Landscape Design

Art in the garden and the garden as art

Published May 16, 2012 | By Jane

Richie Steffen, expert on integrating art in the landscape offered a lecture at the recent Pacific Horticulture Symposium in Pasadena, California that reminded all of us just how the garden can contain art or become a piece of art itself. In the desperate pursuit of fame and fortune encouraged by our consumer society so many of the finer aspects of our culture and life are falling by the wayside. The arts and those aspects of human creativity that are being displaced by the need for material acquisition are leaving people with a growing need for something more than physical comforts to nourish the heart and soul. You can create your own home retreat to lift your spirits and put back the missing creativity in your life by making your garden a place of art. Whether you add art to your garden with murals, statues, décor, ornamental surfaces or make your garden into art with creative structures or design with plants. Steve encourages us all to look at the garden as not only a place to entertain or to use for practical applications like pets, growing edibles and play, but as a place to have fun, add healing, therapy and joy to daily life. Enjoying art in the garden and the garden as art can make your landscape into a very important part of your life.

Posted in Articles on Gardening, Articles on Landscape Design, Garden videos, news and reviews | Tagged art in garden, garden as art, Jane Gates, Landscape Design, Richie Steffen | 1 Comment

Design a DIY Landscape

Published May 16, 2012 | By Jane

The most common mistake in gardening is failing to plan out a garden first. Even if you just scribble out your ideas on paper, you will be doing yourself an enormous favor. The more detailed and accurate your plan, the more money, frustration and regrets you will save yourself. You can call in an expert designer for the more complicated plans or even to coach you with your own design. Or you can design a DIY landscape plan for yourself.

The reason you want to start on paper is so you can see how things will flow together. Designing on paper gives you a chance to test out different ideas. It is much easier to change things with a delete key on the computer or a pencil eraser – and cheaper than having to make changes with heavy labor and expensive materials in the garden itself.

Start out by making a list of all the things you want in your DIY garden. Think of how you will be using your space: for exercise, pets, entertainment, growing edibles, relaxing etc. Then add appropriate items to your list like patios, swimming pools, lawns, pens, barbecues, raised vegetable gardens, water features, seating areas, driveways and patios and so on.

Sketch out how all these areas will work along with each other to form a useful yet decorative flow. Use walkways and paths to link events together. Remember safety and design areas like swimming pools and child play areas where they can be observed from the house. Place edible gardens like herb gardens and vegetables where they will be convenient to the kitchen. Designing wisely can then be made artistic and picturesque.

As you lay out a DIY plan place the permanent features – the hardscape – first. Also make sure you sketch out the important systems like drainage, irrigation and utility lines like electric and gas. Make sure you make provisions for future expansion – utility lines that can be capped but will be available for future use.

Once your overall design, hardscape and systems are in place, you can then start designing the living part of your design or the softscape. Start with the largest features; the trees. Plant the right kind of tree in the right location so it will fit properly when mature, the roots will not interrupt any of your hardscape as the tree grows. Consider the sun at different times of the year and plan shade from your tree so it enhances your garden. Then move on to specking out the different kinds of plants you will use. Always plan for the mature size. (You can always fill in with smaller plants and annuals while the newly-planted are too small to fill their space.)

The final part of you plan can involve adding final details like décor, supplementary plant lists, edging materials and other practical and decorative elements. Do plenty of research. The more you know about design and the elements you include, the better your design will be. Like any do-it-yourself project the success of your project is directly proportional to the wisdom with which it is pot together. And one of the wisest things you can do in a DIY landscape design is a plan.

Posted in Articles on Gardening, Articles on Landscape Design | Tagged garden design, garden plan, Landscape Design, landscape plant, plant a garden | Leave a comment

Garden Maintenance and the No-maintenance Landscape

Published April 19, 2012 | By Jane

If you want a good looking landscape, be advised that there is no such thing as a no-maintenance garden any more than there is a permanently picture-perfect landscape. All gardens need regular care. They are constantly in a state of change. Plants are living things and continually grow so there is nothing that looks good and stays the same short of plastic or silk – and even artificial plants tend to fade over time! The most successful gardens are designed with forethought and planning. Take into consideration your budget, your lifestyle and be realistic about not only what you want your landscape to look like, but how much time you are willing to devote to caring for your garden.

Good design involves laying out the right plants in the right place so they not only look good, but grow easily without a lot of fussing. You are setting up a living system that needs to function well and in harmony with itself, your environment and your lifestyle. That’s why just picking out some nice plants and plunking them down will never work for long. Putting together the permanent features of a garden with the plant material is a complicated project. This is one reason it is often a good idea to hire a knowledgeable garden designer or garden coach for professional landscape help.

