garden « mod remod

Posts Tagged ‘garden’

neverending patio story

Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

Talk about dragging things out. November and we’re still talking patios! Here’s where we left off: on the fence about poured concrete, our ideal scenario, so we’ve been considering other options.

Our poured concrete layout looked like this (click to biggify)…

Finished, those concrete sections would have looked kinda like this (but running parallel to the house)…

by shades of green landscape architecture | houzz.com

Too bad that’s not gonna work out moneywise. Waah.

Option 1 : concrete pavers

So if poured concrete is out, what’s the next best thing? Concrete pavers? We looked into a few sources after eliminating Lowe’s and Home Depot. Stepstone, Inc. makes what I think are the best-looking concrete pavers by far…

narrow modular pavers | stepstoneinc.com

The October Dwell features an article on the remod of the mag founder’s first home. Lots of great images of Stepstone pavers on their back patio. Beautiful. They’re made in Cali. On the phone, their people were very helpful. Drawbacks: Several week lead-time. Shipping. Not cheap. And honestly, I’m still hooked on having pavers set into gravel or grass, in which case these wouldn’t work — they’re designed with a mortarless spacer system that requires them to be butted up against each other.

Looking for a concrete paver alternative closer to home, David came across Bolduc in Canada. We liked the look of Avenue…

avenue in a commercial application | bolduc.ca

Commercial rather than residential, which didn’t deter us. Cheaper than Stepstone. Comes in several shades of grey. The folks at Southridge Farm and Nursery in Walpole ordered some samples for us. They look like this…

They come in larger sizes. Good. Beveled edges. Icky. Overall, too, um, municipal looking? The top side of the dark option looks like poured asphalt. Not a look we’re going for. Shazam.

Option 2: stone

Okay, so if those pavers are out, what next? Stone? We automatically ruled out stone because it has to cost more. Doesn’t it? Turns out that bluestone or granite run about the same cost or even cheaper than the Bolduc pavers. Wow. Okay, so that sounds encouraging.

New layout options: squares

So what about layout now that the trapezoid look is a no-go? The square grid layout looks great but it’s a no for us, whether they’re set in pea gravel…

by daniel nolan design | houzz.com

or set in grass…

by huettil landscape archictecture | houzz.com

Squares are perfect when the architecture is boxy like that. Not so much for our situation. David and I don’t always agree about everything but we do agree that a long, linear layout goes better with our long, linear house. Strips set parallel to the house would lead the eye out toward the low pool at the end.

New layout options: rectangular strips

Imagine strips of stone set in pea gravel. Either uniform strips…

maisonry winery, yountville | remodelista.com

Or staggered strips…

by environmental concepts | houzz.com

I can also picture strips of stone set in grass…

by feldman architecture | houzz.com

from seattle dream gardens | sunset.com

Decisions, decisions. We’ll be working out patio configurations this week so that we can get this party started.

Pool options

Then there’s also the matter of the pool. David was set on an above-ground water feature so that people could sit on the edge. Something akin to this…

by carolyn chadwick | houzz.com

Not impossible to create such a thing but it’s a little more expensive. I’m not budging on my desire for steps across the pool to the patio, either way. Luckily, David is now open to an in-ground pond…

desert botanic garden pool by ten eyck landscape architects | teneyeckla.com

montcalm street by rossington architecture | houzz.com

The stones in the pond are kind of nice. Of course, both of those examples are concrete edge and not stone, so the look would probably be more like this…

blue mountain by phillips farveaag smallenberg | pfs.ca

Sounds like poured concrete may not be in the pond picture now. Pool liner? Oy. Our neverending story… everybody sing!

Want even more?

Reference previous patio and pool obsessiveness at total yard-on for hardscape.

Tags: concrete, garden, hardscape, koi pond, patio
Posted in garden, projects | 5 Comments »

don’t curb it!

Monday, November 1st, 2010

“Never again will we put our leaves out to the curb.” I swore it last year and I meant it. Adding fall leaves to the landfill is just plain wasteful. If your city composts them, great. But why give away free organic materials your garden needs? I’m composting my leaves from now on — to save money and for a more sustainable garden.

First of all, let me say that my urban garden has 11 oak trees and one spindly little dogwood. “Oak trees?!” you shriek in disbelief. “But the acid!” Oy. The idea that oak leaves will “burn” your plants or make your soil acidic is a myth. My leaves are going to compost over the next half a year or so and will break down into lovely dark brown organic matter that’s high in nutrients. Let’s move on, shall we?

