I hope I have posted in the right area! I need to do something with my neglected back garden - I have been procrastinating for three years. It is south facing, small, lightly sloped and heavily shaded by a huge Bing cherry tree (which I could not possibly cut down….) Much of the rest of the yard is taken up by a big detached garage structure, and a large deck. The grass is largely scrubby and weedy and I would HUGELY appreciate any design ideas for my challenging space. I was hoping to do it myself (I contacted the Japanese gardener assn. - close to my house – but they were too busy to look and didn’t seem eager, to say the least.) Should I get a few yards of soil, spread it out, and then put some mulch and river rock under the tree? Or put pots with shade perennials in the ‘baldy’ areas under the tree, and try to turf the small grass area? (a landscaper friend recommended lawn boy) Two larger plants, an old azalea and a never mock orange just upped and died over the winter and left two big bald spots in the side bed. Another complication is that the cedar roots make it difficult to plant, so I was considering raising/ amending the side beds, since my soil is quite poor as well. Not sure if I should attempt correcting the slope. . I want to do this ASAP- as does everyone I’m sure- so ANY ideas would be appreciated.
Sorry to bump.No replies at all... I must be doing something wrong. Is the picture really awful? Questions too general? Anyone have any suggestions about a forum that might be able to offer advice? TIA....
Hi, Sorry to not respond earlier, but I was hesitant to offer advice because I'm a beginner, too. If I were in your shoes, however, here is how I would proceed: 1) Take a look around at what other people have done and what aspects you like. 2) Decide what areas are important to you. Retain the sandbox? Continue to have a grass layer? Etc... 3) Find plants that suit the conditions If it were me, I would specifically: - Either manually weed out the lawn and reseed, or lay down paper, cover with 2" of topsoil, and reseed, or get rid of the grass altogether and build mounded beds for perennials with gravel paths between. - Plant either something nice and easy to care for like Hostas or native ground covers like Maianthemum dilatatum (False Lily-of-the-Valley) or wild ginger - take a look through the UBC Botanical Garden native garden section to get ideas - under the trees - Plant a rhododendron in the new vacany - Not do too much at once - think about what you can realistically maintain.. Hope this is helpful.
Thanks for the info, that's fantastic... I wonder if anyone might know how much soil to get for a smaller yard, to add to the topsoil.. Say, 5 yards? And is Lawnboy a good place to order mulch/rock/soil from... I'm not sure if mulch, pea or chips ( terminology... uhhh..probably wrong..) would stand up to the cherry mess.. Thanks..
If you have your own means to get it - a pickup truck or utility trailer - the dump will sell you a full load of compost for $10. I've used it in my garden in place of topsoil, and the plants love it. Plus, the price was right.
This looks like a spot that will become a lovely, serene personal space with a little time, effort and imagination. I strongly suggest -- in addition to Jen P's excellent advice to look at other people's gardens -- that you immerse yourself in at least a couple of garden books. This is a way to train your eye, and also to pick up some basic technical knowledge as well as practical planting suggestions. George Schenk's The Complete Shade Gardener is a book I come back to every now and then -- it has a definite Pacific Northwest orientation, and is very good at addressing some of your particular concerns (poor soil, limited space, competition from existing tree roots, et alia). As to inspiring picture books, this can be largely a matter of personal taste and vision, so you might just want to spend some time at the local library or used book store, flipping through the selection on offer. Ken Druse's The Natural Shade Garden is very good. But there are a gazillion books with wonderful pictures, and it sounds like you might enjoy some with more of a Japanese slant. My favorite garden writers are Henry Mitchell, Christopher Lloyd, and Allen Lacy, though these all traffic more in words than in pictures.
Thanks Jen and Kaspian for the wonderful tips... I really look forward to getting the books! Yes, I really love the Japanese aesthetic, mind you- i realize that that 'natural' look requires reams of effort... I will look for something along that theme for a looser approach. Thanks for the encouragement, I love my garden, messy and patchy as it is - as it is private and quiet, two things that can be difficult to change. Do you have a good local source for these type of gardening books, other than Chapters? Thanks again.
If you are having a lot of root problems and poor soil you might consider some large pots in different shapes and colours planted with suitable shade plants for your area. Group them for effect. Use paving or compacted gravel or mulch as your ground cover. Interesting rocks or a sculpture... have a look at this web site from one of our local shows and it may give you some ideas. http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/blitz-factsheets.php It includes simple floor plans Liz
The librarian in me is suggesting this book, it was on the shelf at some major bookstore here in Victoria a couple of years ago, and is probably orderable from Amazon.ca or Chapters or Indigo or whatever: NORTHWEST HOME LANDSCAPING, Including Western British Columbia by Roger Holmes and Don Marshall, published by Creative Homeowner It is WONDERFUL and has detailed coloured drawings of various parts of planting areas of various kinds of properties, such as driveways, narrow spaces between buildings or fences, sunny, shady, etc., etc..... and detailed suggestions for actual plants to plant there which are easily available here in BC. There is a separate section for photos and detailed plant notes of all the suggested plants, and also a section on fence and walkway making. Go for it!
