Here's another landscape plan I put together for some family members. The edges of this area would be in the sun while the inside area would be shaded by the existing eastern red cedar and a crape myrtle. A rough edged stone patio, dry creek bed, and a bench give the area a rustic appearance. The dry creek bed would funnel water from the downspout of the house underneath the patio and out the other side. Ferns, hostas, heuchera and astilbe plants make up the shady areas. Daylilies edge the sunny areas for color while the evergreen azaleas provide some spring accent colors near the house..
Showing posts with label Landscape Plan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Landscape Plan. Show all posts
Landscape Plan: Side Garden
Here's another landscape plan I put together for some family members. The edges of this area would be in the sun while the inside area would be shaded by the existing eastern red cedar and a crape myrtle. A rough edged stone patio, dry creek bed, and a bench give the area a rustic appearance. The dry creek bed would funnel water from the downspout of the house underneath the patio and out the other side. Ferns, hostas, heuchera and astilbe plants make up the shady areas. Daylilies edge the sunny areas for color while the evergreen azaleas provide some spring accent colors near the house.Landscape Plan: Memorial Garden
With the growing season coming to a close its time to start planning for next year's landscape. Every now and then I like to design landscapes for people. Here is a sample of a small garden design that I made for a couple friends of ours. Its actually a memorial garden and is suitable for almost any corner of a yard. Its small so its also perfect for small yards. It uses one of my favorite trees, the Yoshino Cherry! The spruces in the picture could be replaced with a yew that has a conical shape.
Garden Shed, Drainage Pathway and Loads of Dirt
Back in the spring we had more rain than I have ever seen in a two day period of time. Some areas of Tennessee received 18 inches or more while we got about 12-14 inches. That amount of water was a problem for my garden shed (click on the link for video). The rain flooded the backyard and ended up going through the floor of the garden shed and flowing out the other side. My shed has a gravel and brick floor that will allow spilled moisture to leave - I didn't expect that moisture to pass through it!
My Saturday project began on the left side of the shed. If you look at the picture below and follow the brown dirt you will see the project area. I used a tiller to break up the soil then removed and graded the area to direct water past the shed.
After grading the area significantly I installed some 4"x6" landscape timbers that would serve as a barrier for water. The idea is to defect the water as it flows away from the shed and down the pathway. If you notice on the right side of the picture the landscape timber is almost even with the grass.
When you look at the end of the timber section the barrier is almost 6 inches above the grade. Hopefully that will be enough to defect any future water to the drainage areas in the back of the yard.
Here's another look from the end of the pathway. The dirt will be reseeded very soon with grass for easy maintenance. Inside the landscape timbers will be a combination of a small patio area and a mulched bed for hydrangeas. I'm waiting on painting the shed before installing the hydrangea bed.
I can't wait to get the shed painted. As soon as the weather cools off painting will be the next chore to tackle!
A Woodland Shade Garden Design Process
Very soon (July) a wedding will take place in the backyard at my in-laws home. A while back I was asked to help spruce up the area around where the ceremony will be to help improve its aesthetics for the wedding. The property itself is roughly 6 acres of mostly wooded land with a cleared area near the house for yard space. Since the wedding will take place in the back yard, my mind went toward designing a shade garden area that would be well suited to the rustic charm of the forest. I wanted to let the area blend in, yet still stand out. In the picture below you can see the area for the garden. To the left of the area is where the wedding ceremony will be.
We began by laying out stones for a small border. Some of the stones were in fact large 200-400 pound boulders that it took three of us to move (You can check out those boulders in my post: Rock'N Roll). Most of the stones were easily handled by one person and loaded into a wheelbarrow then brought to the site from the surrounding woods. Stone is an easily found commodity at their house since they live on top of limestone hills.
After the stones were placed between the trees, I positioned the plants in an arrangement that I thought looked best. We selected Autumn ferns, 'Palace Purple' heuchera, various hostas, coleus, and a rhododendron. The rhododendron would have been accompanied by two others but they didn't have three of the same kind at the store. Since then I've rethought things slightly and would rather put in oak leaf hydrangeas where at least one of the rhododendrons was destined to go. In addition to the ferns we purchased I went into the woods and transplanted several of the native ferns into the shade garden.
My daughter loves walking on the stone border and posing for pictures as you can see!
