garden ideas
Here’s a guide to the different varieties of heuchera plants used in the design. “These photos show the wall in all its glory, but you need to expect that during the winter, it will look more sparse,” Hutcheon says. “The heuchera stays the most leafy and full year-round.” He also warns homeowners that, just as with a garden on the ground, they should expect to have to make a few replacements. Unfortunately, a mildew that killed aptenias ran rampant through Southern California after this wall was planted, so those had to be replaced.
Maintenance involves developing an eye for any problems. “For example, if you notice a vertical line of unhappy plants, that can indicate that one of the emitters is clogged,” Hutcheon says. “It’s important to keep an eye out at least once a week at first, then every other week once the wall creates its own ecosystem and is well-rooted.” He also recommends scooping debris from the recirculating tank’s trough, checking the pH in the water and adding nutrients as needed.
The system uses Aquafelt in place of soil. This graphic shows the layers under the plants: The first layer is a grid of aluminum tubes, the second is plastic board, and the third is two layers of felt irrigation cloth. “We have found that this felt works better than soil; the felt wicks the nutrient-rich water and lets oxygen breathe into the root zone — there’s enough air in it to allow the roots to run through it,” he says. “With this felt, the roots run through the expanse of the wall, and there are no root-bound issues that you have with other types of systems.”
As one walks along the wall, the experience changes, with some of the leaves pushing out closer to the body than others, and with the colors and textures changing in waves. This photo also shows the different sizes and shapes of the leaves. “There are three important components for a successful living wall,” Hutcheon says. “The system, the plants you choose and the maintenance.” The system he employed here is the Seasons pocket planter system, a hydroponic setup inspired by the work of world-renowned botanist and artist Patrick Blanc.
Filmore ClarkSave to IdeabookEmail Photo “If you give the bulb the conditions it needs, it will grow and rebloom for years.” — Therese Ciesinski Bookmark this ideabook, because every January when your holiday amaryllis is done, you’re going to be tempted to toss it. Ciesinski gives you all the information you’ll need to enjoy it the following year. Full story: How to Get an Amaryllis to Rebloom
While brilliant spring and summer colors awaken landscapes, and fiery fall color is a seasonal spectacle, sometimes you just need to cool down. Let's cool down with blue — blue oat grass, a must-know low-maintenance pick for calming color year-round. Add to ideabook by San Marcos Growers Botanical name: Helictotrichon sempervirens Common name: Blue oat grass USDA zones: 4 to 8; hardy to less than 0 degrees Fahrenheit (find your zone) Water requirement: Occasional; drought tolerant Light requirement: Full sun to light shade Mature size: 2 feet tall and wide Benefits and tolerances: Drought tolerant; deer resistant; can handle air pollution
This first example falls into the category of climbing plants upon an armature; the latter in this case is a wire mesh that defines the walls of a small outbuilding. The coverage on the walls is impressive, owing to the equally impressive plantings in the ground. I've seen my share of trellises designed with a pithy amount of plants at the base, as if a miracle will happen. This photo shows that the best results happen with generous plantings at the bottom.
The construction. The parking garage is slated for demolition as part of Seattle's master plan, but that could be in a few years, even a decade. Kistler notes that because of the uncertain future of the garden, deconstruction was a key consideration. No structural changes could be made to the garage. The planters and terraces are made of FSC-certified cedar planks and lined with filter fabric. Everything is firmly fixed but also portable and reusable for the next UpGarden location. This garden, like most community projects, is primarily volunteer driven — including construction. In addition to the contractors who pressure washed the roof and set posts for the terraces, the community was responsible for the rest of the building. A lot of triple and quadruple checking of tasks happened, says Higbee, but this project goes to show how simple materials, hard work and focused design can go a long
The design. Not surprisingly, few precedents exist for parking garage community gardens. Together the community decided on everything, from the design and engineering to how the plots were assigned and managed. Things had to be durable and affordable, and also needed to stay on the roof. Drainage is a major concern in all landscape architecture projects. This is compounded on rooftop gardens, where load is also a concern — consider soil, which can weigh more than 100 pounds per square foot, on a parking structure designed to hold 40 pounds per square foot. The crowning of the garage and the overall slope of the space dictated the design and program needs. Two wide paths run the length of the garden where the roof can hold the least amount of weight. Kistler says they turned to traditional agricultural models that used terracing to deal with slope — rice paddies, contour plowing etc. Softly undulating terraces work across the parking garage.
