New Planting Area in my Future . . . and the Future is Now!

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JaneG
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New Planting Area in my Future . . . and the Future is Now!

Post by JaneG »

Well, DH and I were walking around the yard the other day, checking out winter damage and seeing what was coming to life. As we walked at the far end of the back yard, he says "Don't you think this would be a good place to have a path and some hostas. You could mulch the whole thing. I think it would be nice." :o I could see it would be a lot of work, and I had another area that I had my eye on, so I kind of nonchalantly said "Yeah, I guess so, but it's kind of dry back here." To which he replied enthusiastically "No it's not, this would be perfect, look, there's plenty of shade." So, now I'm getting suspicious, this is out of character for him. Well, finally he admitted that the area he was talking about was his least favorite place to mow because it had an old fencerow on one side and stickery evergreens on the other, with narrow places to get in and out of.

He was adamant that we make the whole thing a bed with a path down the center and plantings alongside, and the entire thing mulched so there will be no mowing required!

Well, since he wants this so badly he has volunteered to provide labor for this project, now I have to figure out what to do.

The area is the west border of the property. The other side is a wooded lot with just an old barbed-wire farm fence at the property line. Then our yard comes in about 15 ft, to a row of spruces that are probably 20 feet tall. It's this area, between the spruces and the lot line, that needs to be turned into a planting area. About 100+' by 15 feet. It's somewhat shaded, there is a thin canopy provided by a couple trees at the lot line, and the spruces make shade in the morning.

The ground can get dry during the summer hot spells, but not parched. Much of the moisture is consumed by nearby trees, I suppose. On the positive side, this was farm ground years ago so this area has nice black topsoil. This is good, because the area is too large to amend the entire area. I'll just add in the planting holes.

Here are my questions -

I need durable plants for this area, I want it to be a pleasant path to walk through, and I don't want it jam-packed with plants, but rather I'd like to have small drifts of like plants and individual specimen plants with bare space between. Rather than a sea of plants and color, I want the person who walks down this path to notice each individual plant, pausing to look at them as they go.

I am picturing a couple medium woody plants, small trees or shrubs. What shrub/small tree, would you recommend?

Other large specimen perennials, I have a few large hostas I can transplant to this area. Suggestions for perennials?

I'm starting to get excited about this project, although it will be a lot of work. I just have to come up with a plan. Usually I jump right in and end up with a hodge-podge look. I want to do this one right.

If it ever stops raining I'll go out and take some pictures of the area.

Thanks!
Last edited by JaneG on Aug 07, 2008 11:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Linda P
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Post by Linda P »

That sounds like an exciting possibility, Jane. It's always good to have someone to help with the hard work.
For the large shrubs/small trees, I can think of a few. Viburnums always come to mind first for me, also the heptacodium miconiodes...a very nice large shrub with fragrant flowers in the late summer, bright reddish bracts following the flowers, and peeling bark. Cornus mas has nice yellow flowers in spring, fruit for the birds, and nice deep green foliage in the summer. Serviceberry is always nice, too, though unless you get the tree form (amelanchier arborea, I think, but not sure) they can sucker so you would need to allow for that. Bottlebrush buckeye is another great plant, though it can grow to a very large size and can also sucker. Aronia is nice, either the black or red.
Maybe fringetree (chionanthes virginicus).
Hope the rain stops soon, so you can get out there and get pics for us! It doesn't want to let up here, either.
Linda P
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And frosts are slain and flowers begotten.....
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kHT
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Post by kHT »

Photos please as I have a few ideas running in my head! Isn't is so nice when they decide it's an area to work on due to they hate it? :wink:
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caliloo
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Post by caliloo »

OOOOOOOhhhhhhhh! I love a blank canvas!

Can you see the area from your house all year? I would put in some witch hazel for winter color - there are some great hybrids available now - red, orange, purple as well as yellow. What about a Varigated Sweet Gum? They are sterile so no prickly balls, and they provide gorgeous color for 3 seasons. Kerria is a nice early spring bloomer that is bullet-proof. Of course, one of my favs is a Weeping Dogwood. The one I got is only about 10 ' tall and 15' wide at maturity.

Pulmonaria is a great foliage plant that also has pretty blooms in the spring. You might also consider Chelone, it is a nice late season bloomer and though most like wet feet, some will tolerate drier conditions.

Yes - do post photos if you can. What a fun project!

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JaneG
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Post by JaneG »

Wow, thanks for the ideas - - Alexa, I have a bright pink Chelone that isn't happy it it's current dry spot, so this would be a good place to move it to. Linda, I looked up your suggestions and the Cornus Mas looks perfect. Blooms in the spring, berries in summer, for color and for the birds, and I always like the multi-stemmed trunk look!

