I posted these on the wrong forum, Tree's, but got some really good idea's there as to what trees NOT to plant because of how windy the area is.
Here are the area's I want to naturalize with the floating flower beds idea. My photography is awful, but at least the sun was out for a change!
It's bare bones except for this very poorly thought out circle in the middle of the yard but for sentimental reasons, I have to work around it.
In this picture, to the left, is where I wanted a row of trees & a bed for plants & flowers so there is a walk way between that and the circular bed in the middle.
Same picture, I'm just standing a little to the right so you can see the lone tree in the corner I'm standing in.
This is the the right of the corner I'm standing in, shows more yard and how the bed could possibly keep flowing around the yard.
The landscape company is supposed to come and plant trees this week. Still not sure what to put in the area to the left, what I like is a softer wood and not suitable for the winds. Need to think about smaller trees for the area instead. Need to find something the birds will like but nothing that the dogs will want to eat! Tough to find!
Last one, you can see how BARE the back yard is!! They are going to start dumping off rocks and barn stone next week. As soon as I have a better idea of what to do I'll have time to decide how to arrange them this winter. I would love to find a way to use a boulder somewhere, but if I can't, that's ok too. Am just excited because I found a place that sells them! Delivery is expensive though!
If you have any suggestions I would really appreciate it!
Thanks!!!!
Ooop's, I should add this picture, it's where I was standing when I took the other pictures.
Well, you certainly have a lovely area to play with. Almost a blank canvas!
I was going to suggest you use Dawn Redwoods until you said you needed a smaller tree. They grow huge, but they are so lovely and grow very fast.
Hi Joycet,
I had no idea choosing trees was going to be so difficult! You're right it is a blank canvas, lots & lots of work to be done! Due of the wind it narrows the choices considerably. I'm excited about doing something with the yard!
Annie
I know your excitement! I'm really happy for you and hope you get just what you want!
How about some dwarf fruit trees?
They should take the wind and give you a little produce.
Pyracantha 'Mohave' would make a good tough hedge.
Grows very fast.
Not as thorny as most Pyracanta and it fruits VERY well w/ showy orange berries.
Good dead of winter bird food. They can't eat it until it freezes and thaws a few times.
So the fall migrating birds don't clean it out.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53725/
This message was edited Oct 12, 2009 10:43 PM
Great picture! I had to rule out the dwarf fruit trees, which I would have loved to use - I have two dogs that will eat anything, and I mean that! They know to stay out of the flower beds but adding trees with fruit would be cruel LOL. I take good care of the birds and always offer them fresh fruit along with the seed in the winter. We like our birds fat and sassy! Weird, but we don't have any squirrels here, the majority of trees in the area are pine, maybe they don't like them? We feed the crows too, in a seperate area, but they get different food, canned EVO dog food (all meat) and peanut butter on wheat bread.
The trees were planted today and the top layer of sod taken off in the new beds, tomorrow they will bring in the top soil and mulch! I'm so excited!!!!! I'll post pictures when they finish!
Thanks so much for the suggestions!!
LOL!
Shame you can't get a little more enthusiastic.... ;-)
Can't wait to see it!
Ric
Oooohhhh I'm anxious to see too!!!
It's cold and raining but I ran outside without a coat to take these pictures! After they removed the sod they sprayed, waited a few days, planted the trees. Then they spread a thin layer of manure, then top soil, then the mulch. The picture's aren't great, it's cloudy and raining and I was too excited to get good ones LOL
This is the far corner with the lone over pruned tree. The new flower bed in front of it has extra mulch on it because I needed more to finish tucking the daylilies in for the winter. It's so bare! I was thinking of doing a sort of rock garden with that smaller bed in front?
Another from the far end.
That's nice!
The little bed in front really sets off that back bed.
Draws the eye....
Those are some nice sided trees. Species?
Different angle. NOW, to make them look lush and full! It's going to be a long time before there is enough shade to plant hostas, if ever. The sun is directly over the back yard all day. I have a spring order of daylilies but it's going to take a LOT of plants to fill those areas, just like the pictures you shared from your garden tours. I don't even know where to start! I'd rather not have things that bloom and are done, I want the plant to look good all summer. Also, some shrubs so it looks decent in the winter too. My excitement has quickly gone to confusion as to what to do! haha!
