Blank Canvas Backyard (Dog Friendly/Garden/Privacy)
Leah Miller
4 years ago
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jck910
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Blank Slate Backyard Needs Privacy - Photos
Comments (2)There is often a request to make suggestions for what to do with a blank slate or a blank canvas. We expect nothing from a blank canvas until it is framed, then it becomes a non picture or a potential picture. It is the desire to make something within the frame that is the real question. So as not to be too obscure, I wonder how we can frame a space so as to raise the expectation of ÂgardenÂ? Once we have achieved this focus we can move on to the details. The Âframe I think is "what is the garden for?" what do you want to do there and what do you want it to do for you? It is not enough to expect Âgarden to have a generic meaning that you stamp onto your Âblank canvas or arrives on its own unless you want the three white horses running through foamy water over the sofa look. There is probably nothing wrong with having a garden that has no personal meaning and is there just to fill the space I just think it should be a conscious choice. The implication of a blank slate is, "I can do whatever I want here" which is not strictly true if it is a garden we are talking about because those rules regarding soil, sun and zone will restrict your choices whether you are a princess or a panel beater. So it is a blank space with some preconditions and in need of maintenance, even more maintenance after you have installed your masterpiece. A long time ago when I worked in a restaurant kitchen the chef would stall the menu naming of the soup until after it was done, the name depending on how it turned out. The stock would vary and some bones would go in along with a bit of this and a bit of that, ÂBrown Windsor was a common soup of the day! I suggest naming a garden in advance to avoid such a muddy result. Lifted from my blog...See MoreX-Post: Moving S of Tucson - need dog friendly yard.
Comments (30)Even if a turf lawn is small, it can add a great deal of beauty as a setting for other plantings. Keeping it "relatively" small can make it do-able. Confining it to a central location in the back yard is where it might give the most bang for the buck... being the "white space" for the plantings closer to the perimeter. (I can't speak to what greyhounds might do to it since I have no experience with them. Do they like to tear directly across open space, or use the perimeter like an oval track? The latter could be to your advantage insofar as turf goes.) An oval shape seems like it would fit the back yard nicely and if it was a pronounced, distinct, perfect shape, it could add a feeling of strength and organization to the overall design of the yard. Since the back lot line has low trees already, beefing them up with Palo Verde or Mesquite, so as not to see buildings beyond, seems like a good goal. I agree that neighbors could not expect that you wouldn't plant trees or that you would assume responsibility for their view. (When was the last time you thought about asking anyone to alter a tree on their private property to suit your needs? Where your trees cross the property line into neighboring yards, it's the case that they own the crossing portion and can do with it as they please. It might sound like be a harsh legal reality, but plantings at yard perimeters that provide some privacy or shade USUALLY work to the advantage of both parties. Usually it's not much of a problem.) Combining some views-below-canopies with privacy, where needed, seems like it would be easily workable. Along the cul-de-sac area, you might consider breaking up the run of wall with small groupings of small tree-form shrubs with open space between the groupings. Where I live, freestanding walls and fences are frequently treated by placing a lower hedge to run alongside them. To my thinking this is a complete waste of material and effort. It does nothing to interrupt the boredom of the wall length. Just like how periodic columns add interest to a plain brick wall, periodic plantings that exceed the height of the wall add visual interest. Large flowering shrubs make good small trees for this purpose. Grouped tightly in 3s, they also add depth to the planting. As pointed out, the TYPE of thorns that plants have make much difference. I would not think thorns on TREES would make much difference (in general) to people or pets as the thorns could easily be placed overhead and out of reach. Plants without thorns can be placed at lower levels. And in some cases with certain plants, thorns that are highly visible and obvious may be acceptable. The patio area is somewhat like a stage positioned to play to a 180* view. Of course, the actual viewing occurs in the opposite direction of what it would in a theater. Here, the audience sits on the stage and views the "theater seating" area, which is the back yard. After you determine the actual square footage of additional patio needed, you might consider making its distant edge to be arranged in a semi-circular, octagonal or similar, bay-window-ish shape so as to "play" to the rest of the back yard. It would need to fit with lawn shape. Setting small groups of trees to both sides (not between "stage" and "seating") could provide shade and maintain an unobstructed view to the lawn and remainder of back yard. Trees selected for what their canopy could become (as it relates to patio and house) would be important. The discussion of wall heights surrounding the back yard can be confusing. As you refine your ideas you might submit a revised plan for the wall that only indicates what portion of the wall is ABOVE your back yard grade... as that's what really matters from back yard viewpoint. Also, for discussion purposes, I suggest that it would be easier (especially since your house is set at a diagonal to cardinal directions) to refer to right/left/fore and aft--as one would view the yard from standing at the street facing the house--as opposed to NE/SW/SE/NW, as those require one to memorize the directions or to go back and look at a previous drawing. Right, left, fore and aft is easier....See MoreWhere to start? Backyard a blank canvass
Comments (6)the sunset western garden book is indeed a very useful (but not infallible) source of information and well worth a look. some evergreen shrubs to consider include viburnum tinus and escallonia rubra (this plant makes an excellent trimmed hedge), the native medium to large shrubs vaccinium ovatum/huckleberry and gaultheria shallon/salal/"lemon leaf", large shrubs to small trees include the evergreen arbutus unedo (excellent plant), prunus lusitanica (great screen plant much easier to deal with as tree or shrub than the more common p. lauracerasus/"english laurel"), the many different forms of the deciduous japanese maple (acer palmatum) or the native vine maple/a. circinatum, the hybrid dogwood cornus "eddy's white wonder" or the asian cornus kousa are good companion plants as well. for a large tree the native garry oak (quercus garryana) and/or the incense cedar (calocedrus decurrens) or the western red cedar/thuja plicata. add all sorts of native and introduced rhododendrons and azaleas various camellias (medium to large evergreen shurbs) plus deciduous hydrangeas and the tropical looking but generally hardy large shrub fatsia japonica and you have a lot of plants to potentially play with. all of these and many more are discussed in the garden book (and of course on the internet)--- i would also add that the university of british columbia has an excellent botanic garden that could provide a wealth of ideas and information on what plants to plant and how and where to plant them. good luck looking things up.....See MoreHelp! I love trees, but backyard seems like sandy dirt, love a garden!
Comments (1)Sandy soil is good for drainage. Cover the ground with mulch (like wood chips or shredded leaves) to retain moisture in planting beds. Try heucheras, actaea, large leaf rhododendrons, mountain laurel, redbud trees, and hollies. You could try to grow creeping red fescue grass as well but the dogs and chicken might make it difficult to grow anything where there is a lot of traffic....See Morenickel_kg
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agolaceyvail 6A, WV
4 years ago
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)