Temperatures are dropping. So are my leaves. That means it’s time to rake…

And rake I do…

Only now every pile I make I then mow over using our new Fiskars Momentum reel mower. It works great to chop up the oak leaves into little bits, which will then make them break down much, much quicker. Obviously, whatever kind of mower you own will work just fine…

To get the leaves small enough, I run them over a few times, rake the pile together, then run them over again. I never even break a sweat…

The result: fall confetti!

I then pile it all, including grass clippings, into leaf bags — not destined for the curb. I have a spot at the top of our yard that’s unplanted but still needs to be cleared of weeds and undesirable overgrown shrubs. I’m talking about you, forsythia! So my leaf bits will become a brand-new compost pile in the next few weeks.

“Oh noes! Oak leaf bits on your lawn will kill the grass!” you say? No. Chopped up leaf bits will fall between the blades of grass and, if they don’t blow away during one of our Nor’easters, will break down and essentially compost where they fall…

Don’t worry, I’ve researched the life out of this. It’s actually good for your grass!

My ultimate goal is not to have to buy compost or even mulch in the seasons ahead. I’ve already begun collecting leaves from my neighbors’s yards as well — I figure why not throw in some maple leaves, right? There’s no such thing as too much compost!

One tip: if you try this yourself, which I hope you will, don’t forget to jump in the pile first!

More reading:

Composting Grass and Leaves Why is it better for your soil? Because “Pound for pound, the leaves of most trees contain twice the mineral content of manure.”

Composting Leaves How to whip up a no-sweat lasagna garden using fall leaves and have a new planting bed by next spring. Think of it as composting in place!

Fall Leaves Make a Great Natural Mulch Why buy mulch when it’s right there in your trees?

Lasagna Gardening More on the no-till, no-dig method of gardening.

How to Make Oak Leaf Compost Surprise! Oak leaves make excellent compost.

A Guide for Composting at Home Lots of great composting info here. Leaf composting is near the end of the article.

Making and Using Leaf Mold An alternative to composting your leaves — make leaf mold. It’s ridiculously easy. Bag it. Forget it. It turns to gardening gold in 6 months to a year! A good option if you don’t have room for a compost pile.

Tags: bookmarks, garden, green, sustainable
Posted in garden, green | 4 Comments »

not the last straw

Friday, October 29th, 2010

Yes, I’m still out back mulching the garden over for winter. The count: 36 bales of straw. Will 36 cover our urban back 40? nuh-uh. I’ll let you know the final tally. I’m sure this is completely fascinating to you. *eye roll*

Tags: garden
Posted in garden, green | No Comments »

making hay

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

Well, technically, not hay. Straw. I’ve been putting truckloads of the stuff on my garden beds in preparation for winter. Last year I used it to winterize my pots (at that point, all my plants were still pot-bound). It worked so well — and for so little money — I’m blanketing the entire garden with straw!

Straw is perfect to protect my new plants, keep weeds down and keep my 92 yards of new topsoil from meandering any further. It stops the water from rushing downhill. I need that.

Here’s a big seller: a bale costs just $5…

Once you trim the cords that bind it…

… it separates easily into sections like so. Each section is about 4″ to 5″ thick (that compresses over the winter)…

Then you can lay it out in rectangles or break it up, whichever you prefer. So now my beds look something like this…

Not exactly pretty but who cares? It’s organic! It’s for winter! The elements will darken it and break it down some before spring. If there are any errant weed seeds in the bales, the freezing temps kill them. And from what I’ve seen so far, straw is the ideal worm farm — the worms are mad for the stuff. Did I mention straw is considerably cheaper than the buckwheat hull mulch I get from Seven Arrows Farm? Love me some buckwheat hulls but I need to cut costs.

Laugh at me now but come next spring it will all be food for the soil and help keep the ground moist as temps rise again. My plants will be thrilled.

P.S. I may not be crazy. I’m not the only one pro-straw as mulch: read this or this or this article on Ruth Stout, the queen of straw bale vegetable gardening.

Tags: garden
Posted in garden, green | 1 Comment »

baby garden’s first fall

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

Whoa. My baby’s growing up! Leave home for a week or so and things really change around here. Here’s a look at the first signs of autumn brilliance in our own backyard.

