I have one particularly tough part of my yard to landscape. It is on the east side of the house and it is more or less a walkway between the driveway/garage area and the backyard.
What makes it so tough is that I have a several eye sores that need to be camouflaged and I have a huge oak tree that provides a mixture of shade and sun to the area at different times of day. Some areas receive full shade all day and then late in the afternoon it receives the full brunt of the Texas afternoon sun. Other areas receive full sun in the morning and then afternoon shade. To complicate matters further, the areas of shade and sun change by at least four feet from season to season as the sun changes position in the sky.
Another dilemma is that what I have been able to successfully plant unfortunately provides almost no structure or “bones” to the garden. There are too many perennials that die to the ground in the winter. Therefore, in the winter months, that area of the yard is almost completely barren.
Adding to this problem (as if there weren’t enough already), I have at least four plants that I can think of that my husband transplanted there to see if they would grow. At some point, he wants to move them to other parts of the yard. So, it’s not hard to see why this area remains largely unfinished, and in my opinion, a jumbled mess.
In order to solve the myriad of problems in this area I have forged a plan. And, as such, I’m going to document my plans and my progress.
To start, I am posting a photo of the area as it stands today, February 28, 2009. In the days and weeks ahead, I will post my progress and track what I plant. Wish me luck!
What makes it so tough is that I have a several eye sores that need to be camouflaged and I have a huge oak tree that provides a mixture of shade and sun to the area at different times of day. Some areas receive full shade all day and then late in the afternoon it receives the full brunt of the Texas afternoon sun. Other areas receive full sun in the morning and then afternoon shade. To complicate matters further, the areas of shade and sun change by at least four feet from season to season as the sun changes position in the sky.
Another dilemma is that what I have been able to successfully plant unfortunately provides almost no structure or “bones” to the garden. There are too many perennials that die to the ground in the winter. Therefore, in the winter months, that area of the yard is almost completely barren.
Adding to this problem (as if there weren’t enough already), I have at least four plants that I can think of that my husband transplanted there to see if they would grow. At some point, he wants to move them to other parts of the yard. So, it’s not hard to see why this area remains largely unfinished, and in my opinion, a jumbled mess.
In order to solve the myriad of problems in this area I have forged a plan. And, as such, I’m going to document my plans and my progress.
To start, I am posting a photo of the area as it stands today, February 28, 2009. In the days and weeks ahead, I will post my progress and track what I plant. Wish me luck!
2 comments:
Blank slates are always fun. You have a pretty pathway and gate to start with. When I started our front garden I did the same thing with all perennials and then nothing left in the winter but the sticks :) You are smart to start with the bones. Have lots of fun planning!
Definitely a dilemma, but at least you've wrapped your brain around indentifying your constraints and opportunities. This comment isn't intended as a self-promoting spam, but I'm a professional landscape architect, teacher and garden writer, so if you follow this back to my blog, you might find some info in my 100+ posts that give you a bit of help. I can't claim to be an expert on Texas gardening conditions, but most of the principles of sustainable landscape design are universal (unless you're working in permafrost).
Later, skater.
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