Thanks for looking!
Ha, hate to admit it but I can't remember the name of them right now. Red Maple? I'll have to ask him again! We have a lot of wind so he knew they had to with stand it or he'd be replacing them in a few years. Good guy, if you use a tree he suggests and it doesn't work he will replace it even 12 years from now and he puts it in writing. Now for the stones! I'm afraid the barn stone is going to be too big and not work with the curve, so I may have to use very large rocks instead. Thankfully I have a place on the hill side to use the barn stone for raised beds. I have to keep running to the window to look out at it LOL
Oh it looks beautiful, Annie! I love the gentle curve of that back bed!
I'll take a picture of my rock garden. This has filled in so very fast and loves the sun!
Joycet, I'd love to see a picture of your rock garden, thank you!
Here you go....not the best picture, but you get the idea....
It's a great picture! What are the names of some of the plants you have growing in it? The dragonfly looks perfect there too. Don't you just LOVE rocks!
Annie
I DO love rocks!!
Most of the plants in that bed are sedums. I'll have to hunt for the names and some are nameless. I do have some scotch moss in there, and a few things that aren't sedums. I'll check those out for you and let you know. I have a wedding to attend this weekend, but I'll do it next week.
This is the perfect planting time, you know..... ;o)
It's going to be gorgeous, Annie! I love rocks too!!
And Joyce...did I see that rock garden at your place???? I can't picture where it was???
Sure, whenever you have time is fine! We have all winter LOL. I'm starting to feel anxious about what to do with the area's I have, my plans looked smaller in my head! I just stare at the beds and say What Have You Done!!!?????
Baby Steps Annie Baby Steps
First get the soil right... then work w/ annuals and some perennials.
Get down to the Spring RU... we'll hook you up...
We are GREAT enablers......lol!
Ric
Oh you've got that right, Ric!! I'll have plenty of starts from those sedums if you want them when we have the Spring RU.
Marcy, that bed was right beside the porch. See the rock fountain? You remember that don't you? It was right beside the path.
I'm really going to try to make it to the Spring RU. I'm starting to freak out about how big the area to fill is and what to do with it. Baby steps is good advice! I'd like to add some rose bushes and some shrubs so it has a full look and I'm not having to spend 8 hours a day weeding all the beds. The easy part is buying "stuff" like statues and art for it. I already have a painted cat just like the one in the garden tour pics you shared and a bird house. I'm going to remeasure and map out the area again today. Scary LOL!
Get some good graph paper and do it to scale.
Then DEFINITELY start a Plant Log w/ locations.
Trust me we didn't and.....
A good Plant Data Base helps immensely too.
You can create your own or purchase the software.
Ours was pricey now, wasn't 12 years ago, but you can add pictures and cross reference.
Plus you can use it to organize everything.
We have our recipes, books, cds, etc all set up in it.
Looks like some good gardening weather coming up this week....
Ric
Ok Joyce..now I remember! Thanks!
Ric gave good advice, Annie!
Can't wait to meet you at the roundup!
Oh, that big, beautiful, bed, just waiting to be filled- that's a dream of mine to see, LOL! It will fill unbelievably fast, and you'll be "needing" to add beds before you know it. The trees will start providing shade quickly too, can't wait to see pics as the bed develops!
While you're not really wanting things that bloom and are done, you do have plenty of space to accommodate plenty of perennials that combined, would give you color and texture all year. There are good sales right now for spring bulbs- that may be a good start to ensure spring color. Bearded Iris and Peonies for late spring, perhaps some flowering vines, like Clematis or American trumpet honeysuckle (non invasive, and a hummingbird magnet that blooms all summer) on the fence. Various blooming shrubs would be nice added throughout, like Viburnum, Spirea, Forsythia, Althea, Weigelia, Elderberry to name a few, and many provide colorful or variegated foliage or berries for wildlife and a 2nd colorful display. Daylilies and Lilies are great, reliable early summer color. Various Echinaceas, Rudbeckias, False sunflower, and Sedums are reliable late summer color, and look great with ornamental grasses- which would be lovely here and there in that bed. I love ornamental grasses for winter interest as well.