Part of a good consultation should involve talking about what solutions will give you the closest fit possible. If you decide to work with a professional, make sure you make your views known. You don’t want someone who will tell you what you are getting without your input. And you want your garden to be designed to your tastes and lifestyle, not someone else’s.

Sadly, there is no such thing as a no-maintenance garden. But there are interesting alternatives. By using a combination of living and non-living materials an artistic eye can create a perfectly lovely landscape that will require minimum garden maintenance while providing maximum beauty and utility. Using local native plants – or at least plants from similar ecologies – is one way to make upkeep easier since these plants will be naturally adapted to your conditions. But a garden is a man-made creation and if you want your garden to be a successful landscape that is controlled to fit your vision, expect there will be weeding, pruning, occasional replacements and other work involved in even a low-maintenance garden.

Posted in Articles on Gardening | Tagged garden care, garden design, garden maintenance, Landscape Design, no-maintenance | Leave a comment

Designing the English Cottage Garden

Published April 12, 2012 | By Jane

The English or cottage garden is a style that conjures up a flower-filled landscape bursting with color. Although this theme is most easily achieved in areas where rains are common and dappled shade offers comfort for typical cottage garden plants, you can create the same effects using plants that are ecologically friendly to your native environment.

One of the best ways to design an English cottage garden is to frame your garden with hardscapes and décor that will punch up the theme. Use a white picket fence or a white wooden arbor to outline your garden. Wrought iron can also blend in well with an English cottage garden. Paths and walls of used brick can help create the cozy look of comfortable age. And outfitting the garden with cottage styled benches or a romantic swing can make your garden all the more inviting,

The typical English cottage garden sports hollyhocks, sweetpeas, delphiniums, peonies, hollyhocks, roses and more. If these plants will do well in your environment, fill your garden with them. There are many other plants that will look great with this theme.

There are varieties of roses that do well in almost all garden areas. You can scramble them up trellises or over arches or even design in a rose garden devoted exclusively to these flowers.

If your area is not ideal for growing the classic English cottage garden plants, look for plants that grow well in your area but have similar habits of growth. For example, instead of delphiniums and foxgloves, try growing mullein or columbines. Look for varieties of columbine or other large families that might offer individual plants that grow in variable conditions. Use annuals and bulbs that are likely to do fine in many more areas. Stock will add perfume while pansies and snapdragons will fit in perfectly and annuals can be used in the growing season of most any climate. Bulbs like ranunculus, tulips, daffodils, freesia and more always look right at home in a cottage garden.

Create gardens that are not formal and symmetrical. Plant flowers and shrubs to create a full look. A little random wildness will look just fine in a cottage garden. Too much planning and control will destroy the relaxed look of a successful English cottage garden. Then add ornamentation like a bird bath or a set of garden chimes as a finishing touch.

Posted in Articles on Landscape Design | Tagged cottage design, cottage garden, English garden, garden plants, garden theme, Landscape Design | 4 Comments

Professional landscape, design and garden help

Published April 8, 2012 | By Jane

Sometimes it’s hard to figure out who you need to call for help with your landscape. Some people want to have everything done for them, others want create their garden as a do-it-yourself project – maybe with just an occasional bit of advice to avoid expensive mistakes, and still others want a combination expert help mixed in with their own efforts. Here is a brief, general list to help you shop for professional landscape, design and garden help.

Call a horticultural or garden designer/consultant if:

*You want to do some or all of the job yourself and could use some extra knowledge in design, which plants are appropriate where, or want creative ideas in construction, materials, plant selection, problem solving or artistic approaches.

*You need plans on paper drawn to show to others (such as associations, gardeners, or contractors).

*You are concerned about ‘custom’ issues: specific styles, child or pet safety, edibles, ecology, fire resistance, native plantings, etc.

*You want creative or unique design ideas and/or out-of-the-ordinary plants (for example, native plants or plants to create a special theme). Or you want something really artistic, environmental, cutting edge or unusual. (Make sure your designer/consultant has an artistic or appropriately creative background.)

Call a garden coach if:

*You want to do things yourself, but you can use some expertise and direction in design, gardening or technical gardening or hardscape (permanent feature) issues.

*You want private gardening lessons.

Call a landscape architect if:

*You need major construction done or you need highly technical design/building advice.

*You have an elaborate and/or extensive design requiring specific construction details and drawings.

*You want official ‘blue print’ designing.

*You want a highly creative full design for your property. (Again, check the credentials and the work of the person you want to use to see if the style and capability is a match to your expectations.)

