Gardening ideas wanted.
September 1, 2010 4:17 PM Subscribe
Gardening/landscaping ideas needed.
Outside our door is a 40' X 12' plot a ground completely enclosed by the house and patio on one long side to the west and a mature (8') cedar hedge on the other three. There used to be a lawn there but repeated incursions of moles have destroyed it. Right now it is a weed patch kept in check by a trimmer. Over the next year I'd like to rebuild/plant the area but not with grass, leaving the hedge of course.
I have very limited gardening knowledge, but I do good heavy lifting. Any suggestions as to what to do or how to proceed would be enthusiastically welcomed.
Outside our door is a 40' X 12' plot a ground completely enclosed by the house and patio on one long side to the west and a mature (8') cedar hedge on the other three. There used to be a lawn there but repeated incursions of moles have destroyed it. Right now it is a weed patch kept in check by a trimmer. Over the next year I'd like to rebuild/plant the area but not with grass, leaving the hedge of course.
I have very limited gardening knowledge, but I do good heavy lifting. Any suggestions as to what to do or how to proceed would be enthusiastically welcomed.
If you want garden layout and things to plant ideas, you may want to look at this site.
If you are thinking about veggies and/or herbs, I am a huge devotee of square foot gardening, which works best in raised beds (easy to build and fill with lovely enriched soil for veggies, or crappy sandy soil for herbs, too.).
posted by bearwife at 4:58 PM on September 1, 2010
If you are thinking about veggies and/or herbs, I am a huge devotee of square foot gardening, which works best in raised beds (easy to build and fill with lovely enriched soil for veggies, or crappy sandy soil for herbs, too.).
posted by bearwife at 4:58 PM on September 1, 2010
Gardenweb is a very useful group of forums. If you can post photos, people are more likely to be helpful.
And buying any of the Sunset books is a good investment.
Since I don't know your growing zone or the type of soil, it's hard to be very helpful.
posted by Ideefixe at 5:43 PM on September 1, 2010
And buying any of the Sunset books is a good investment.
Since I don't know your growing zone or the type of soil, it's hard to be very helpful.
posted by Ideefixe at 5:43 PM on September 1, 2010
We definitely need to know how much light this area gets, and what the climate is like, etc. Do you want it to be dense with plants, or have walkable ground cover (e.g. grass, moss) in some areas? Seating, or is the patio enough?
My background is just around that large and the feature we put in that is the best thing in the world is our pond. You have to really want a pond, though, because there is some serious maintenance involved.
Please give us more information!
posted by DMelanogaster at 6:44 PM on September 1, 2010
My background is just around that large and the feature we put in that is the best thing in the world is our pond. You have to really want a pond, though, because there is some serious maintenance involved.
Please give us more information!
posted by DMelanogaster at 6:44 PM on September 1, 2010
If you are in Vancouver BC as your profile indicates, then you are in a similar zone to where I live. But, as others have said, we need more information about what you want. If you could even provide a couple of pictures of styles you like, I could recommend some plants that could work in your area and correspond with the look you are after.
posted by bloggerwench at 8:43 PM on September 1, 2010
posted by bloggerwench at 8:43 PM on September 1, 2010
This is very much like giving an artist a piece of paper and asking them to paint something or showing a decorator an empty room and asking them to decorate it. What is your budget? What is your style? What do you want to accomplish?
When I design a garden, I start with a rough idea of what I hope to accomplish with that space: a pond, a patio with fountain, a showcase for a particular type of plant or a particular color. I then do the hardscape: the patio, the trellises, the bench, the water feature, the stepping stones, etc. Then I plant from the edges inward starting with a good structure of greenery. You have the hedges but you may want some contrasting greenery as well. Remember to mix form and texture-- soft fuzzy leaves, shiny fronds, round blue-green dinner plate leaves, fine bright green lacy leaves, and so forth.
To get started, I would advise you to go to several local nurseries and see what they sell, a local arboretum and see what grows in your neighborhood and then the local library to check out a few garden landscape books to see what style you like.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 7:18 AM on September 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
When I design a garden, I start with a rough idea of what I hope to accomplish with that space: a pond, a patio with fountain, a showcase for a particular type of plant or a particular color. I then do the hardscape: the patio, the trellises, the bench, the water feature, the stepping stones, etc. Then I plant from the edges inward starting with a good structure of greenery. You have the hedges but you may want some contrasting greenery as well. Remember to mix form and texture-- soft fuzzy leaves, shiny fronds, round blue-green dinner plate leaves, fine bright green lacy leaves, and so forth.
To get started, I would advise you to go to several local nurseries and see what they sell, a local arboretum and see what grows in your neighborhood and then the local library to check out a few garden landscape books to see what style you like.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 7:18 AM on September 2, 2010 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
What kind of soil is it? Clay, nice rich stuff, stony, sandy, etc? (if you're not sure, ask a neighbor who does have a garden)
Do you want pretty flowers or are you okay with ground cover?
posted by sciencegeek at 4:54 PM on September 1, 2010