Our spindly little dogwood, which would probably look better if previous owners had planted it in a less shady spot, glows a lovely, warm red now…

My trio of Callicarpa bodinieri ‘Profusion Beautyberry’ are loaded with Barney-colored berries…

Just across the path, my new golden spruce, picea orientalis ‘skylands,’ really shines behind the dark euphorbia ‘blackbird’…

Just look at those crazy euphorbia. They stay a dark eggplant shade with hits of blue and chartreuse from spring through fall. I hope they make it through the winter…

Further up the hill I have another euphorbia, this one is ‘Bonfire’. It complements the other fall shades around the yard quite nicely, I think. Especially since I set it in front of sumacs and penesetums…

Speaking of which, the Rhus typhina ‘Tiger Eyes sumacs’ and ornamental grass border looks like it’s on fire…

That’s ricinis communis (castor bean) in the front there next to miscanthus sinensis ‘silberfeder’ (Japanese Silver Grass). ‘Tiger Eyes’ sumac are the fiery bits in back. The sumac colors are amazing…

The castor bean’s leaves and alien-looking seedpods are a nice complement…

Further back, my new Rhus aromatica ‘Gro Low sumacs’ are not only securing the slope but bursting with color. Someday they’ll mature into a real eye-catcher every fall…

My Japanese Forest Grass is finally starting to fill in and has taken on some nice fall color. These should look much more impressive next year — they’re not even half the size they should reach. Hakonechloa macra ‘Beni Kaze’ is is turning burgundy at the tips…

Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’ is starting to go from chartreuse to brilliant gold, as the name promises…

And Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ is beginning to take on shades of purple and pink…

Last but hardly least, Panicum virgatum ‘Ruby Ribbons’ (Ruby Ribbons Switch Grass) has gone from seafoam blue and purple to a deep, deep red, which looks fab next to the sage-y green of the euphorbia myrsinites ‘donkey tail spurge’…

And to make fall all the more glorious, it’s 73 degrees out today! Wait… what the hell am I doing indoors?

Tags: garden, landscaping, plants
Posted in garden, plants | No Comments »

fall at denver botanic

Monday, October 25th, 2010

In Denver last week, our very first stop (after our favorite noshery) was Denver Botanic. This is high country, so you see a lot of drought-tolerant ornamental grasses, native plants and conifers here. I get great compositional ideas from DenBot.

As luck would have it, this time Henry Moore’s sculptures were on display. Take a look…

Tags: art, denver botanic garden, garden
Posted in art, garden, plants, visits | 4 Comments »

pati o’leery

Friday, October 8th, 2010

Now that the cable railing is finito, we can move on to our next project: upper and lower patios. It does sound extravagant to have two, doesn’t it? But with a two-level house built into a hillside, we have two separate entries that need to step out onto something better than what we have now. Take a look…

UPPER PATIO Crushed stone in place since the Savages set it down in April awaits the concrete pads we have in mind. Once pads are poured, the patio will be level with the top of the retaining wall and we’ll have plenty of room for entertaining…

Wondering what the heck I mean by concrete pads? Remember this image that I showed you a few months back?

Waterfall House, Andrew Remy Arquitectos | archdaily.com

See how the concrete is cut into angles with grass in between? Yeah. Like that. Our first choice for patios is something akin to that only set into pea gravel. It would tie in nicely with the architecture of the house, which is very angular on the front face…

LOWER PATIO This shot is from April before landscaping improvements began, but it still basically consists of completely inhospitable sharp-edged gravel. Yucky…

We’re envisioning the patio coming out from beneath the deck and into the pathway. As you can see, privacy is an issue…

Thankfully, landscaping will continue to change that — more on that later. Suffice it to say that we come out this door a lot, as will our guests (assuming we ever have a house fit for guests), and we’re eager for it to change.

Months ago we created a patio plan so we could work the landscaping around it. Our buddy Shiva helped turn from scribble to jpg (click to biggify)…

You can see in the original plan that the lower patio extended the length of the deck. We decided to cut that to half, hoping it would save a little money. The long rectangle at the top of the upper patio is a very low, shallow reflecting pool with an 8″ concrete foundation. Minimal. Kind of like this…

contemporist.com

I’ve shared this and other examples previously. Really, really want that to happen.

Our last meeting with Tom Zilian of MadStone Concrete sounded promising. We met again with him and it still sounded promising, so David whipped up exact measurements…

Then we got the quote. And now we’re on the fence. Am sure the final product, after a laborious process of prepping the site, framing and pouring the pads, 10-day curing, sanding and sealing, would be exactly as we envisioned. Heck, probably better. The question is can we suck it up and just sink the money into patios when we have a whole house remod kicking off in the next few weeks? Argh.

Tags: architecture, concrete, garden, hardscape, patio
Posted in garden, projects | 5 Comments »

plant geeks only: conifers

Monday, October 4th, 2010

The next installment in my ongoing cataloging of plantage: Conifers! O how do I love thee, gymnosperm? I love thine evergreeniness. I love thee for anchoring my garden and for your amazing foresty scent. I love thee as living sculpture — particularly thee irregularly shaped cultivars.