Call a nursery if:

*You need plants. Some can provide interesting and unusual choices as well as the regular fare. There are even specialist nurseries that will let you sort through various cultivars of your favorite types of plants.

*You want a simple, standard design with readily available plants. For nurseries that provide this service, these will be your least expensive quotes. Be aware that few nurseries employ artistic designers and many know more about selling plants than they do about designing or installing a garden. There are nurseries that have fine services to offer outside of the nursery and there are nurseries owned by hobbyists who know they can’t pass contractor or master gardener exams but always wanted to plant gardens. Again, do your research if you want to use a nursery for more than just buying plants. A poorly designed or planted landscape can become a disaster and a huge expense in the future.

*You need someone to install your plants/trees/gardens or (if this service is provided) to install your sprinkler systems. Expect labor help, not design input. Most nurseries will only install their own plants.

Call a landscaping company if:

*You want a basic design done and installed. The same cautions apply as for nurseries. Low and high bids are not enough to make judgment calls. Find out what you are getting for your money. Only a few companies keep talented designers on staff. Some outsource good designers. Some use generic designs adapted to your space. Some have little to no sense of design but want to be designers (the same with some nursery owners) and should be avoided for purposes of design. If you already have your design done, then check the installation work quality of the landscape company you are considering by visiting some of their completed jobs.

Call a pool company if:

*You need a pool or Jacuzzi constructed. For any permanent structure, you need someone with the appropriate contractors’ license and knowledge of state and local construction codes and permits.

*You want water gardening. Some pool companies also specialize in building ponds, waterfalls and other water features.

Call a specialist if:

*You need masonry (stone, brick or cement work), carpentry (wood and other material construction), electrical, or special features such as waterfalls and ponds, or murals and sculptures. For tree issues, it is always worthwhile to get in a certified arborist.

Call a landscape contractor if:

*You need any of the above services coordinated or overseen.
*You need to know about state and local codes and permits.

*You want a person who may be able to provide you with a combination of some of the specific skills listed above. Individual contractors vary in their abilities, so ask lots of questions before deciding how best to use a specific landscape contractor.

Call a garden service if:

*You basically need a lawn mower/blower. Don’t expect most garden services to carefully trim, transplant, divide or clip your plants. Be careful with weeding since a lot of service employees do not know the difference between your favorite plants when small and a weed. Do not use these folks for designing. Most have no artistic sense whatsoever. Do check out who you hire if you need some genuine gardening help. There are some treasures hidden among the masses that really know and love gardening. Expect to pay more for knowledgeable people. Like everything else in live, you usually get what you pay for!

Posted in Articles on Gardening, Articles on Landscape Design, Design and garden help, Professional landscape | Tagged garden design help, gardening help, Landscape Design, professional garden help, Professional landscape | 8 Comments

How to Design a Successful Dry Riverbed

Published April 1, 2012 | By Jane

The dry riverbed is a handy, practical construct that can be used as a powerful design element in a landscape. It can serve as a simple decorative feature, but can also handle drainage problems, stop erosion, create a spacial division for a long, narrow or odd shaped piece of land, or cover up problems with topography.

If you are using a dry riverbed to funnel excess water or to correct or conceal land flaws, you will need to follow the dictates of the property. Water, for example, will always have to be conducted in a direction it will naturally flow to where it can be safely discharged. A dry riverbed that serves as a drain may be best built with drain pipe at the bottom to make sure the water continues to flow over time even if the area between the rocks starts to fill up with dust or silt.

To make your riverbed design successful, make sure the shape and materials blend well with the style of your garden and house. A contemporary or formal garden can comfortably include straight or geometric lines whereas a rustic or informal design will look better with natural curves that echo a stream created by nature.

A riverbed with polished round stone all of the same size will work well in a Japanese garden or a stylistic design. If you want your river to look natural, you will need to mix different sized stones and rocks. Think in terms of what your local streams and rivers look like. Ideally, should use local rocks or the same color and type of rock that already exists in or near your property.

To copy nature, think of how a river is formed. Rushing water washes big rocks and small rocks down as it forms a gully. In areas the water moves slower and small stones and gravel – maybe even small areas of sand – are formed. Odd rocks are tossed here and there while groups often end up clustered together. No river bed is mounded above the soil level. Attempts to build mounded rock riverbeds end up looking like a Fido’s grave. And no natural streams have larger rocks lining the edges with smaller rocks filling in between. These designs look more like pathways than river beds.