Once everything was in place I began planting. Several varieties of hosta were planted including 'Wide Brim' and 'Patriot'. The stump in the background is a placed log and not a real stump but it does appear to have been there for a while.
You might be asking "why didn't you clear the grass and weeds that were there?" One answer would be "because I didn't need to" but the other, more honest, answer would be "because I'm lazy!" Both of those answers are true since we used one of my favorite planting techniques: newspaper! By layering the newspaper between the plants we put an effective weed prevention barrier that was easy to work around. To me newspaper is better to use in gardens than landscape fabric. It breaks down over time and you can plant things where it used to be. Also the roots don't get tangled up in the newspaper like they do in landscape fabric. I do like the fabric for under mulched walkways and areas where NO plants will ever be!
I moved several more logs to use for planters and to add a bit of woodland charm to the garden. The stump toward the middle of the following picture was once a cedar tree that is now a stand for a Boston fern. I thought that placing a log on its side would help to evoke more of the woodland mood.
From this angle you can see the three large boulders I mentioned earlier. the two on the left are easily 300-400 pounds and about 3 feet in length. Perfect stones to have a seat and drink some cool lemonade or anything else for that matter.
Toward the front I added a small ring of stones that connects to the garden but distinguishes a transplanted redbud (Cercis canadensis). Redbuds are all over Tennessee and fit in well as an understory tree to help add to the shady conditions. Their spring color is spectacular and their heart shaped leaves look great through all growing seasons.
Here is the redbud tree itself. It's a small one with a good root system.
I picked a tree that had a "Y" branching pattern. My thought was that it would grow nice and bushy over time.
The next couple pictures were of the woodland shade garden in April. Work was mostly finished except for mulching, which was just recently completed.
Here is a heuchera next to a stump.
A few of the ferns.
Here is one final look at the woodland shade garden in April.
Now the garden is almost complete. The mulch is covering up the newspaper and the plants are growing in their new home. Toward the back you can see two small flags where other plants may be planted in the future.
Remember the Rustic bench I mentioned? Here it is right next to the shade garden. One side of the garden has the convenience of the large stones that double as seating and the other side has this bench. No matter where you go you can have a seat to enjoy the sounds and sights of nature.
It's amazing how much adding mulch dresses up an area. Any volunteer weeds that pop up can easily be pulled.
Here is a look at the garden from the front. The log caladium planter is standing in the center where one of the little flags was. A few pieces of driftwood were added to enhance the rustic look. There is a tiki torch in the center that needs moved, but that can be done once we know where all the seats will be.
Hopefully this garden will enhance the enjoyment of the wedding for the guests. Even if it doesn't, I had fun putting it together!
We began by laying out stones for a small border. Some of the stones were in fact large 200-400 pound boulders that it took three of us to move (You can check out those boulders in my post: Rock'N Roll). Most of the stones were easily handled by one person and loaded into a wheelbarrow then brought to the site from the surrounding woods. Stone is an easily found commodity at their house since they live on top of limestone hills.
After the stones were placed between the trees, I positioned the plants in an arrangement that I thought looked best. We selected Autumn ferns, 'Palace Purple' heuchera, various hostas, coleus, and a rhododendron. The rhododendron would have been accompanied by two others but they didn't have three of the same kind at the store. Since then I've rethought things slightly and would rather put in oak leaf hydrangeas where at least one of the rhododendrons was destined to go. In addition to the ferns we purchased I went into the woods and transplanted several of the native ferns into the shade garden.
My daughter loves walking on the stone border and posing for pictures as you can see!
Once everything was in place I began planting. Several varieties of hosta were planted including 'Wide Brim' and 'Patriot'. The stump in the background is a placed log and not a real stump but it does appear to have been there for a while.
You might be asking "why didn't you clear the grass and weeds that were there?" One answer would be "because I didn't need to" but the other, more honest, answer would be "because I'm lazy!" Both of those answers are true since we used one of my favorite planting techniques: newspaper! By layering the newspaper between the plants we put an effective weed prevention barrier that was easy to work around. To me newspaper is better to use in gardens than landscape fabric. It breaks down over time and you can plant things where it used to be. Also the roots don't get tangled up in the newspaper like they do in landscape fabric. I do like the fabric for under mulched walkways and areas where NO plants will ever be!