A group of Seattle designers, neighbors and city officials have upped the community gardening ante with the city's first large-scale community garden on top of a 50-year-old parking garage. Somewhere out there, Joni Mitchell is smiling. Eating local and preserving green spaces are healthy trends, but connecting with neighbors is what really makes community gardening special. The project, called UpGarden, takes this experience to the rooftop, creating a 30,000 square-foot showcase for how an edible landscape — and new neighbor connections — can emerge from a parking lot.
As these planters were designed for edible gardening, leaching from the wood was an additional concern. All ipe planters were therefore lined with cedar. Otherwise, marine-grade or pressure-treated wood would suffice for ornamentals. Rooftop gardens also have the added challenge of weight to contend with. Soil, particularly when wet, is extremely heavy and therefore typically requires a soil mixture made from lighter materials. A company called Rooflite supplied the growing media for this project. Pool Farm served as a test site for a new mixture designed specially for rooftop agriculture. Rooftop gardening doesn’t need to be governed by limitations and what you can’t do. Understand what has to be in place for your garden to thrive. Everything else can be left to creative license.
Spatial planning comes easily to Robin, since she's a kitchen and bath designer. After she and her husband came up with the idea, she whipped up some plans right away. "By the end of that weekend, I had drafted the plans and ordered the hardware to assemble the raised beds," she says. "I was out there in my wellies on Monday morning beginning the process of removing all that ghastly gravel."
"Not all glass doors and windows are created equal," says interior designer Anne DeCocco. "There are many options in glass, and some require special care and cleaning. My main advice to clients is to read the glass installation literature and talk to the installer for specific care instructions, and do your part with daily maintenance." Shower Doors and Windows For soap scum and film: DeCocco suggests using a product called Bioclean to remove soap scum and film, and a monthly Rain X application to maintain a streak-free shine. For hard-to-remove water spots: If your shower is filled with water spots, try CLR, a tough cleaner that is still free of ammonia, phosphates and bleach. CLR's website recommends making a solution that's half water and half CLR; dip a microfiber cloth in the solution and apply. Warning: CLR is a spot cleaner and will damage natural stone and marble, terrazzo, colored grout, painted and metallic glazed surfaces, and acrylic tubs, so use it carefully. Stay away from: Abrasive cleansers.
Break out of the standard 4 feet by 8 feet raised wood beds lined up along the back property line. Low stone walls add structure, enclosure, visual interest and additional seating Give your beds style and an attractive layout that looks great year-round. Include a space for lounging, dining or entertaining. Low stone walls add structure, enclosure, visual interest and additional
Raised Cor-Ten beds are superstylish and play well with the steel-edged boccie court. Look for opportunities to integrate your veggie patch with other outdoor spaces to get the most use, value and joy from your garden.
Ditch the orchard. Newly planted espaliered apple trees are at home in this perennial border, providing bushels of apples to go with an abundance of fresh bouquets. These trees have been trained as cordons, the familiar form of grape vines. Growth is limited to a few principal horizontal branches within easy reach. The cordoned apples provide needed screening for this front-yard garden, and the nearby flowers attract pollinators, which enhance fruit production. Tip: Annual dormant-season pruning increases the number and density of fruit buds, reducing the overall footprint of the tree while maintaining high yields. This garden is located on a quarter-acre four-unit multifamily residential site in downtown Santa Barbara, California. Vegetables, herbs, ornamentals and more than 30 fruit trees joyfully, beautifully and fruitfully coexist, thriving on harvested rainwater.
Small space? Espalier and graft. Apple, pear, fig and other fruit trees are easily espaliered (trained to grow flat against a wall, a trellis or an arrangement of stakes). This espalier provides screening and fresh fruit.
A space-saving, high-density producer. Watermelon is tucked below the towering hollyhocks to squeeze the most out of the space in this free-spirited garden.
My own blended garden. My own garden has seen a lot of change over the 20-plus years I've been tending it. I began raising produce in large, colorful containers set among flowering perennials in the curb strip and along the driveway about eight years ago. The large pots provide plenty of no-bend, clean-shoe gardening (my favorite kind). The pots are placed where there's great sun exposure and air circulation, providing structure, color and interest to the garden. They look great at the height of the growing season and in the off-season as well. I come home at the end of the day and spend about five minutes between the curb and my front door. By the time I cross the threshold with a handful of fresh fare, I've figured out what's for dinner and decompressed from the stresses of the day.
Wild grasses to let sunlight thru but add privacy
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