So far I’ve planted seven carefully curated conifers around the yard. Each was chosen for various reasons, including a tendency not to grow to towering heights and block all my sun. Here goes…

Pinus thunbergii ‘Thunderhead’ (Dwarf Japanese Thunderhead Black Pine)…

pinus thunbergii ‘thunderhead’ | iseli-nursery.com

The Thunderhead is next to our yet-to-exist fish pond, positioned for prime viewing from our yet-to-exist window wall. I like to get a headstart. We love this tree. Bix has dubbed him Teddy, because he looks so huggable. In the spring its cones stick up like candles. Although it also looks like the tree is flipping you the bird…

thunderhead candles | learn2grow.com

Here’s our Teddy, picked up at Briggs Nursery in Attleboro, Mass. Such a cutie…

I just want to pinch his widdle cheeks every time I see him. More on the Thunderhead here.

Picea orientalis ‘Skylands’ (Yellow Oriental Spruce)…

picea orientalis ‘skylands’ | plantman56.blogspot.com

Color. I crave it, especially in winter. For the warm season, I wanted a jolt of brightness on the way up the path to lead the eye up to my blindingly chartreuse Tiger Eye sumacs (Rhus typhina ‘Bailtiger’, more on those another time). The Skylands Oriental spruce was a no-brainer…

Not a sunny day here in Providence, as you can see. But the Skylands I drove all the way to Estabrook’s in Yarmouth, Maine, to retrieve, shines like the sun — as do the sumacs at the top of the hill. Click to biggify and you can spot my new Silberlocke fir right in front of the stairs. More on the fir below. [On the left: Shasta viburnum (Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum ‘Shasta’), ‘Beni Kaze’ Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Beni Kaze’) and a bamboo-like bramble called Rubus henryi bambusoides on the trellis.]

Skylands bonus: hot pink-reddish cones at the tips of the branches in the spring just add to the disco. Can’t wait to put my dancypants on when these appear…

picea orientalis ‘skylands’ | bizonnursery.com

For a biggified shot of Skyland’s brilliance, click the top image here.

Pinus parviflora ‘Tempelhof’ (Japanese ‘Tempelhof’ White Pine)…

pinus parviflora ‘tempelhof’ | helmers.de

pinus parviflora ‘templehof’ | helmers.de

From hereon out to be referred to as “The Hof.” Blue. I really wanted a burst of it behind my three Purple beautyberries (Callicarpa dichotoma), and now I have it…

Found Hof at Briggs. Just take a look at how cool his needles are…

I saw a nuthatch pecking away at his pinecones yesterday. That makes me happy.

Abies koreana ‘Horstmann’s Silberlocke’ (Korean Fir ‘Horstmann’s Silberlocke’)…

abies koreana ‘horstmann’s silberlocke’ | iseli-nursery.com

A bit of silvery blue, positioned further up the path past the blue Hof and the golden Skylands. The Silberlocke fir has unique needles that curl up to reveal silver undersides. Here’s a shot of ours…

In early summer, the cones are the craziest shade of blueish-purple you’ve ever seen. These don’t quite capture it…

abies koreana ‘horstmann’s silberlocke’ | estabrooksonline.com

abies koreana ‘horstmann’s silberlocke’ | estabrooksonline.com

In my growing conifer museum, I think Silberlocke will be one of my favorites. Found this one at Esposito’s Nursery in Cohasset, Mass.

Pinus sylvestris ‘Albyn Prostrata’ (Albyn Prostrate Scotch Pine)…

pinus sylvestris ‘albyn prostrata’ | schultesgreenhouse.com

I needed a low spreader to hold a small slope above what I’m calling “The Desert Room,” planted with some of my more drought-tolerant plants. This pine is perfect for that. Stays low but spreads out. I like it’s blue cast. Give it a few years and mine should take over this slope…

Picked this baby up at The Farmer’s Daughter in Wakefield, RI. Nice selection of conifers there, especially rock garden specimens. I should mention that this Scotch pine has really cute pine cones and makes the lower part of the garden smell fantastic…

Pinus densiflora ‘Oculus Draconis’ (Japanese ‘Dragon’s Eye’ Red Pine)…

pinus densiflora ‘oculus draconis’ | millernursery.com

Not a pine you see often. Or ever. Dragon’s Eye should look awesome against a snowy landscape — and in the years to come, its trunk gets twisted and gnarled. Just look at those needles!

the eye of the dragon | bluesterling.com

See the eye? It sees you. I just love those yellow bands…

pinus densiflora ‘oculus draconis’ | bizonnursery.com

Here’s our little Dragon’s Eye lighting up the far corner of the yard…

[Dragon’s Eye flanked by Castor Bean (Rincus communis) and ‘Royal Purple’ smokebush (Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’)]

At The Farmer’s Daughter, where I picked my Dragon’s Eye, they had a crazy tall one carved into a bonsai…

Impressive but we’ll be keepin’ it real with our tree. True to its breed, Japanese red pine is supposed to create an excellent windbreak as its tendency is to spread out horizontally like so…

typical pinus densiflora | oculus draconis feature on whiterosesgarden.com

… which is another reason I put it on the north side of our yard. Let’s hope it grows to fulfill its potential. As with all of us.