I moved several more logs to use for planters and to add a bit of woodland charm to the garden. The stump toward the middle of the following picture was once a cedar tree that is now a stand for a Boston fern. I thought that placing a log on its side would help to evoke more of the woodland mood.
From this angle you can see the three large boulders I mentioned earlier. the two on the left are easily 300-400 pounds and about 3 feet in length. Perfect stones to have a seat and drink some cool lemonade or anything else for that matter.
Toward the front I added a small ring of stones that connects to the garden but distinguishes a transplanted redbud (Cercis canadensis). Redbuds are all over Tennessee and fit in well as an understory tree to help add to the shady conditions. Their spring color is spectacular and their heart shaped leaves look great through all growing seasons.
Here is the redbud tree itself. It's a small one with a good root system.
I picked a tree that had a "Y" branching pattern. My thought was that it would grow nice and bushy over time.
The next couple pictures were of the woodland shade garden in April. Work was mostly finished except for mulching, which was just recently completed.
Here is a heuchera next to a stump.
A few of the ferns.
Here is one final look at the woodland shade garden in April.
Now the garden is almost complete. The mulch is covering up the newspaper and the plants are growing in their new home. Toward the back you can see two small flags where other plants may be planted in the future.
Remember the Rustic bench I mentioned? Here it is right next to the shade garden. One side of the garden has the convenience of the large stones that double as seating and the other side has this bench. No matter where you go you can have a seat to enjoy the sounds and sights of nature.
It's amazing how much adding mulch dresses up an area. Any volunteer weeds that pop up can easily be pulled.
Here is a look at the garden from the front. The log caladium planter is standing in the center where one of the little flags was. A few pieces of driftwood were added to enhance the rustic look. There is a tiki torch in the center that needs moved, but that can be done once we know where all the seats will be.
On the Garden Fence...
I've mentioned that with my newly redesigned garden layout that I would like to put a fence around it. Partly to keep the rabbits and groundhogs out but also to add an air of formality around the garden. I have two ideas in mind that I'd like to gather some opinions about. In the drawing below I have a standard picket fence on the left side and a capped picket fence on the right. The pickets on the right would be framed in by the rail cap and wood on the bottom.
The posts on the corners will hold hanging baskets or some other fun item like hummingbird feeders and will be capped with a solar light post cap. These little gadgets are pretty neat. They fit on to a standard post and absorb energy through the day and release it at night as light. I just thought it would be cool to see the outline of the garden in the darkness. Alternately I could hang solar lanterns from the hangers on the posts. The front and the back of the garden would be the same. The sides would not have the arbor but would have tall posts in the middle that would carry the same theme around the garden.
The rabbits might still be able to squeeze through the fence openings (at least the bunnies might) so I'll retain the wire mesh fencing I have around the garden right now to use on the inside of the new fence.
The fence will most likely be the big summer project as long as financing is available! Otherwise it may have to wait. Either way it's good to have a plan ready to go. What do you think? Side A with the traditional picket fence or side B with the capped fence rail. (You can click on the picture to open it up in a larger window.)
The posts on the corners will hold hanging baskets or some other fun item like hummingbird feeders and will be capped with a solar light post cap. These little gadgets are pretty neat. They fit on to a standard post and absorb energy through the day and release it at night as light. I just thought it would be cool to see the outline of the garden in the darkness. Alternately I could hang solar lanterns from the hangers on the posts. The front and the back of the garden would be the same. The sides would not have the arbor but would have tall posts in the middle that would carry the same theme around the garden.
The rabbits might still be able to squeeze through the fence openings (at least the bunnies might) so I'll retain the wire mesh fencing I have around the garden right now to use on the inside of the new fence.
The fence will most likely be the big summer project as long as financing is available! Otherwise it may have to wait. Either way it's good to have a plan ready to go. What do you think? Side A with the traditional picket fence or side B with the capped fence rail. (You can click on the picture to open it up in a larger window.)
My Herb Garden Layout
Herb Garden Layout
I've been debating on exactly what kind of herb garden to implement and after making up some rough sketches of various ideas on paper I decided to throw this basic design together. It has a somewhat formal look yet should be relatively easy to maintain.
