Ready to make my backyard beautiful! Where do I start?
Alex M
last year
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41 North (Zone 7a/b, NE, coastal)
last yearbeesneeds
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Where 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 MoreDon't know where to start with urban conifer? backyard
Comments (2)First, decide which areas will be shrubs/flowers/ferns, etc., and which will be grass/lawn. The grass areas should be raked free of pine needles, loosen the soil with a hoe, and this month you can plant seed. You can rake the extra pine needles and any leaves that fall onto the areas you want to grow shrubs, ferns, and flowers. Lots of shrubs, wildflowers, and ferns should thrive in part shade. Look around your neighborhood for plants that seem to be doing well in settings like your yard. Look in nearby woods to see what types of wild plants do well. Once you know what to look for, I bet you can find cheap ways to obtain plants. Many plants are easily divided, and local gardeners will probably be happy to give you pieces of their plants - just walk around the neighborhood and ask questions. Garden centers, Home Depot, etc. may have plant sales going on at this time of the year. This is a great time to plant shrubs and some perennials can be planted now as well. I wouldn't worry too much about the clay soil. The soil in the rest of the neighborhood is probably similar, so plants growing nearby should do fine in your yard, too....See MoreI’m looking for some ideas for how to arrange my plants in my backyard
Comments (33)You are getting there :-)) You will have an entirely different perspective once you get the black pots elevated. And you can always add more color with flowering plants. What happened to the white/cream colored containers? You could mix them in with the black ones to make more of a statement. The pots in the middle photo (mostly blue tones) are still too lined up. btw, the groupings do not need to be equal in impact or quantity :-)...See MoreLooking for ideas to make my backyard beautiful
Comments (12)I am no expert on landscaping, but I usually choose an area with the best sun for vegetable garden. I like raised beds as another suggested, although I've successfully gardened without. I have always had a big dog, and they seem to like to eat my vegetables, so I often fence the garden area to keep the rascals from eating all of my veggies. I would choose how you best like to use the patio space: lounging or dining. And then buy some furniture so you can sit in your yard and enjoy it. Typically I like to keep a nice long stretch of grass for my dog. It gives her a space to run, chase toys, and do her business. Otherwise I consider the yard a space I share with my dog. Rather than specifying one single area for her, we both enjoy being outside playing or gardening or just relaxing. We've encouraged our dog to use a specific area outside of the primary foot traffic area to leave her solid waste. Other than that, perhaps a landscape designer or maybe even some knowledgeable staff at a local plant nursery could help you design landscaping and help you choose plants that will thrive. Think about how much time you want to spend working in the yard and make sure to communicate that to anyone helping to design the space for you. Personally I like to spend a little time in the vegetable garden, but otherwise I prefer a low maintenance yard. Others find yard work a soothing or enjoyable hobby and might prefer a higher maintenance. Knowing how you want to use the space and how much time you want to spend maintaining it will help make sure you enjoy it....See Moreeinportlandor
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