Garden Tips Archives - Page 31 of 39 - Landscape Design In A Day

Archive for Garden Tips – Page 31

Mulching to protect our Salmon

Posted by Carol

· October 15, 2014

Recently, I attended a workshop to learn more about what I can do as both a gardener and a landscape designer to help the salmon survive and to make a difference in our environment.

Salmon have to see to navigate their way home to spawn.

Restoring our watershed means remembering that all water runs downhill, and compacted bare soils don’t absorb water. Water rushes downhill, collecting debris, dirt and contaminants as it goes, polluting and muddying the water that the salmon use. If a stream is muddy and a salmon can’t see, it won’t go into the stream, which is where they return to spawn. Personally, I like to see where I’m going, and hadn’t ever thought about how salmon navigate or their preferences. They don’t use radar to find their way home, they have to see.

So how does mulching get in the act of saving salmon? Mulching slows down the water, and improves the soil’s moisture holding capacity and it actually immobilizes and degrades pollutants. This means cleaner, less polluted water goes to streams and rivers, keeping the water clear for the salmon to see. Pretty simple huh!

New plantings at Masterson garden receive blanket of mulch.

Well, it is. Mulching bare soil areas with as little as 2 inches of compost has many benefits. It supplies slow release nutrients to plants and to existing natural good fungi. Compost improves your soil structure, creating passageways for air and water, creating a better environment for plant growth and a healthier low maintenance garden for you.

“If all the bare soils in the Portland Metropolitan area were covered with 2 inches of medium grade compost, there wouldn’t be any problem with runoff into the rivers and stream.” The Salmon can’t be saved with random acts of kindness.

Categories : Garden Tips, Gardening Green, Winter Gardening

Tags : fall gardening tips, mulching, watershed

Do Experienced Gardeners Need a Professional Garden Designer?

Posted by Carol

· October 3, 2014

“I hired Carol to help me make the most of every inch of my new property.” Photo by Kelly Uchytil

Yes! But you may think being an expert gardener and having a life long passion for plants would mean you don’t need a landscape designer.

Sherry Uchytil had to sell her multi-level garden and home due to family health problems. She and her husband Kelly put on a brave face and found a new single level home they liked. The landscape was so important to them that she hired me before the new house had even closed. This design did not include a planting plan because being a passionate and experienced gardener meant Sherry wanted to pick her own plants.

Kelly and Sherry had a round iron wheel they wanted to incorporate into the entry gate of the garden.

Our design process would focus on creating the perfect layout. We had some typical issues, privacy, dog friendly, curb appeal but we also had wonderful art from the previous garden to place and the new planting beds needed to showcase her existing plants waiting patiently in pots from her former home.

There were so many functions that were needed for this landscape. How the shed was placed was critical since Sherry would be in and out of the shed constantly while playing with and caring for her plants.

This was accomplished with a design in a day on a rainy December day. We couldn’t get inside the home because she did not yet own it, so we ended up finishing it in the local Starbucks because we got too cold to draw.

Sherry and Kelly got exactly what they wanted and more. Photo by Sherry Uchytil

It was so much fun and the results of our collaboration are stunning. Sherry’s garden was on a Clackamas County Master Gardeners garden tour this past summer. Sherry is proud of her garden.

Categories : Before and Afters, Customer Testimonials, Garden Tips, No Lawn Front Yards

Tags : Aging in place in the garden, curb appeal, difficult small gardens, Gardens for seniors

3 Colorful Shrubs for Fall

Posted by Carol

· October 3, 2014

Compact Burning Bush
The most popular variety of Euonymus alata ‘Compacta’ because people think it will be small, say 3′ x 3′. It is not the least bit small and easily grows into a beautiful small tree. The smallest variety on the market is called ‘Rudy Haag’ 5′ x 5′. Even the variety called ‘Pip Squeak’ is 6′ x 5′. If Burning Bush is not placed with room to grow, these shrubs get turned into ugly muffins by frustrated gardeners. If it is sheared properly, thinner at the top and wider at the bottom, this can be a very attractive hedge but it will need to be sheared two or three times a year. Ugh! Too much work for me.

I love to use this shrub as a shree (part shrub, part small tree). A client of mine, Ruth in Scappoose has hers planted in full sun and pruned into small multi-stem trees. They are underplanted with a hot orange summer flowering Euphorbia which is a wow combination. These “shrees” have been in their location for over ten years and they are not irrigated at all. Other than having a professional pruning every year or three, this privacy planting is very low maintenance and simply stunning. The ridged and winged bare stems of the Burning Bush are attractive and add winter interest. To establish this plant, water it once a week, or twice in hot weather. Once established, it will thrive with once a week watering. As it ages in place it needs less and less water. A plus … The deer don’t bother this plant in Ruth’s garden.

Fothergilla ‘Mt Airy’, (Bottlebrush) in full fall color.

Witch Alder (also called Bottlebrush)
This shrub has two seasons of wow, one is spring where the fragrance is heavenly, the bottle brush flowers are attractive in flower arrangements and if pruned properly, the shape of this “shree” will look good year round. The 2nd wow is the fall color.

Fothergilla (BottleBrush) fragrant flowers on naked stems delight in spring

This plant, Fothergilla ‘Mt. Airy’ will need regular water until it has been in place for many years. Almost all plants, even those listed as drought tolerant, look better with some irrigation in our Pacific NW Mediterranean style summer. See fabulous colorful art made from these leaves!!!

Hydrangea Quercifolia Oakleaf Hydrangea ‘Gatsby’s Moon’ is a new variety from Proven Winners.

