Our Garden Reno–Getting a New Look

Garden Gets a New Look

This terrible view from patio is going to be the next project.  Anything we don’t know what to do with, gets dumped here. 

Old concrete, tree sticks, old chairs, fence panels, vases, miscellaneous rocks and brick – Simply an eyesore.

Did I mention broken plastic lights?    This ash tree was half taken out by the neighbor’s tree last month in yet another storm.   And since it is an ash, and the potential for future infestation of the emerald ash bore, we are going to have it removed. 
  The two hawthorns in the front yard are going away too.  See the tilt of the one on the left?  It’s got sawdust at the base, and I’m sure the next breeze we get will have it heading right into the garage.  The tree in the forefront has sucker growth so dense that I can not begin to prune them out. 

   Unfortunately, these trees face east and get all the morning sun.  And I have the bed beneath planted with hostas. So, just as we did last summer, I have got to find a new home for these plants.
The tree trimmers will be trampling the areas. So I’ve moved benches, yard art, and plants before they get
here. 


The bright gold hosta in the photo is H. ‘Paul’s Glory’. And I moved a golden edger in the second picture.  Already had a couple of edgers here, and by filling in the border, the space now looks like it was ‘planned’ that way. 

The other tree that needs some attention is a Little Leaf Linden.  I’m not sure why, perhaps the heat and drought, but the bark has split.  Since that branch looks weakened, we plan to have the linden cleaned up a bit.

The ash tree removal at the shed is pretty exciting.  Now we can expand the sitting area off the patio and have room for the grill, and a table.  The wood pile and other stacked up ‘stuff’ is going bye-bye.  I’ll keep this project updated soon. 
Just so we don’t seem like we start projects and don’t finish them, let me show the new border garden. 
We went to the garden center today and purchased 10# of grass seed.  And hopefully, with rain expected by Monday, we are pushing to get the organic fertilizer down, and the grass seed.  I figure we will be running the sprinklers for the next few weeks, but I’m already seeing green – at least in my dreams! 
I’m getting a real excitement watching this project form into something new and fresh.  Ultimately, the garden will be less maintenance, and the grass can be mowed relatively easily.  Thanks for stopping by today. 
How are your projects coming along?  Let us know what you are doing.  Claudia

Three Steps in Planning a Garden, Part 2

Garden Preparation

This step in planning a new garden space is not glamorous by any means.  Digging up sod, moving rocks, removing roots from previous plants that called this place home, and preparing the soil is vital to a successful landscape, but definitely isn't glamorous.



Here in our landscape renovation, the soil preparation is tedious.  Beds needed to be removed, which meant transplanting plants to other areas of the yard.  The beds that are being removed had been in place for 18 years, and the roots of plants had woven themselves into the landscape fabric like a coat of armor.

  This bed had been terraced with curved edging and bricks that are shown here.  Complete removal of this ‘debris’ is going to make the new area easier to develop.
Grading of the site is very important.  Grading refers to the slope of the ground. Ideally, the slope should higher at the house, so water flows away from structures.
This is Not the direction water should be flowing.  If water drainage is an issue, some of these solutions are available.


Dry creek


Sometimes this remedy of drainage is larger than the homeowner can manage.  Landscapers can help at this point in the process. If the homeowner is ambitious, a ditch digger can be rented, and the tubing and gravel are supplies that can be purchased at the home improvement store.

Next step to prep the area is to address the soil needs. This is when a soil test is useful.  Depending on the report, organic matter like peat moss and compost should be added.  Organic garden soil will allow water to drain and yet, keep roots of the plants to be installed moist.  We have added bags of top soil, and worked that into the cleared soil.  Organic fertilizers is applied liberally to the future planting bed.
 


The garden preparation is now at the drawing stage.  I have found a rough sketch  is helpful at this point.  The dimensions and permanent structures can be indicated.  Lamp posts, sheds, steps, fences, walkways, driveways, and patios close by should be located on the drawing and help keep the plan on course.



Marking out the new area on the ground is another way to see the future size and shape.  The planning of trees and shrubs, and hard surfaces can eliminate mistakes that will become obvious later on.




Oops!
Lighting and irrigation are on the agenda next.  Again, if electricians and plumbers are needed, plan on the installations during this portion of the garden preparation.



Here we marked out the border of this new area, and then we used a measure stick to give us the length.  This measurement of the garden is to calculate how many border blocks we need . (Here is a tip – take a notebook and pen to the yard with you and note these numbers– memories fade when you get to the supply store).

Marking pathways and patios will be helpful in calculating the materials needs.



Arbors, gazebos, and fences are ready to be installed at this time.


Let’s recap the preparation steps.  1) Clear the space. 2) Grade the site and address drainage problems.  3) Amend the soil. 4) Draw out a plan. 5) Install lighting and irrigation. 6) Purchase and install hard surfaces like retaining walls, sidewalks, pathways and patios. 7) Add architectural elements like arbors and gazebos.
Finally, the Step Three in the process, ‘Choosing and Installing Plant Materials’. This will be discussed in an upcoming article.  Thanks for joining me today.  What plans have you envisioned for your space?  Did everything go as planned?  Let us know.