What will be my time investment?
Once, a customer said to me that mowing his lawn was “the biggest waste of his time”. He sent a clear message that he valued low maintenance landscaping. He either didn’t have time or didn’t consider maintaining his yard a high priority. He might have felt that the physical stress was not worth his suffering fatigue and sore muscles. The question becomes “Who’s going to do your work?” If the answer is you are, you can plan ahead and reduce the time spent in the yard by half. Low maintenance yards grow slower, use less water and fertilizer, require less trimming and are naturally cleaner. They often have fewer flowers, fruit and, therefore, litter. Beauty is more likely derived from leaf textures and colors. For example, look at the myriad of Junipers, dwarf conifers, and California natives (like Ceanothus). Imagine combining an upright Juniper that has grey foliage, a false cypress that has golden tips and layered branches, a California lilac, (Ceanothus) that has rich-green leaves with deep purple spring flowers and a fountain-shaped ‘Cinnabar’ Texas Ranger (Leucophyllum frutescens) of silver leaves, displaying masses of lavender flowers in the summer. There are many “filler” plants that add color and texture to this mix such as sages, gaillardias, daisies and creeping phlox.
How do I determine my style or theme?
To see what kind of garden style matches you best, follow this link and take a quick quiz. http://www.monrovia.com/design-inspiration/style-quiz.php
The garden is just like the inside of your house. Divide it into rooms by use. Do you want a BBQ area? A kid’s play area? A water feature or Zen garden area for serenity and beauty? A party area? A vegetable garden/food growing area? A pet area? Ask other questions related to outdoor use.
As in art, using items in odd numbers (1, 3, 5, etc.) is more pleasing and relaxing than even numbers. Landscapes “flow” better with designs that mimic nature.
Even numbered plantings often take on a rigid, military look and feel uneasy and even restrictive. Plus, symmetrical plantings that get stressed or damaged look lopsided until the replaced plants catch up in size to their counterpart. If you look around town at rows of Italian Cypress that are over a few years old, normally several in a row are replacements and half the size of the others. They look out of place for years until the symmetry is restored. There are other components that add serenity from nature, like water features.
Popular for their relaxing qualities, water features are pleasing to view and hear. I like the “endless water fountain”. It is a large vase set on top of river rocks with a submersible pump hidden down in the rocks. A tube carrying the flowing water goes up from the pump to the top of the vase, sending water flowing over the top of the vase and back down into the river rock. This type of fountain is easy to maintain, requiring very little cleaning and only occasional topping off with fresh water. With its constant movement, it stays mosquito-free and alga is rare. Depending on the type of vase and accessories, it can look oriental, country, pop-art, French provincial, Italian or follow any theme the creator wants to choose-even Super bowl Sunday, a Halloween cauldron or Oktoberfest. Have fun!
Also popular for easy set up and low maintenance is the use of very large glazed pots with one or three special “specimen” plants growing inside. Pot color and style define the entire theme and plant selection makes the theme unique. For example, bird of paradise plants in tropical pots around a swimming pool area are reminiscent of vacationing in Hawaii. Other plants that work for a tropical theme include *‘Tropicana Cana’, *sago palm, fragrant ginger, tropical hibiscus, *Lantana, *million bells, *philodendron, Bougainvillea, and so many others. (*=easy care). Don’t use Loropetalum (Chinese Fringe Flower) near water because the constantly shedding leaves and flowers
are a bother to clean up. Bougainvillea sheds a lot, too and has nasty thorns. Sago palms are clean, but have very sharp thorns and leaves.
Two great sources of ideas for combination plantings in containers are www.flowerhutnursery.com and www.highhandnursery.com. Both nurseries are well worth visiting and have very knowledgeable staff to help you with your specific needs. Jen Miner, owner of The Flower Hut, is an extraordinary plant artist. Scott Paris, owner of High Hand Nursery, travels half way around the world to bring back pots that he finds and designs. Both of these nursery professionals have insight that is world class.
Remember to include citrus in large pots for rich evergreen leaves, fragrant white flowers and, colorful, tasty fruit. Meyer Lemons, Fukushu Kumquats, Bearss Limes, and Satsuma Mandarins are my personal favorites. If you come across Tango tangerine, buy it. You’ll be glad you did. Be sure to purchase “true dwarf” citrus so they will last for many years in the pots without getting overgrown.
If you use lots of pots, watering in the summer will be time consuming and you will want to set up a drip watering system before it gets hot. With a simple battery operated irrigation clock, you can set the water frequency by days and length of time to water. It’s a great tool to use when you go on vacation, too. In pots, use slow release fertilizer 3 times per year to keep plants blooming and healthy. For citrus, make sure the fertilizer includes iron. A great, colorful filler plant is purple statice (Limonium perezii). Try it and Liriope purple, lavender or white, for constant color and low care.
As with planning a house lay out, the yard takes just as much consideration. It is a process that continues and develops with the owners and their changing lives. So, as you make new plant discoveries, enjoy trying new things with the advice of nursery professionals.
Healthy Gardening,
Ken
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