I was considering trying to do a knot herb garden but that just looked like more work than I wanted to do, at least at this time. My second thought was a parterre herb garden layout but again to keep it looking as it should regular pruning is a necessity. I also considered a random arrangement to allow it to look fairly natural. The design above is sort of a hybrid of all three with a formal look that won't need real high maintenance pruning.
The stepping stones (1) divide the 8 foot bed into four sections. Each section will have similar plantings except for the outer edge. The centerpiece of this herb garden will be the rosemary (2) (which is a perennial) and should grow quite large over time with the occasional clipping for kitchen use. Outside of the main rosemary four other plants will help create an evergreen mass. Next to the rosemary and the stepping stones a purple leaf basil (3) will add some color. In between the purple leaf basil another basil variety will be planted. Possibly a large leaf Italian basil (4). On the outside edge other herbs like thyme, parsley, mint (only in pots), and cilantro (5). I may add other herbs to fit into the open spaces. Mother of Thyme would probably do well in between the stepping stones.
One day I may try the knot herb garden. Maybe when my garden helpers are old enough to be out working!
I've been debating on exactly what kind of herb garden to implement and after making up some rough sketches of various ideas on paper I decided to throw this basic design together. It has a somewhat formal look yet should be relatively easy to maintain.I was considering trying to do a knot herb garden but that just looked like more work than I wanted to do, at least at this time. My second thought was a parterre herb garden layout but again to keep it looking as it should regular pruning is a necessity. I also considered a random arrangement to allow it to look fairly natural. The design above is sort of a hybrid of all three with a formal look that won't need real high maintenance pruning.
How The Herb Garden Layout is Designed:
The stepping stones (1) divide the 8 foot bed into four sections. Each section will have similar plantings except for the outer edge. The centerpiece of this herb garden will be the rosemary (2) (which is a perennial) and should grow quite large over time with the occasional clipping for kitchen use. Outside of the main rosemary four other plants will help create an evergreen mass. Next to the rosemary and the stepping stones a purple leaf basil (3) will add some color. In between the purple leaf basil another basil variety will be planted. Possibly a large leaf Italian basil (4). On the outside edge other herbs like thyme, parsley, mint (only in pots), and cilantro (5). I may add other herbs to fit into the open spaces. Mother of Thyme would probably do well in between the stepping stones.
One day I may try the knot herb garden. Maybe when my garden helpers are old enough to be out working!
Edible Landscaping for Beginners
This week we began a series of posts on edible landscaping. Below you will find several articles to get started on creating a productive and beautiful edible landcape. There are many more articles to come in this series so please check back or bookmark this post for updates!
Create a "To Grow" list, identify a what you can grow and when you can grow it as a first step in creating a good edible landscape plan.
Read about how to begin an edible landscape plan!
An edible landscape needs to be a sustainable system. Learn what elements need to be present to have a sustainable edible landscape!
Read about the elements of a sustainable edible landscape plan.
Crop rotation, fertilization, and weed control are just three elements of several others in a sustainable edible landscape plan. Once you have a good list of what you need in the plan, you can start to plan your plan!
Read about the more good elements of a sustainable edible landscape plan.
Before you create a plan you need to know what you already have in the garden. Evaluate your garden to see what you need to add to your edible landscape.
Read more about how to evaluate your garden.
How do you want to grow your plants? Do you want to use raised beds? Pots? Or some other creative system to grow your edible landscape?
Read more about edible growing systems.
How to Begin a Plan
Read about how to begin an edible landscape plan!
Elements of a Sustainable Edible Landscape Plan
Read about the elements of a sustainable edible landscape plan.
More Elements of the Plan
Read about the more good elements of a sustainable edible landscape plan.
Evaluate Your Garden
Read more about how to evaluate your garden.
Your Edible Growing System
Read more about edible growing systems.
My Vegetable Garden Layout (Raised Beds)
Here is a small diagram of my intended raised bed vegetable garden layout. It will have 4 larger beds. Two of them will be 6 feet long and the other two will be 8 feet long. Each of these will connect to each other through the middle bed that is 4' x 4' square. Having several beds should allow me to rotate the vegetables from year to year. A center 4'x4' bed will be for starting perennials. The dimensions are subject to change but I'll try to stick close to the plan. Each bed will be made of 2"x8" or 2"x10" lumber and fastened together with deck screws. The walkway in the middle will be at least three feet in width to allow for easy walking and wheelbarrow access. Extra beds could be added later.
