Don't know what to do for winter months? Bay Area, CA
Brittany R
5 years ago
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phalanx_viridis
5 years agoBrittany R
5 years agoRelated Discussions
I Don't Know What to Do: Front Yard Color
Comments (13)First off, it would be a good start to know where your garden is located, so people could actually give advice on transitional seasonal color effects that work in your zone. Bulbs might be a useful spring burst of color, and spring bulbs that reliably return each spring might rely more on basics such as more reliable daffodils and Muscari, which pretty much work across the country.Removing a portion of the lawn adjacent the existing foundation shrubs and adding a low growing ground cover and bulbs might be a good start. Lower growing spring or summer flowering shrubs could also be added as a foreground framing the existing shrubs at the house. Personally I think it would be more interesting to add a few larger growing mounding low perennials or arching flowering shrubs with ground cover out at the mailbox, rather than a bed of all one type of annuals, something like dwarf Spiraea or Weigelia or similar. If you did want annuals in that spot, something taller and lacier such as Cosmos or Cleome or Nicotiana would look good there. There are also plenty of useful summer flowering shrubs such as Hibiscus syriacus or Philadelphus, or spring flowering herbaceous perennials such as Paeonies or Oriental poppies that could be used for seasonal color. Perennial asters and chrysanthemums are classic fall color effects, along with shrubs that give fall color. As to tree placement, it would make more sense to look at tree locations based on views from the house as well as from the street. Framing the house at each side and again at the street seems very static and may not frame or screen views from the house or elsewhere in the front garden, nor give shade where it makes the most sense. Not enough information given to really help with tree placement, and in my opinion tree locations, sizes and types should be based on much more than just this one street view of the house. If you have a good local or regional botanical garden near you, they are almost always a good venue to get ideas of plant/tree choices for different seasons that actually work. Photoshopped photos may be a starting point to help you visualize possibilities, but aren't as good as seeing the real thing to know how it will actually look. I also notice that Yard's revised foundation planting scheme that emphasizes formal symmetry centered on the 3 front windows has inadvertently planted up your entry walk; something you won't likely want to do......See MoreI have a Chicago city lot and don't know what to do with it
Comments (0)Hi there! I have recently demolished a house on a city lot in Chicago. Now it needs some serious beautification. We have already put a parking pad in the back made of CA-6. We plan to fence that off. We will also add an iron fence in the front. Other than that, I'm looking for a solution that is: High durability (think Chicago winter) Low maintenance Budget-friendly Another very important thing to note is that the yard slightly grades down toward the left. I'd like to have as little grass as possible, but I am ok with a small grass area. The purpose of this yard will be for adults to entertain: I like having an area for seating, perhaps some pathways, and even a firepit in it. The lot is 25x100 feet (which does not include the parking pad). What do I need to know to get this all started? What ideas do you have? Do you think its something I can do -- seeing as how I've never done anything like this myself? How can I prevent weeds? Thanks for your insight!...See MoreYard with lots of potential, but I don't know what to do. Please help!
Comments (14)I would not use gravel as a general ground surface. Use mulch where you will need to walk but don't want to plant. If you use gravel, it's not only heavy to place in the first place, but it makes altering the scheme in the future potentially more difficult. Suppose you wanted to travel to dead northeast of where you were. The way roads are generally built (in a grid system) you might travel north, then east, then north, then east, and so on until you finally reach your destination. But you would be ticked off if you had to drive north, then east, then south, then west, then north, etc, in order to get to the same place! It would involve a lot of extra driving and seem to defy the rules of economy of motion. By the same token, when you're creating a bed line in a landscape, keep in mind that the line represents one edge of a broad path (the lawn). Unless you are specifically creating a special artistic effect, it seems odd and is usually less attractive to have a bed line that meanders and loops without specific purpose. They can add a "busy" quality. Try to stick with a line that does not seem to return you, even if momentarily, to the direction from whence you came. In other words, avoid a looping, wiggly bed line. :-) The other thing is, wherever that line meets another line (a walk, drive, fence, wall, etc. it should meet it at a 90* angle. (There are exceptions but I don't now want to complicate or confuse the point.) It will look much cleaner and behave better. I can't imagine that you'd want to maintain pointy wedges of grass tucked in next to the fence, either. Too, I don't think you'll want to have grass between the back fence and the shed. It's too confined an area. The absolute minimum distance between those objects should be 4' if you expect to use it as utility space. And that is tight. I would not have the raised planter immediately next to the shed. I'd put 4' min. there, too. Don't be afraid to explore additional bed layouts, too, just in case you can come up with simplification and improvements to the geometry....See MoreDon’t know what to do with lemon and lime “houseplants” to make fruit?
Comments (15)If you have had the trees for so long and are still alive, you must have the watering and soil correct. They are blooming so the lighting is good enough. I think you may consider changing the fertilizer to a citrus specific type like Jobes Organic Citrus and Fruit Tree or Epsoma Citrus Tone. Use these types when you have them outside. Another option is to use Foliage Pro year round, but use half strength during the winter. Maybe the lack of the correct fertilizer is the problem or the fact that you are not feeding monthly as citrus are plants that need food on a regular basis. To bear fruit, you have to feed the tree so it has energy to feed itself and produce fruit as it takes a lot of energy for the tree to do it. Most citrus trees are self fertile as they have both male and female parts to produce fruit so the paint brush thing is not necessary, just air moving around does it for you. I have some trees inside the house and they are forming fruit. I have a New Zealand Lemonade, W. Murcott mandarin, Meyer lemon, and a few others in various parts of my house. They are growing fruit and have not been exposed to any insects of any sort to help with pollination unless spider mites can help. lol. Edit: Forgot to add you could use Osmocote Plus during the winter as well. I use it too during the spring/summer as it adds minerals that the citrus formulas lack. Osmocote Plus alone should work too. During the outside growing season, you could use fish emulsion to increase foliage production. The fish emulsion is awesome stuff!...See More
stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
5 years agoBrittany R thanked stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay areastanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
5 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
5 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
5 years ago
Kawagoe(Home of SF 49ers Santa Clara CA)
5 years agoStanogh,
This winter, I did differently from previous winter for front yard Plumeria.
I decided to just cover and so far no black tips. Hope this help.....
stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
5 years agoKawagoe(Home of SF 49ers Santa Clara CA)
5 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
5 years agoKawagoe(Home of SF 49ers Santa Clara CA)
5 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
5 years agoI saw this in Fremont. The hefty trunk per size of the plant and location- bay area- means its most likely a Celadine. Same street had King palms and Mango tree.
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