A successful dry riverbed will make a statement in your garden. It will stand out as a major feature of your landscape, so design it carefully. Plant around it (and maybe even place a plant or two in the riverbed itself) to complement the most interesting rocks and accentuate curves or corners. Ornamental grasses often look natural near water gardens so they can offer a colorful vertical element and soften some of the largest rocks or boulders.

Design your riverbed well and it can become a focal point or one of the most unifying features of your garden. It can also supply an opportunity to add a real pond or a decorative bridge to make your landscape into a piece of art.

Posted in Articles on Gardening | Tagged build riverbed, design riverbed, dry river bed, dry riverbed, garden drainage, Landscape Design | Leave a comment

Build a Zen Garden

Published March 17, 2012 | By Jane

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Oriental designs can take many forms in the landscape. The Zen garden creates a minimalist approach that brings design down to pure simplicity. The most typical Zen garden is composed of raked sand and a select number of thoughtfully placed rocks. This is a concept that grew out of a meditative garden style derived from a blend of Shinto, Taoist, Shinto, and Buddhist traditions into a single landscape idea. The Zen garden concept evolved somewhere between the 11th and 16th centuries. Currently, it is incorporated into wider Japanese landscape designs, single gardens and even miniature tabletop gardens.

The goal to strive for when creating a Zen garden in your landscape is to attain a peaceful simplicity where the mind can be cleared and focused. Choose a quiet space to build your Zen garden so there will be minimal noise and distraction.

A basic form can be created with edges that will retain the sand. You can edge your garden with bender board, vinyl strips, rock or pieces of wood. Keep both the shape of the Zen garden and the containment border plain and simple.

Ideally, locate the garden where the sand can remain as undisturbed as possible to keep maintenance down. Any sand area will be a strong attraction to pets and children.

Unlike most gardens, the Zen garden is intended to be viewed by one single angle only, so decide the view before starting construction. Choose an attractive and comfortable form of seating, preferably made of natural materials, and place it near your Zen garden.

Decide where your rocks will be placed. Odd numbers usually create the best design. They can be moved over time if you feel they are not right or you change your mind. Then fill the area with at least 2” – 3” of play sand or builders sand.

There is no set style to which a Zen garden must conform. Although most are comprised of only sand and rocks, you can add strategically placed low-growing, non-flowering plants carefully into your design. A piece of driftwood or other natural form can also form part of the design. Keep the layout uncomplicated and natural. Active flowering and fast growing plants, for example, would add an element of change and distraction that would be contrary to the contemplative concept of a Zen garden. Slow-growing, green plants are the best choices. The uncluttered look would mean that any growing material should be watered from a buried watering line that will not interrupt the sand above.

You can rake your sand into any pattern you would like. Regular raking will be necessary to keep patterns fresh and clean. There are special rakes made specifically for this purpose. Some Japanese supply stores and garden centers sell them.

If you want to create your own tabletop version, a little Zen garden is easy to build for indoor use. Or take a look on the Internet to find companies that sell kits. Most of these companies will also offer miniature sand rakes for their kits or to use in your self-constructed Zen garden.

A Zen garden will create a peaceful theme to your landscape whether it is large or small.

Posted in Articles on Landscape Design | Tagged Japanese garden, Landscape Design, meditation garden, zen garden | Leave a comment

Build an inviting entryway

Published March 15, 2012 | By Jane

The entry to your property sets the mood to your landscape and your house. It is the first impression guests will have of your home. With a larger piece of property the entry way will also be expected to provide security for your home space. For smaller pieces of property you will want a welcoming feel to your front yard or to your front door design. Here are some ideas on building an inviting entryway.

With a small piece of property you will want to keep things simple but effective. Your entryway will be seen as part of the front of your house so make sure it enhances the style of your home rather than competing with it. You can define you space by setting off your front yard with a fence or a hedge and create an entrance with an interesting gate or archway. Or if you leave the area open you could herald the entry to the front door with big pots, sculptures or rocks on either side. Add a splash of contrast by painting your front door a bold color.

For a larger piece of property you can set the mood with your entry gate. Try announcing a themed garden with the entry. You can then follow the theme through in the rest of the landscape. A Southwestern theme could be established with stepped stucco walls: a rustic garden might be introduced with a gate made of rough-cut tree branches: a cottage garden would look cozy with a white picket entryway.

Take a hint from the style of your house. A formal styled home will look best with an entry that picks up the design. Clean-cut, organized shrubs, balanced designs and controlled shapes will match well. Whereas a log cabin will look better with more random plantings and a natural approach. Older buildings will be complemented by using aged materials like old brick. Contemporary structures can invite imaginative sculptural plantings or décor. Neutral styled houses can be given more of a character by choosing a theme or adding your own entryway designs.