Yesterday I put together one 4'x4' raised bed with one 6' raised bed. Hopefully I'll get another chance to work on it soon, my cordless drill kept running out of power. It's a good drill usually but the battery pack has seen better days!
Yesterday I put together one 4'x4' raised bed with one 6' raised bed. Hopefully I'll get another chance to work on it soon, my cordless drill kept running out of power. It's a good drill usually but the battery pack has seen better days!
Edit: For 2009 I decided to redesign the vegetable garden. Here's the new vegetable garden layout.
Edible Landscaping for Beginners: Elements of a Sustainable Plan
In my last post I told you how to begin planning for an edible landscape and how to determine what to grow. Today let's examine what elements you need to incorporate into the plan. With an edible landscape we need to focus on one thing: sustainability. Sustainability is a word used a lot these days and for our gardening goals we're using it to describe an edible landscape that can replenish itself with as little use outside resources as possible.
Once you have put together your To Grow list identify anything that may need special care because you will need to account for these items. Those elements could range anywhere from structured elements like trellises to soil additives to make things more acidic.
The most essential part of any sustainable edible landscape is the soil. Most subdivisions in our country have really poor soil as a result of bulldozers scraping the usable topsoil from the land. Then the houses are built and poor soil is put back as a cover up. Clay soils can be fixed. Clay actually has many micronutrients that are great for growing plants but the problem is clay is made of particles so small that they are tightly packed together and don't allow roots to grow easily. To fix poor clay add organic material. Lots of organic material. How you get organic material can vary. I contacted landscapers in our area to bring in fall leaves in mass quantities from people who don't want their leaves. You could also get manure from farmers in your area who may have more manure than they want. Both of those methods require outside sources so in our plan for sustainability lets make our own compost.
Somewhere in a sustainable edible landscape plan a system of composting needs to be established. A simple three bin compost system can be set up with fence panels, pallets, concrete blocks, or can be custom built. Compost piles can be established right on the ground in an out of the way area of the garden. If you don't have much space you can buy a rotating compost bin with multiple chambers. Worm bins are very effective ways to get great organic matter for you plants.
.jpg)
The important thing is that you retain any waste material from your kitchen or plants that can be recycled back into the soil. Any organic vegetable matter can be used so don't waste it in the trash!
How are you going to water your plants? This is very important in areas that frequently experience drought conditions in the summertime. You could simply use the faucet connected to your house. Depending on the quality of water in your area and how it is treated this may not be the best option. Filters can be attached to garden hoses the faucet to prevent chlorine from killing off beneficial bacteria in the soil. Rain barrels are great options so long as you have a cleanout system to remove sediment from the water. You really don't want asphalt from your shingles as a soil amendment! Keep in mind that rain barrels are only effective if it rains. They are great at bridging the gaps between dry spells but if it does rain on occasion you will run out of water.
In our garden we use a system of soaker hoses to put water directly on the soil at the base of the plants. After the soaker hoses are put down we cover with mulch to prevent moisture from evaporating. The less water lost the more water the plants get! Last year I put together an alternative watering method for the garden called ollas. The rain last year was plentiful and so I could not fully evaluate their effectiveness.
No matter where your edible landscape is you will run into pests from time to time. In our garden we experience losses from deer, aphids, rabbits, caterpillars, and an assortment of other creatures. An edible landscape plan should include ways to help mitigate losses. Nothing is 100% fool proof and the gardener needs to understand and accept that some losses will happen.
My favorite method of pest control is companion planting. Companion plants mask, repel, or trap pests to help keep them away from plants you want to grow.
Good fences make good neighbors and also keep the deer out if you make them high enough. To keep rabbits out fences need to extend under the soil, rise at least 18 inches above the soil, and have a tight enough mesh to prevent them from squeezing through.
A sustainable landscape can't rely on chemicals for pest control. Chemicals kill off the beneficial creatures that pollinate our plants and eat the bad bugs. An organic landscape is what we should all strive for!
We'll stop there for this post today on these three elements to plan a sustainable edible landscape plan. In the next post of this series we'll discuss crop rotation, weed control, and a couple other very important elements of that edible landscape plan!
