Landscape advice for small area in Sierra Foothills
fjording
6 years ago
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Yardvaark
6 years agofjording
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Moving to paradise? (Sacramento/foothills)
Comments (41)Yeah, I'm still wondering about the avocados. I had trouble growing them in my back yard when I planted a tree in the ground because my soil does not drain properly, but there is an incredibly huge avocado tree just down the street from me. Anyway, I ended up planting one in a whiskey barrel planter so that I could control the drainage better, and it produces avocados. However, I noticed a few months ago that the soil level was lowered by about 6-8", and I thought the tree had used up all the soil. Last week we transplanted it to a new whiskey barrel planter, and what had happened was that the barrel had rotten at the bottom, and everything just sank down. The tree was not root-bound, but now it has a lot more new soil. Anyway, you can get avocados from trees in planters. Mine is a dwarf....See MoreReviving Small Landscape for a Small Wedding Ceremony
Comments (17)I want to mention a few more things. In order for mulch to prevent weeds it needs to be three inches deep. The flowers in the picture you posted look like Calibrachoa. It comes in many colors. It is an annual. I think it is very possible for you to plant them about five days before your wedding. This is what the small container looks like. You can get gallon size too. In the bed from your photograph the designer planned color in a way that looked unplanned. You don't want to just alternate two colors.Notice that they were planted so that one color does not dominate. The Calibrachoa can be used for massing but I think of it as a first row flower. The taller yellow flowers look like Rudbeckia. Where I live it is available in Summer, when it is in bloom. It comes in perennial and annual types. The idea is to plant taller flowers behind lower flowers. In your case you will be planting from containers so the "tall" flowers might be the same height as the lower flowers. Use your judgement on whether it is worth your trouble to plant back row flowers. I would for sure plant them directly in the ground. A woman I know puts her house on the garden tour each year. Her garden is beautiful but nothing is every exactly right so she fills in blanks spaces this way. I think florists rent larger potted plants for weddings and events. Check that out. As to your non wedding landscape. As far as I can tell, none of your current shrubs are appropriated for where they are growing. Privet gets large, it will need constant shearing to stay below windows. Elaeagnus is not a petite plant to be grown next to a path and you already know about the roses. I suspect the previous owner planted for immediate gratification on the day they planted. I hope you plan more carefully. By the way, all the Privet are planted much too close to the house, don't repeat that mistake. If it is too warm in May, after the wedding, then delay moving shrubs til Autumn. I've found Roses to be very easy to transplant but it is risky to move plants in hot weather. Before you move the Elaeagnus read about it. You need to know the plant to know where to put it. If having a tall sheared hedge is not something you desire then donate the Privets to someone who may want them. I admit to owning one but it is a shaped topiary and I actually enjoy grooming it. Many consider it a nuisance plant....See MoreSeeking Landscape/Exterior Advice for Small Home
Comments (6)Nice home! Put in a real path to your front door. Those little steppers are not safe or long term practical. The path should be wide enough so two people can walk side by side. The path should come from the sidewalk if you have one or from wherever visitors park. This will make the home much more inviting for guests, besides the visual improvement. Do not hug the path close by the home. Leave space (at bare minimum 1/3 the max height the home--1/2 is better) between the path and the home so you have sufficient planting room. One of the biggest mistakes people make is creating narrow planting beds. Shrubs end up planted too close to the home (you should be able to get behind them to paint, check, repair) and quickly become overgrown; once they are overgrown people buzz them into "meatball" shapes and they look silly. Wider beds enable layering of plants, tallest plants in back, (often plain green shrubs) then medium (roses, daylilys) then edging plants (thyme) and that complements the home. Narrow beds create a line of what becomes overgrown shrubs crammed up against the house....See MoreAdvice on landscaping a "challenging" rear yard corner, Phoenix
Comments (2)What exactly is the poor grading issue of the southwest corner? Is there another reason besides grading that the southwest corner needs revision? "I was thinking of some sort of slightly raised bed..." How much inches is "slightly"? How does creating a raised bed solve the drainage issue? Where does the water in the underground drainage system go and how does it get there?...See Morel pinkmountain
6 years agofjording
6 years agoYardvaark
6 years agofjording
6 years agoJosue (Zone 9b, Central, inland California)
6 years agofjording thanked Josue (Zone 9b, Central, inland California)fjording
6 years agoJosue (Zone 9b, Central, inland California)
6 years ago
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)