Tag Archives: garden design

garden design, green walls, landscape design, Pacific Northwest, Seattle green wall, Tacoma green wall

Vertical Green Walls in Tacoma & Seattle

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Winter is a great time to daydream about future gardens – the garden that could be, the garden of your dreams. Soon it'll be time to prune the roses. The fruit trees are there just waiting for dormant spray and a little winter pruning and those tangled vines beckon you every time you walk by. But for now why not let your imagination go wild and consider adding a green wall to enjoy while you sit on the patio this summer?

While I was up in the Pacific Northwest over Christmas time I had the opportunity to visit two impressive green walls.  Also called living walls they got me thinking about the wall behind the patio table on my deck. It would look just awesome covered with living plants. Much of the cost of a large green wall installation is the irrigation system which allows for easy maintenance but since I'm willing to water it by hand every few days my wall will be an affordable version. First though, some inspiration.

The first wall I visited was the 20-by-40-foot living wall at the Goodwill-Milgard Work Opportunity Center in Tacoma. Designed by the the famous French inventor of modern green walls, Patrick Blanc, this wall literally dripped with plants, moss and raindrops on the day I was there.

Installed in 2009 the diagonal swaths of plants are inserted between a double layer of felt, slit to make planting pockets. Most of the soil was knocked off small 4" plants, even the woody plants. I read that Blanc used 96 different species initially but only the toughest have survived. Granted it was December when I saw the wall and some of the plants were dormant but those remaining were quite colorful and made a beautiful tapestry. Stripes of golden acorus grew beside ribbons of bergenia, artemisia, euphorbia, rubus, carex grass, Asiatic jasmine, thyme, pachysandra and vinca minor. Bands of variegated iris high up on the wall caught my eye and I marveled at the woody lily-of-the-valley shrubs and skimmia that remained small in this environment.

A drip irrigation runs across the top of the wall and in a horizontal band halfway down. Water and fertilizer drip through the felt to keep the plants perpetually moist and nourished similar to the mossy cliffs where many of these plants grow in their native environments. There's a freeze switch to stop the irrigation on the coldest days so the wall doesn't turn into a solid wall of ice.  I was told that the wall is pruned twice a year via a cherry picker.

The plan for my own living wall is to mimic the look with those Woolly Pocket planters made from recycled plastic bottles. They're the simplest and lightest to use. For clients I can suggest an outdoor wall near the kitchen planted with rosemary, oregano, thyme, parsley and other sun-loving herbs. Or in a super shady spot, the pockets could be planted with hardy houseplants like spider plant, creeping jenny, queen's tears, small ferns, wandering jew and creeping charlie. These have all survive at my house under the overhang for more years than I can count.

The second living wall I visited in Seattle covered a new building outside the new Amazon offices. This green wall is constructed from a vertical metal grid that supports square modular trays. The plants grow lush in soil pockets with micro spray irrigation providing moisture and nutrients. The effect is beautiful to look at and experience.

Winter chill made the plants pop with bright colors and glowed with deep gold, burgundy red, acid green and tawny auburn. Diagonal bands of familiar hardy plants such as carex buchanii, cotoneaster lowfast, iberis, star jasmine, Powis Castle artemisia, liriope and ferns drew my eye up, down and sideways. The wall encloses a small plaza with warm wood and concrete seating which would be inviting to sit and stay awhile on a warm day.

I'm looking forward to putting together my own green wall. I may even grow succulents in a frame in another spot.  It's an easy fun project to enhance your time outdoors and I plan to suggest this design solution whenever possible in the future.  Take the time to day dream about something new and fun for your own garden.

dogscaping, Garden art, landscape design

Landscaping with Dogs in Mind

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Gardens are for people and the pets they love. When you come home they are always happy to see you. Doesn't matter what kind of day it's been, they are there for you. So it stands to reason that we would want to make their little corner of the world as interesting and comfortable as we can.

I'm working with several homeowners right now that have dogs in the family. Their goal is to provide a dog-friendly landscape that is beautiful, safe and has enough mental stimulation to keep them occupied during the day. If you have a dog, here are some tips to remember.

Each dog is different. Banjo, a yellow lab owned by a friend, loves to play the fetching game with his favorite toy. He needs lots of exercise and objects to chew on. His yard has room to play and a box of toys that he can carry around in his mouth.

I'll need to consider several breed traits and personalities in a Ben Lomond garden that I'm updating. Sunny Boy is a timid pit bull mix who has bonded with Pippy, the cocker/doxie mix. Along with the beagle, Brandy, they all love to tunnel and chase each other. In this garden there will be a dog tunnel made from wire winding between plants. The plants will grow over the top and can be tied to form a roof. This way the dogs have a fun activity that comes naturally to them.

These owners also have a very old rescue chihauhua, Rico Suave, receiving hospice care for a brain tumor. He needs a quiet, private spot with warmth. In a out of the way spot, we are going to add several flagstone to soak up the heat of the sun where he can lay.

Creating a garden to meet your dogs needs is the best way to avoid future problems. Most dogs prowl the perimeter of their fence to investigate noises so instead of a plant border consider paving stones, gravel or mulched paths along the fenceline.

If you dog is a digger like Brandy the beagle, create a special area in a shady spot where they can dig to their heart's content. The spot can be a sand pit or earth.  Entice them to this area by burying a favorite toy or bone. They will return again and again to this one spot and not dig up your flower beds.