Can't wait to see what you do with it!
Neal
Annie funny this Thread popped up.
And GREAT to see Neal over here!
I was just thinking of you both actually.
Here's some videos to get you thinking during these down months.
http://www.youtube.com/user/OurGarden4U#p/a/u/1/pNWVxyQ6tBA
Annie I showed you a few shots before from this garden and here's one of the 3 articles that have been published on the owners. John and Brenda Demetriou.
http://www.judiketteler.com/pdfs/enchanting-woodland.pdf
We've had the pleasure of visiting this garden many times.
John, Robyn and I hit it off famously and there's nothing beter than sitting here chewing the fat w/ him.
This Summer we took Joyce, Bertie and Sue there...
I'm sure they were as impressed as we always are....
Ric
I miss my Pyracantha. :(
Have you considered using ornamental grasses? (Sorry I've not kept up) They are large and statuesque. The ones the arch over give the appearance of filling more space. hczone6 has posted some really good pics to give you ideas. There is a lot of variety in color in shape with the Miscanthus.
You mentioned roses and you could put those on trellis or arbors which also fill space. Another thought is Clematis on some type of structure.
You have a wonderful area to play in and fill! I may be moving a ton of daylilies in a few months-all colors and sizes, mostly named cultivars. Maybe we can work something out.
Chele I have some 'Mohave' Pyracanta .....
The one at the other house had probably gotten to 10x10 and was nicely planed against the wall. The last time I was by the house, it was falling over. :( It needed to be attached. I spent a lot of time on the espalier on that one. Sigh... It was too big to bring with us.
I'm so sorry not to have been able to keep up with DG lately, it was LOVELY to come back and see this! THANK YOU all so much!
Ric, you keep torturing me with those beautiful garden photos! That is my DREAM garden! I've also been trying to find the garden angel they have too, she's beautiful! I love the fullness of their garden and all the textures and color. Everywhere you look there is a surprize!
The trees I planted won't be mature for a while even though I bought older ones. GREAT idea to grow smaller trees under them! But what kind, there are so many! I know what I like but no idea how to get there. I do love the ornamental Elderberry.
I read, somewhere on DG, that a gardener had hired a garden consultant to help. I really need to do that or I'm going to be buying things left and right and none of them will go together. I will try to find that post again and see if I can find more information on hiring one. While I want plants, trees & shrubs that might bloom I also want them to have color & texture interest afterwards and not wither away, winter interest would be a bonus. I also have a spring order of 45 daylilies that I would like to use, somehow, in that area.
Hostas, see I love everything LOL, are so beautiful but I think I have way too much sun here for them, even under the trees. The back yard is sun all day and wind (we live on a hill top) is always a consideration.
Meanwhile I'm still rearrangling rocks but finally realized that I need help with it, ouch my back! LOL. I also decided I need to expand the new beds to the other side of the yard, but will finish this first and make the new beds my 2011 project.
Thank you all so much for your suggestions!!! I was so excited to see the clips, read the articles and ready your suggestions! You all are the Best!
Annie
Annie, Robin here at the ORVG IS a professional garden consultant/landscaper over in Indianapolis.
She may be able to help or give you tips.
Come Spring hit the garden tours and such.
Join a club up there....
There are literally thousands of incredible gardeners here at Dave's...pick EVERYONE's brain here.
Most are hiding under a different 'name' but there are several nationally or regionally known experts in their fields in our Family here at Dave's.
A few world class gardeners, photographers and artists 'hide' here too.....
As time permits and you feel more and more at home you will find the people you need.
BTW Some I admire most in their fields are right here at the ORVG.
Maybe come Spring I can talk Cookie and Bertie to hook up w/ us for a day trip up that way .....
I need some new knives anyway....lol!
Ric
Count me in!
