts, and all kinds of junk that was used to help construct the contours. Seldom anything salvageable though, darn it...all rusted away. Interesting to look at though. I did find an old plastic Mickey Mouse toy from the 1930s. It had one ear missing but otherwise intact. Anyway, I make do with what I have. That's all any gardener can do. :)

Keep us updated on your progress and post pictures from time to time.

~ Annie
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Well, I'm not really sure if this is worthwhile or will just be upsetting since these were your final plans, but there isn't much that I really like. The one thing that I was crazy about were the curved stairs, but you changed those. Anyway, I like the open floor plan for the living room, dining area and kitchen. Things that I would spend some more time examining would be the amount of wasted space in the foyer area compared to your private areas. The house seems as if it were designed to have a "grand" entryway feel, but the use of bifold doors in that foyer is very jarring (I'd absolutely lose those...stat). Also, the different sizes of the double front doors...what was your design philosophy here? That door is centered in the outside space, I see no reason for one door to be a 2'0" and the other to be a 3'0". If you also want the opening to be centered in the foyer space, it could be done without resorting to this option...I think your designer could have done better here. The foyer could be very nice (particularly if you had left that curved staircase), but it robs valuable space from your bedrooms. Which are, IMO, for a house this size all too small. Also, the intersection of the two bedrooms and bathroom on the first floor...way too much action in a small area. I think this area is going to look too busy. Also, again, the bifold doors at the linen closet and broom closet in that hallway...is there a reason why they are in your plan? I haven't seen these in new homes in a long time. Where do you plan for your W/D to be placed? I didn't see it on the plans. Also, the walk-thru the mudroom, through the foyer, around a corner, into the kitchen with groceries is pretty awkward. It comes back to the fact that the house is designed with a very formal entry, but then there is nothing else about it that feels formal. It is just an interesting take on a design. Where are you building? Some of the features that are off-putting to me may well be a regional thing. It looks like the exterior would be lovely. Best of luck with your project. Also, remember that this is just one person's opinion...if the house was designed for you and your lifestyle, that is the most important thing.
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natvtxn
15 years ago
I prefer the larger size pictures. My eyes are old.
I did the semi(?)lasagne method.
I put down cheap cheap tar paper and covered it with tons of leaves. In the fall and spring a fellow brings me about 20 bags of leaves each Friday. I emptied each bag and sort of swished it around with my foot and then put the next bag beside that. I did not rake them thin. I now have about 1 ft deep of leaves/compost. I received the last bags in April.
midnightsmum (Z4, ON)
Original Author
15 years ago
Sue - this will be slow process for the Princess who wants everything yesterday. Lasangne will take FOREVER!!!! Aarrgghh. Anyway, I guess my main worry is whether bulbs, etc. will survive....
midnightsmum (Z4, ON)
Original Author
15 years ago
Annie - When I put a shovel into the ground, I get flagstone. lol. Most of what you see was here when I arrived. The bones are good - I want less lawn. Any excuse will do.

Kathy - I'm with you!! Instant gratification!!

Cheers.
lorna-organic
15 years ago
Fall is a good time to plant Iris and perennials, Nancy. What is your concern, that you will be doing the lasagne thing around the newly planted stuff?

It is an ambitious plan, and a large space. Please don't wear yourself out by trying to accomplish too much too fast.

Your produce plot looks much like mine does right now. I harvested my first corn today, three medium size ears of white corn. I ate one raw, and stuck the other two in the fridge.

Lorna
misunshine_smiling
15 years ago
LOL, iam pulling up all my grass in my front yard all shade so anybody got suggestion of perenials that will flower all summer long in shade in Michigan!love hollyhocks but they love full sun..i get dappled sun in morning then late as sun goes down just got my hydrangas to bloombloom bloom as big a basket ball=annebelles inahedge & i have large rocks boadering all beds,roses,ferns & annual between to spill colors thru large6ft whitehibcus w/ruby throat tree,6red canna & various evergreens boarder the yard!
below is a postof a beauitfull concrete leaf pathway!
I have the leaves already done but need to make the flag stonew/the form & let the garden makre their self! w/a pond here a fairy garden over thei ect ect
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/accout/msg0300565030222.html?60

Here is a link that might be useful: Its done
lorna-organic
15 years ago
Very innovative and pretty leaf stepping stones, sunshine. Are you going to do paths, Nancy?

Lorna
midnightsmum (Z4, ON)
Original Author
15 years ago
Yes - those are amazing!! I tried to do this a couple of years ago with rhubarb leaves, but the cement was old and they crumbled. 8-( I think a few mixed into the flagstone would be a good look, no??
DYH
15 years ago
Nancy,

You have a lot of wonderful gardening space! And, I assume you have no deer! LOL

A three year plan is definitely a great idea!

When I started the large "outer" garden, I got the soil ready in the fall, transplanted a few shrubs and perennials. Planted fall bulbs. The following spring, I could see where my bulbs were and I started working on sections with my perennials.

I still went too fast! I now have perennials that will need dividing and have almost no where to put them. Had I waited a bit with BLANK DIRT...I could have filled in with more of my favorites.

Watch out for the invasive grasses. Crabgrass can get under the roots of plants, creating air pockets, and killing off the plant. When you convert grass to garden, try to keep the crabgrass away. Corn gluten meal is supposed to be good on the weed seeds (but also prevents good seeds from germinating). It can be used 5-6 weeks before planting, I think. It doesn't kill established plants with roots...including weeds.

Cameron

Here's the plan....

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