Here are two pictures. The first one is looking at the spruces from the middle of the back yard. The house is up a slight rise behind me, to the right of the spruces is a fire pit, picnic table and hosta bed, to the left there is a shrubby area and then my vegetable garden. The lot behind is undeveloped and uncared for, just a woody lot that stays wet due to all the runoff from the area ending up there. Not even sure who owns it. We delve in there every year or two and try to hack back the wild grape to keep it from traveling into our lot.

The second picture is standing near the fire pit looking down the direction I would like the path to go.

As you can see in the first picture, there is a gap in the trees where you would be able to see through and the path could branch out there, also there is access and visibility from either side. Since we entertain at the fire pit area (where I'm standing by the firewood taking the picture), it would be natural for guests to wander down this path.

More ideas, please!! :D
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Standing near the fire pit.
Standing near the fire pit.
View from the middle of the back yard.
View from the middle of the back yard.
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Post by JaneG »

I was playing around with Photoshop and here's kind of what my first idea was. A path down the center with a little side path out between a gap in the spruces.

The path would not be this straight, but more curvy.

I was thinking a trellis or birdbath in the center of the triangle in the intersection. This is the sunny end of the area, so more flowers at this end, down at the other end under the trees, (Buckeye, Walnut, wild cherry) would be hosta and shady plants.

The understory trees, like dogwood and redbud, along where the old fence is. DH doesn't want the old fence taken out, he likes a demarcation where the property line is, but I'd like to have a row of shrubbery there. We'll work it out.

I'm still trying to decide what material I want for the path. This isn't a formal area, so I'm thinking maybe gravel/stone. Personally, I like grass paths through planting areas. I think I could make it one push-mower width and just run the mower down it each week. But grass doesn't always grow real well here. But I'm still tempted.

What do you think?
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John
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Post by John »

I'd like slate stepping stones! Some natural color... Grass probably won't grow well there, as you've said, and requires maintencance, or it won't look good. And weeds won't grow up through the stones, as they would through gravel.

I agree a focal point would be great, but that triangle looks a little 'fussy'? I might even like to see the path widen at that point... How about a bench, just around a curve, with a nice background.

Just my thoughts, I'm sure you'll work it out and it will be great!
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JaneG
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Post by JaneG »

Okay, I went out and spray-painted a curvier path onto the grass. It has more flow than this one and I did away with the triangle. I'll have to go out later today and see if the spray-paint shows up in pictures.

I need you all to post pictures of your pathways. If you did mulch, stone, brick, gravel, concrete, just show me any garden pictures which include your pathways. I need some inspiration. I looked at some online last night, but most of them were from arboretums or formal gardens, and I need some "real" people's examples! :D

Thanks!
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kHT
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Post by kHT »

JaneG, how about limbing up the trees a bit and making a kidney shaped area that would include the smaller tree.
How about this area being barked with hosta and other shade perennials and then running your path throw it in
a couple place with a bench? On the back side put your path right next to the edge of the bed and that way you would have less for Mr. JG to mow too? Let me know if you want me to sit and draw this out? The area in front of the trees looks so peaceful!
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JaneG
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Post by JaneG »

Thanks Karma! It is a weeping cherry and very pretty when it blooms in the spring. You must be talking to Mr. JG because that’s another area he dislikes mowing because of all the weeping branches hanging down!! Have you been talking to him . . . I’m sure he’d be happy to include it in the mulched bed! :lol:

Limbing up a little bit might help, sometimes they drag the ground too much. And yes, in the back it will mostly be mulched with hostas and other shady plants.

Your beds always look so neat and crisp. What are your secrets?? Do you manually edge them with a moon-shaped edger? Do you use Round-Up on weeds? I’ll never get the lushness of your PNW gardens here in the Midwest with the hot humid summers and cold winters, but I can try!!

Thanks!
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Post by kHT »

So sorry JaneG, all this is done my my little hands with my Martha Stewart half moon edger and round up. The secret is to over seed the lawn with rye and do the rain dance!
I couldn't get the photos to go into my design program and really didn't have time to hand draw so I just played with paint. Limbing up so you can see across with hosta and other sun loving daylillies on the back half would be the route to go? Orange is a mulched area for planting and the deep olive is path. I can play more in about a week if you want a full detailed one.
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Post by LucyGoose »

OMG Jane.....to have all that room is to die for!! I am no help.....and no paths here.....I NEED THAT MYSELF!!! :lol: :lol: ....Missy Karma....or is it Martha? You did good on beds....

Good Luck to you, and do post the pictures of the progress. :P
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Post by Spider »

What kind of trees are those? They are my favorite evergreens, I love the way the snow lays on them!
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Post by JaneG »

Karma! You are a doll! Look at that work you did with my pictures!! I told hubby about your idea for including the other tree and he LOVED it! So that's the plan! And in front of the evergreens on the left we will put his hammock in the mulched area among some low plants. In the past we moved it every time we mowed, this way we'll be able to leave it in one place. It's a roman arc hammock Mr. JG made, so it's very cool looking.