Once you have put together your To Grow list identify anything that may need special care because you will need to account for these items. Those elements could range anywhere from structured elements like trellises to soil additives to make things more acidic.Elements of a Sustainable Edible Landscape Plan:
A Good Soil System
The most essential part of any sustainable edible landscape is the soil. Most subdivisions in our country have really poor soil as a result of bulldozers scraping the usable topsoil from the land. Then the houses are built and poor soil is put back as a cover up. Clay soils can be fixed. Clay actually has many micronutrients that are great for growing plants but the problem is clay is made of particles so small that they are tightly packed together and don't allow roots to grow easily. To fix poor clay add organic material. Lots of organic material. How you get organic material can vary. I contacted landscapers in our area to bring in fall leaves in mass quantities from people who don't want their leaves. You could also get manure from farmers in your area who may have more manure than they want. Both of those methods require outside sources so in our plan for sustainability lets make our own compost.
Somewhere in a sustainable edible landscape plan a system of composting needs to be established. A simple three bin compost system can be set up with fence panels, pallets, concrete blocks, or can be custom built. Compost piles can be established right on the ground in an out of the way area of the garden. If you don't have much space you can buy a rotating compost bin with multiple chambers. Worm bins are very effective ways to get great organic matter for you plants.
The important thing is that you retain any waste material from your kitchen or plants that can be recycled back into the soil. Any organic vegetable matter can be used so don't waste it in the trash!
A Good Water System
How are you going to water your plants? This is very important in areas that frequently experience drought conditions in the summertime. You could simply use the faucet connected to your house. Depending on the quality of water in your area and how it is treated this may not be the best option. Filters can be attached to garden hoses the faucet to prevent chlorine from killing off beneficial bacteria in the soil. Rain barrels are great options so long as you have a cleanout system to remove sediment from the water. You really don't want asphalt from your shingles as a soil amendment! Keep in mind that rain barrels are only effective if it rains. They are great at bridging the gaps between dry spells but if it does rain on occasion you will run out of water.
In our garden we use a system of soaker hoses to put water directly on the soil at the base of the plants. After the soaker hoses are put down we cover with mulch to prevent moisture from evaporating. The less water lost the more water the plants get! Last year I put together an alternative watering method for the garden called ollas. The rain last year was plentiful and so I could not fully evaluate their effectiveness.
Excellent Pest Control
No matter where your edible landscape is you will run into pests from time to time. In our garden we experience losses from deer, aphids, rabbits, caterpillars, and an assortment of other creatures. An edible landscape plan should include ways to help mitigate losses. Nothing is 100% fool proof and the gardener needs to understand and accept that some losses will happen.
Good fences make good neighbors and also keep the deer out if you make them high enough. To keep rabbits out fences need to extend under the soil, rise at least 18 inches above the soil, and have a tight enough mesh to prevent them from squeezing through.
 |
| Marigolds make good companion plants for edibles. |
We'll stop there for this post today on these three elements to plan a sustainable edible landscape plan. In the next post of this series we'll discuss crop rotation, weed control, and a couple other very important elements of that edible landscape plan!
Herb Garden Layout (A Corridor Pathway)
Here's another idea I had for my herb garden. I've been planning my vegetable garden with a shrub/perennial ring around it. This herb corridor would lead up to a small entry gate going into the garden area. The beginning of the corridor would start close to our future patio (a project for later this year). The herb garden would have the same plants as my earlier plan but the numbers on this plan have changed. I added four butterfly bushes to bring some flower color and pollinators to the herb garden.The advantage to having it in a corridor/pathway is mostly convenience. It's closer to the house and easier to reach the plants than my other plan would have been. The disadvantage is probably that it won't have the formal look. That's OK since it's more practical and I like things a little less formal anyway!
Here is the key for the herb garden:
- Stepping Stones: the stones will be recessed into the turf and planted with a low growing stepable ground cover like thyme.
- Butterfly Bushes: I have several cuttings of butterfly bush that I started in the fall.
- Rosemary: I have four cuttings that are rooted and need to get two more.
- Purple Leaf Basil
- Miscellaneous Herbs: Italian parsley, chives, mint (in pots!), Thyme, and cilantro
- Italian Basil