Have fun designing the entry to your property. There is no limit to the choice in materials for walls, fences, gates, pathways, arbors or other structures that can lead up to your front door. Equally, building an inviting entryway can entail trees, garden planters and borders, individual specimen plants or décor that is limited only by your imagination. Look at photographs in magazines, books and on the internet. See what styles of entryways you like best and blend them with the design of your house. Building an inviting entryway can transform an ordinary house into something extraordinary

Posted in Articles on Landscape Design | Tagged design front door, entrance, Entryway, gates, Landscape Design | Leave a comment

Container Water Garden

Published March 10, 2012 | By Jane

There is nothing more refreshing than a water garden in the landscape. But some people do not have the time or the space to fuss with a pond or a bog garden. You can make a container water garden that is easy to care for, ornamental and will fit even on a patio or a balcony and still enjoy your own private water feature.

Just like creating a flower or vegetable garden in individual planters, you can use all kinds of containers whether they are pots, buckets, tubs or recycled oddities like an old sink or bathtub. Just make sure you use something that will look interesting and decorative and can hold water without leaking. If you plan to add fish, you will need to make sure you don’t use any material that could prove toxic. Some metals and plastics will leach into the water, polluting it.

Larger water gardens with fish should be equipped with some aeration like a fish tank system or a little, recirculating waterfall or water sprinkler attatchment to keep the water oxygenated. Unless you have a 1000 gallon container or larger, don’t try raising Koi fish, but stick to some of the smaller fish like mosquito fish or goldfish. (There are some very ornamental varieties of goldfish.)You could also keep small turtles in a larger garden offering them some decorative rocks for sunning. Any container garden with living creatures has to be set up wisely so the water does not become polluted. And you will need to check this artificial environment daily to keep it clean and functioning.

To make sure you don’t get uninvited mosquito larvae moving into your container garden water drop in a ‘mosquito dunk’ that will biologically keep mosquito eggs from hatching. Mosquito dunks are available from pond stores and many garden centers. Most fish will also eat the mosquito eggs and larvae – and most turtles will eat small fish. So plan your water population accordingly.

Then there comes the fun part; the plants. Use containers that are deep for growing miniature lotus and miniature waterlilies. Bog plants like Pickerel Weed and the showy Lousiana Hybrid Iris can be set in shallow water. And floating plants like duck weed, azolla or Parrot’s Feather will be fine anywhere. The floaters tend to multiply fast so you will likely have to keep them regularly thinned out.

Sun will encourage plants to flower, but it will also make green algae grow. The algae can clog your water garden and look unsightly. There are liquid additives you can buy to kill off algae or you can hand pull much of it to keep it under control.

Having a container water garden is fun for the whole family, soothing to look at, and makes a fine focal point for big and little landscapes alike.

Posted in Articles on Gardening | Tagged container garden, garden design, Landscape Design, water feature, water garden, water gardening | 1 Comment

Designing steps or stairs into the landscape

Published March 5, 2012 | By Jane

If you have a landscape that has areas of different levels don’t spend a lot of money grading it into a flat or even area unless you have a reason for doing so — like using it for a playing field. Instead, use the different heights to design steps or stairs in the garden. The transition from one level to the next can not only allow you to make different ‘rooms’ in your landscape, but create artistic effects in your garden.

Small transitions can be handled with decorative steps made of slabs of stone, chunks of wood or facing with interesting metal mesh materials or recycled building materials. Longer rises can become canvases for painting curved or meandering stairways. Re-use broken concrete, natural materials or permeable paving to create an informal design. Or pour concrete, carved stone or cast blocks to build a crafted set of steps. Use straight lines or geometric forms to create a contemporary or formal look.

If you want to design an artistic feel you can include stepping stones that are painted, sculpted or inlaid. Or you can put together different paving blocks, bricks, cast cement forms, stones, colored gravel or other materials to create your own mosaic design. Another way to create effects is to outline one material with another or fill the flat part of the step with one building material and the rises in another, contrasting material.

If anyone in your family has physical problems or you plan to remain in your home as you age you might want to consider using ramps rather than steps for ease of passage. Or you can build both steps and ramps to allow for a choice of passage. Ramps are also helpful in any area you might want to use a wheeled vehicle whether it be a bicycle, a wheelchair or a wheelbarrow.

So take a look at your property. You can turn different levels in the landscape into an artistic and practical way to design steps or stairs into your garden. With a little creativity hills and uneven ground can become an asset instead of a liability in your landscape design.