Picking plants is important in backyard landscaping with dogs especially if your dog naturally nibbles on greenery or berries. Some plants are lethal while others can cause illness or vomiting. I was surprised to see so many common plants on the ASPCA website that could cause problems. From carnations to primroses to geraniums, I'll be checking the list to make sure all my dog friends are safe.
http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/poison-control/Plants?plant_toxicity=toxic-to-dogs

Plants near paths should have soft foliage without thorns and spines which can cause eye injury.  Brittle plants like salvia should be in the center where they'll be protected.  Densely planted areas are usually avoided by dogs but planting in raised beds or mounds help, too. Pieces of driftwood placed at the front of a border will discourage them, too.  Start with one gallon or larger plants that can stand up to a little roughhousing .

If your dogs have already created their own path through the garden, don't try to redirect them. Instead turn their well-worn routes into pathways covered with a mulch of small wood chips which are easy on paws yet large enough so they won't cling to fur coats.
      
Provide your dog with an area to relieve himself.  Since you only have about 8 hours to water a spot after your dog goes on the lawn it's better to set aside a corner covered with pea gravel, cedar chips or flagstone and train your dog to go there.  It's also a good idea to install marking posts like a piece of wood or log along a path.

Dogs can get bored in a space.  Dog friendly gardeners incorporate barriers, arbors, pathways and raised beds to channel dog's energies to things they enjoy, like running and away from delicate plants and veggies.They also need places that provide shade like trees, arbors and pergolas.  Eliminate weeds, especially foxtails, which can get in your dogs ears or be inhaled.

Keep theses tips in mind and both you and your dog will be happier for it.
 

landscaping history, perennials, Poland

The Gardens of Poland- Part 2

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Poland is a country nearly as big as California so it stands to reason that gardening styles would vary over such a large area. Settled as a recognizable entity about the middle of the 10th century, Poland has had a lot of time to develop although it's borders have fluctuated with Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Germany,

Mostly I saw neat, red or green roofed houses surrounded by a large flower garden, a few apple trees and a robust vegetable garden in full production. Whether the house was brick, mortared granite, wood or stucco everything was tidy around the property with nary an abandoned car to be seen. Brightly colored ivy geraniums tumbled from boxes attached to windows. Sometimes the vegetables were grown in larger plots for sale and these areas staked with wire strung tightly between the posts. Every 10 feet or so pieces of plastic bags attached and these waved in the breeze. Surprisingly  this keeps the wild boar, roe and red deer at bay, I was told.

Closer to the Slovakian border and the city of Krakow some of the houses employed a vary different style of landscaping. Unlike the wild perennial flower gardens I had seen, these gardens were austere with square lawns surrounded by an arborvitae hedge. In the middle of the lawn were planted 8-12 dwarf conifers planted like chess pieces on a grid. Everything was green in these yards. The house was usually 2 storied with very small porch and no flowers.

Whatever the style of house, the Polish people love their dogs. I saw mostly small dogs with the occasional German shepherd but all were well cared for and anxiously awaited their owners return if left behind in the yard.

In the southeastern part of Poland the farms are smaller and more numerous.  Not being able to afford baling tractors, hay is stacked into tall piles and sometimes covered at the top with plastic for rain protection. The soil here is a mixture of fine sand. clay and silt. Called loess it is rich in minerals. Poland grows most of the apples for concentrate for all of Europe with the help of this soil.

Red currants, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries are commonly grown. Fields of sunflowers surround farmhouses.  Brightly colored bee hives find a home in many orchards. Pigs are kept in barns but dairy cows graze in the meadow. Geese, chickens and goats are common.

Here's what I learned in Poland.  Be sure to give swans who are protecting 7 young, fluffy grey cygnets a wide berth while kayaking down a river. Tobacco fields are beautiful when covered with spikes of pink flowers. Millions of migrating geese, swans, ducks and waders stop by the northeast corner of Poland in May .A quarter off all migratory birds who come to Europe for the summer breed in Poland.  A White storks will eat anything that fits in its mouth. Cobblestone streets can be made from rounded cobbles, small squares of granite set in beautiful patterns, brick, basalt or random pieces of stone. Gas costs about $7.00 per gallon although it is bought by the liter. Around any hole with a worker at the bottom there usually are several in orange vests standing at the top just watching.

I also learned that Polish people eat very large breakfasts consisting of many types of cold cuts and sausage, several kinds of cheese, many styles of eggs, bread, rolls, butter, jam,  tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles and salad. Dairy farmers in small villages can use a bicycle to bring two cans of fresh milk to the collection barn while others use small carts, a tractor or a horse. Close to the Belarus border, the last stand of original forest in all Europe is thriving and is home to bison, wild boar and the occasional lynx, bear and wolf. The last Russian tsar in the 1800's had most of the predatory animals killed so he could hunt more bison when he came to his summer castle. I did see a red fox checking out a vole early one morning and fresh badger and marten tracks in the mud on the trail.

Poland has more than 3500 species of mushrooms and hunting for them is a traditional past time. I enjoyed many soups and other recipes made with wild mushrooms. Two million private farms grow most of the potatoes and rye for Europe and is one of the worlds largest producers of sugar beets. and triticale, a self-pollinating hybrid of wheat and rye, leading Poland to be called the future breadbasket of the European Union.

I'd love to go back to Poland.  It's a beautiful country rich in history and the gardens are spectacular.