Before I finish up here, I’d like to say I couldn’t have done my research without the aid of Gardening With Conifers by Adrian Bloom. Excellent resource. Here’s a little something I bet you didn’t know that I picked up from Bloom’s book: the gingko biloba is a conifer. Yes, the gingko!

ginkgos at huntington japanese garden | huntington.org

I wish I had room for a big statement-making gingko but no. Luckily, dwarf cultivars have been introduced in recent years, one of which I picked up at The Farmer’s Daughter. Bound to a pot for the last few years, my Ginkgo ‘Jade Butterflies’ is starting to get root-bound. Now that it’s fall, it should be yellowing up soon…

The male trees don’t fruit, so no stinko in this ginkgo. The moment our new patio is poured and all likelihood of trampling has passed, I’m putting this guy in the ground.

On that note, I take my leave. Carry on.

Tags: books, garden, plants
Posted in garden, on the bookshelf, plants | 1 Comment »

plant geeks only: japanese maples

Friday, October 1st, 2010

What is it about Asian gardens that draws me to them? The focus on foliage and texture? The exotic and irregular shapes? The simplicity — which requires the kind of restraint I just don’t have? I’ll never have a full-on traditional Japanese garden, but since I started planting I’ve tried to include some elements that I love. Starting with Japanese maples.

I lack the room for sizable trees, but I’ve managed to work in a handful that will max out at 10′ or less. Here are my choices so far…

Acer palmatum var. dissectum ‘Crimson Queen’ (Crimson Queen Threadleaf Japanese Maple)…

acer palmatum ‘crimson queen’ | shot at Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Drooled over this one at Brooklyn Botanic and then promptly hunted one down at Seven Arrows Farm in Attleboro, Mass.

Acer palmatum ‘Sister Ghost’ (Sister Ghost Japanese Maple)…

acer palmatum ‘sister ghost’ | essenceofthetree.co

Picked up online via Eastfork Nursery, who did a fantastic job of packaging. Gorgeous little tree.

Acer palmatum var. dissectum ‘Red Dragon’ (Red Dragon Threadleaf Japanese Maple)…

acer palmatum ‘red dragon’ | pacificcoastmaples.com

Picked up at Briggs Nursery in Attleboro, Mass. They carry a surprisingly good selection of Japanese maples in spring and summer.

Acer shirasawanum ‘Sensu’ (Sensu dwarf Full Moon Japanese Maple)…

acer shirasawanum ‘sensu’ | eastforknursery.com

Another tree I sourced from Eastfork. I wish I had room for a full-sized full moon but oh well. This will do nicely once it grows up.

Acer palmatum var. dissectum ‘Viridis’ (Viridis Threadleaf Japanese Maple)…

acer palmatum ‘viridis’ | plants.chaletnursery.com

A second maple from Briggs. I stalk there frequently.

Most of my trees are relatively dinky — buying smaller means buying more affordable. I’m a little nervous about how they’ll make it through their first cold, windy winter. I have a feeling some of them will need protection. Fingers crossed that everyone makes it through to spring.

Tags: garden, plants
Posted in garden, plants | No Comments »

the harvest is ON, ish

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

October arrives tomorrow. The tomatoes took their sweet time this year but have finally decided they’re ready for their closeup. ‘bout time! Don’t worry. Those Green Zebra and Green Sausage heirlooms are meant to be green…

Yum.

Tags: garden, plants
Posted in garden, plants | No Comments »

Posts Tagged ‘garden’

neverending patio story

don’t curb it!

not the last straw

making hay

baby garden’s first fall

fall at denver botanic

pati o’leery

plant geeks only: conifers

plant geeks only: japanese maples

the harvest is ON, ish

come on in…

crudité? beverage?

sneak a peek in the medicine cabinet

get right to the dirt

Posts Tagged ‘garden’

come on in…

crudité? beverage?

polite gossip?

sneak a peek in the medicine cabinet

get right to the dirt