share ideas for http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/design/msg1214085821098.html?3 I guess you are zone 6. "too ambitious"-----I like,dont worry small space,can plant trees small or big,can control tree grow scale by dirt thin rate.dont worry budget,garden plant is so slowly.we only do some every year,but enjoy our design goal. src="http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk80/landscapedesignchina/100_431011.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> src="http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk80/landscapedesignchina/100_431010.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> src="http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk80/landscapedesignchina/100_43109.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> src="http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk80/landscapedesignchina/100_43108.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"> other ideas RE: Help with landscaping SMALL backyard Posted by: ideasshare (My Page) on Sat, Dec 13, 08 at 6:01 share ideas for http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/design/msg1214085821098.html?3 I guess you are zone 6. "too ambitious"-----I like,dont worry small space,can plant trees small or big,can control tree grow scale by dirt thin rate.dont worry budget,garden plant is so slowly.we only do some every year,but enjoy our design goal. here link is other ideas: groups.myspace.com/gardenideas RE: Help with landscaping SMALL backyard Posted by: karinl BC Z8 (My Page) on Sat, Dec 13, 08 at 12:56 No reason at all why you couldn't make a nice little ornamental garden here, whether dwarf conifers (head over to the conifers forum for a wealth of photos of plants and gardens) or the less groomed but also attractive perennial/deciduous garden. Almost incredibly, Ideasshare has actually visualized some options for opening up your design options, in particular changing the shape of the pathway. But you don't have to go to those lengths to make the space attractive. I do think I would incorporate some hardscape to give it form; maybe also a meandering path through it - unbroken, even one side is a big space for all garden. I'm still not quite getting a sense of whether you have a slope here or whether the space is flat. If sloped, terracing would be nice but you don't see the walls from above. Nonetheless, it breaks the space up and makes it nice to be in. This being a back yard, are there any functional issues need to be addressed. like a compost, or do you want some privacy? Those should be laid out in advance. I do love those glass balls (I got some in Germany when they were all the rage there) - they have to stay!! :-) KarinL Here is a link that might be useful: One conifer garden thread RE: Help with landscaping SMALL backyard Posted by: nhbabs z4b-5a NH (My Page) on Fri, Dec 19, 08 at 10:58 It sounds like you might want to spend time thinking about how you want to use the space and what you want out of it as well as how you want it to look. Veggies? Lawn? Sitting or dining area? Main entry way to get in & outside when entering & leaving the house? Play area for kids or animals? Privacy from neighbors or city noise? Also, how much work do you want to do? Would you be willing to redo the walkway or the patio? Are you willing to build raised beds or hire someone to do work for you? Because your question is so open-ended, you may not get too many responses. I find that looking at pictures really helps me visualize possibilities in a way I can't when simply looking at what I'm starting with. Here is a link to one designer's portfolio who has done many small urban spaces that seem to be used as outdoor sitting/dining areas. He also has written several books that are well illustrated. He's just one of many designers whose work you can look at to see what you like and to imagine if that type of design would work for how you want to use the space. Your local public library can be a great resource for garden design books as they not only have their own collections, but also probably do an interlibrary loan service that would give you access to other library's collections. Here is a link that might be useful: Keith Davitt design portfolio RE: Help with landscaping SMALL backyard Posted by: bjcoop 5-6 (My Page) on Mon, Dec 29, 08 at 10:34 Wow! With the Holidays, I havent had a chance to check back here. WOW Ideashare. You are a magician with the photos! Lots of ideas here. Never thought of changing the shape of the bricks. Also the idea of how best to enjoy and use the backyard is important. It does need to be low maintenance. It does need to be playspace (and other) for our minpin. Will study all of these ideas. One thing, I plan to keep the gazing balls. Our minpin is stupified by them. (: (: RE: Help with landscaping SMALL backyard Posted by: ideasshare (My Page) on Tue, Dec 30, 08 at 8:27 It does need to be low maintenance------is good idea. Shrubs in general tend to be less maintenance than perennials for many of the reasons,no need for deadheading, dividing, staking, cutting back or cleaning up seasonally and typically require less watering once established due to wider, more extensive root systems. But to decrease maintenance even further, select those shrubs which are recognized as being fully hardy and well suited to climate and growing conditions, drought tolerant (once established), disease and pest resistant and not requiring excessive pruning to maintain health or size. Check with local extension office for their recommendations and visit some of better local retail nurseries in season for ideas. And I wouldn't necessarily want to eliminate ALL herbaceous perennials - some are quite a bit less maintenance than others. A mixed border that includes a variety of shrubs, perennials, grasses, groundcovers and even a few small trees generally will provide year long interest and color with relatively low maintenance. Here is a link that might be useful: share other some ideas RE: Help with landscaping SMALL backyard Posted by: karinl BC Z8 (My Page) on Wed, Dec 31, 08 at 14:57 Just to clarify -Ideasshare is apparently a Chinese forum participant who doesn't have much idea of North American culture or norms but is doing his/her best o join in here with photo manipulation. The results are bizarre but (as in this case) occasionally useful. Unfortunately, s/he has just branched out into giving written advice, which seems to be simply a compilation of plagiarized phrases that s/he probably doesn't even quite know the meaning of - not specifically thought out suggestions for you. Not that it isn't good info, but take it for what it is. KarinL Post a Follow-Up Your Name: Your Email Address: Zone (optional): Subject of Posting: Message: Optional Link URL: Name of the Link: Return to the Landscape Design Forum