Oakleaf Hydrangea
I’ve written about this plant many times but that’s because it’s so great. The full size plant may not fit in most landscapes but there are two semi dwarf plants that will. These plants have huge white conical flowers in mid- summer that fade to a nice pink. In fall the large and well textured leaf turn the most fabulous rich reds and stay on the plant well past Thanksgiving. These leaves always go in my Thanksgiving table centerpiece. Once the leaves fall, there is great rusty exfoliating bark on the stems that glow in the winter light.

Hydrangea quercifolia, Oakleaf Hydrangea ‘Sikes Dwarf’ and ‘Pee Wee’ are the two varieties I use the most. They are NOT tiny shrubs, still expect a 3′ to 4′ wide and tall plant. My experience is that ‘Sikes Dwarf’ is taller than ‘Pee Wee’. The leaves are smaller than the species, 4 to 5 inches instead of 8 to 10 inches and they still have the interesting grainy texture and great flowers. One drawback … deer seem to like the leaves. It is native to the South Eastern United States.

It’s easier to prune than a traditional hydrangea AND it doesn’t need as much water. If you want you can cut it off at the ground in late winter and start over. Here is a video “How to Prune Oak Leaf Hydrangea” by Cass Turnbull of Plant Amnesty.

Categories : Dramatic Flowers, Fall Gardening, Garden Tips, New Improved Plants, Plants I Recommend

Tags : cutting flowers, dramatic winter plants, fall gardening tips, Winter Color in the garden

Salad Table Report

Posted by Carol

· September 2, 2014

Growing greens above ground

Growing Greens Above Ground Some of you may know from a previous newsletter that I built a “Salad” table from an old metal patio table. My initial planting grew poorly because my soil was compacted from a hard rain right after I put the potting soil into the table. I had stunted baby beets and very slow growing shallots. I figured it out and l loosened up the soil with a small hand fork. All the plants started to grow. Next year I will add a shade cover when it gets into the high temps to prevent or minimize the bitter taste lettuce gets in heat. The cover also slows down summer bolting.

Categories : Easy Edibles, Garden Tips

Tags : Aging in place in the garden, container gardening, easy edibles, Gardens for seniors, raised bed, vegetable gardening tips

Carol’s easy raised bed veggie garden

Posted by Carol

· August 18, 2014

I Finally Have My Own Community Garden Plot!

Carol volunteering at a design project for Brooklyn Garden

Last year I did some volunteer design work for the SE Portland Brooklyn Community Garden. I saw people working on their gardens, hanging out and eating together under an old plum tree. It looked like good clean fun to me and I was a little envious. These days I live on a floating home and have a tiny roof garden (courtesy of my hubs great design and building skills) and large bodacious tomato planters on the south side. I’d never considered a community garden before and now that I live on the edge of NW Portland I felt they would be too far into town to be practical.

Bob harvesting tomatoes from our canoe

Magic Happens!!!!
Jen and Stan Tonneson own and manage the Rocky Pointe Moorage, on the Willamette River (Multnomah Channel) where I live. They decided to build a private community garden for their tenants and also to romance new tenants for The Landing at Rocky Pointe. They built the beds, brought in soil, installed a hose bib and fenced it to keep critters out. I was the first person to sign up and my neighbors joined in. My dad and I were the gardeners when I was a kid and I have many happy memories of working with him in the garden. I have not had a veggie garden since although I have designed so many ….

Now I love my garden so much, it’s where I go first thing in the morning and on my way home in the evening, I stop and harvest dinner bits and greens for my morning protein smoothie. My time commitment has been quite reasonable. My hub, Bob, wondered when I signed up for my 4 x 8 bed if I’d enjoy caring for the veggies or if it would turn into an unmanageable chore. Summer is a very busy time for garden designers, ask the spouse of one and you will probably get an earful.

Carol standing at the entrance to community garden at Rocky Pointe Marina 7 23 2014

Private community garden at Rocky Pointe Moorage

I teamed up with neighbors in late spring and used a seed catalog to plan what we would grow and share. We made plans to cover watering for each other during vacations. We also bought plants and got it going. I have focused on greens, a few different kinds of basil, one (and only one!) zucchini and lots of kale, oh… and two kinds of parsley.

Another neighbor, Betty, is trying all kinds of things… a grafted tomato called Indigo Ruby which is the best tomato I’ve eaten this year. She grew New Zealand spinach but didn’t like it so I’ve been gifted with lots and love it in a stir fry. The leaf is thicker than regular spinach, 26% protein, high in Vitamins A and C and it doesn’t bolt. I’ll grow just one plant in my box next year. I use the Swiss Chard and Kale the most as they are perfect in my morning protein smoothies and they are a wonderful way to get your calcium. I use them for kale chips – which are great with salt, olive oil, lime juice and cumin.

The Garden is a Joy in My Life
If you don’t feel you know how to start and care for an edibles garden, join a Portland community garden, here is the link to City of Portland. Commit now for next year so you can get a space from someone who is moving away. Get a pal to do it with and start small. Pick easy things to grow and buy your starts if you are looking for a very easy first year. I did both plants and seeds and the end result is I’m eating better than I have in years.

Diane one of my clients has been my inspiration. Her driveway edibles garden – which is what people in Portland sometimes do with a driveway – is simply awe inspiring. There are so many great local nurseries for starter vegetable plants, you can go just about anywhere to buy them. I got some unusual vegetable starts at New Seasons Market. I still like ordering seeds by mail: John Sheepers Kitchen Garden catalog and Territorial Seeds are two that I’ve used.

Categories : Easy Edibles, Garden Tips, Plants I Recommend

Tags : community gardens, easy edibles, food for your brain

Archive for Garden Tips – Page 31

Mulching to protect our Salmon

Do Experienced Gardeners Need a Professional Garden Designer?

Salad Table Report

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