I know you are a super-busy lady and I never would have thought to ask you to work on my plan, thanks so much for the ideas. You helped me to think a little more creatively. I'll think about reworking my plan with paths similar to what you've shown, as I notice paths like that in a lot of your beds, which always look so good. You don't have to do any more design work, but feel free to make any suggestions here! :D

About the half-moon edger, that's the only method that really works for me. I was just hoping maybe you had a less-intensive secret weapon! :lol:

Spider, these are spruces, there are both blue and green in that row. And yes, they look lovely with snow on them in the winter. That's one reason I hesitate to limb them up. When weighted down with snow each layer of limbs lays on the one below it, with the lowest row being supported on the ground. I've heard that when limbed up, the limbs can break under the weight of a heavy snow. But even so, I'm still thinking of taking off some of the bottom rows.

Thanks for the input everyone. Lucy, if you need the space I'll rent you a spot and plant your plants here for you!!! :lol:
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Post by Mary Ann »

Hi Jane,

Maybe you can get some ideas from these pictures of bed paths. Both are easy to do and needn't be permanent, adjustable if you change your design. See: no grass to cut or trim anywhere. :D
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Flagstone stepping stones.
Flagstone stepping stones.
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Post by kHT »

Mary Ann, I love the last photo and the path in the first is awesome!! Going to have to look at more stones!

JaneG this is just the first steps that we like to do for a basic idea to see if we are headed in thu right direction.
Is there enough room between the spruces and cherry for the hammock for a little more privacy for the love birds? :oops: I would map it out with the hoses first as we did for our back gardens so you know that is the look you want. If you get the right shape then round up and start the process of building the ground up for the bed.
Edging is next process and do a little at a time. As you can see with ours we left room to expand and as you enjoy the space you might want to add more beds later for a view from the hammock! :wink:
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JaneG
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Post by JaneG »

Hey MaryAnn, thanks for the pictures. I like them both! :roll:

The stones are nice and it seems like you are strolling right amongst the plants. The second is a more distinct walking path. I'll keep looking at them both!

:hmm: Deciding all these things is getting hard!

Karma, there's not really room for the hammock between the spruces and the cherry. The last tree on the left kind of curves around so there is a 'nook' created there.

What do you build up the beds with? Do you haul in compost?
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Post by kHT »

http://karmahappytoes.org/bruggard.aspx
Here on our site you will see how we outlined the basic shape, tossing that dirt into the center, we then covered with newspaper and then plastic. We trucked in composted yard debri and soil that next spring to cover the newpaper that was breaking down, then just planted. We started this process in the fall but you can also do this in the spring. Each spring we till up the area but this year we will only be doing the north side, well maybe after the bark is out?
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Re: New Planting Area in my Future . . . the Future is Now!

Post by JaneG »

Well, this is just a tease, but after a busy summer of doing other things and just messing with this new area every now and then, we are finally starting to wrap up. Today I picked up the first load of mulch, based on what we were able to cover with this load, it looks like we'll probably need 6 pick-up truck loads.

These pictures are from last week. I decided to just leave a grass path through it for now, that could change in the future.

Thanks for all your ideas and input. Based on those, we went ahead and limbed up the trees a little bit. It took a while to adjust, but I do like it this way. Also, Karma, your pictures showed little paths running inward from a main path or from the edge of the bed. I kept the main path running down the center like I originally had, but your pictures gave me the inspiration to have little side paths that go nowhere, but look inviting and allow you to have little peeks in between the trees. Some of these will be stepping stones. Others will be "implied" paths, just a row of plants you feel compelled to step off the main path and follow, or long bare strip that makes you think it might be a path.

Some hostas and perennials planted, and I did more tonight but didn't get pictures because it got too dark. Once we have more mulch down, I'll take pictures and let you see the full difference. Oh, and you can see my bags of compost I'm adding to the plantings. I need to add some larger shrubs and trees along the ugly fence line, but don't know if I'll get those in this year or wait til spring.

In these pictures, you can see where the path is and the hostas that have been planted. These are some that I received in the spring trade as well as an order I placed with Chris. The reason they are planted right in the grass is because DH doesn't like muddy messes, so I can't actually prepare a nice bed the way I'd like to, because he would see the big expanse of "dirt" and freak out. So I've been using Round-Up as I plant, and then just a week ago I used RoundUp on all the grass (twice),now it's dead and we are layering down our mulch. Hopefully this will work. I'll probably have more weeds popping up than if I had done it right, but this is what I had to do. Hopefully it will be just as good in the end.

More pictures soon!
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Re: New Planting Area in my Future . . . and the Future is Now!

Post by kHT »

Fall is a great time to do a new bed. A great start and I can't wait to see this completed. Lots of fun ahead.
karma 'Happy Toes' (kHT)
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