One of my favorite ornamentals is Golden Guinea vine, which has a growing habit more like a bush than a vine. It is very manageable, it will not get out of control, and it produces cheerful yellow flowers (which unfortunately do not last long). You might also think about a fruit tree, maybe a pomegranate or Gold Kist Apricot. Pomegranates grow exceptionally well in Southern California and produce attractive fiery-orange blossoms and attractively-shaped fruit. Even for someone who doesn't like eating pomegranates, this could still be a tree to consider purely for ornamental use. Pomegranate trees can tend to grow very bush-like though, and sometimes become overgrown, but they can easily be cut back. I mentioned the Gold Kist variety of apricot because it will still be an abundant fruit-producer with the lack of chill hours in your climate. You could also plant a seedless Satsuma tangerine tree. These don't get very big. The flavor can be variable though, depending on environmental factors and age of the tree (don't be disheartened if the fruits taste watery and bland the first year, the flavor really improves after many years). These are great for snacking and effortless to peel. A lemon tree is always nice to have too. What about planting a few rose bushes? Or if you really hate thorns there are some beautiful varieties of Camellias and Tree Peonies.

mxk3 - the shed replaced the falling-down one that was here when we bought the house. We didn't want to affect the property survey so we built the new one on the same footprint as the old one. I would have liked to make It a bit bigger, but at least DH can stand upright in this one! Originally we painted it a blue-gray with white trim, but that made it stand out too much. So I decided to try to make it look like an evergreeen :-). I used light green on the trim/leading edges, medium green for the body, and darker green towards the centre - door, door trim, and window trim, trying to mimic the color variation on an evergreen affected by where light strikes it and where the paler new growth happens. I'd probably go one shade darker on the lightest color whoever it needs repainting, but we definitely are happy with how it tuned out. LOL DH is a cutie - with a bit less hair now :-) Camp. - nope, never did entrelac. I liked working with colors too. I used to make a lot of the Nordic ski sweaters with the Icelandic wool. I liked the minimal seams due to using round needles, and the heavy yarn knit up so fast! I could make one of those sweaters in just over a week, even when I was working. I was never a skier but the sweaters were nice warm barn sweaters for winter riding. I wasn't much into lacy or frilly either but did like patterns made from variation in the stitches - I'm not sure if there's a word for that; hopefully you know what I mean....

Do you like to garden? For the front yard, here's an idea from a rank amateur (me): On the left, work with the long lines leading from the street to the house by adding three parallel areas in between that also lead up to the house. The middle one could be a rock pathway and on either side add rows of lavender. Then on the far right you could maybe plant it out with several ornamental bushes that flower in different times of the year.