Starting off simple idea workable?

I am wanting a large, flowing garden on the property we bought for eventual retirement.... but I am only ON the property quarterly, in 3 week installments.

I have read Diana's wise planning sequence, and think I may have a step to add.

That is, using newspaper or blk plastic (and brown mulch) to prep for digging beds. I can do a lot of my planning from our current fulltime home. On this visit, I have just finished mulchbeds in the front. ... two new ones, and extending two that were here but only 4' front to back against the house.

What these give me is a great backdrop for containers holding all manner of seasonal/clearance bedding plants, to enjoy while here and then leave for kids on the block to take back to their house.

See any downside?

~Susan

New bed under dried-out maple.

seems like a good plan to me. You block the weeds, and you build up a layer of mulch that will eventually break down and help the soil. When you're ready to really plant, I think you can just stick them in.
Just don't make the mulch so thick that you block air and water from the maple roots. Maybe you should not use newspaper over tree roots- just mulch.

Yes. Over the roots it's just mulch. Couldn't afford landscape cloth so just mulched.

In the front beds I think I will place brown-painted brick risers on which to set bedding plants, so I'm leaving room for those now as I play with garden art/artifacts. Here's one vignette using a table n chair to fill the space between the 2 spindliest hollies yet lv room for light and growth.

Don't wast money on landscape cloth. Get more mulch.

Good idea to lay out things like table and chairs to represent sitting areas, or even to represent more bushes!
Visualizing is easier when you can see something physical there, taking up space.

Similarly, lay out a garden hose to help you shape the beds. Curves, straight...
Now, here is the interesting part:
Take the lawn mower for a trip around the edge of the lawn, following the hose. Easy to do? Big, gentle curves? Alter the planter areas accordingly. Get rid of the tight little curves no matter how cute they look.
Now make a couple of passes across the lawn. See how easy it is to turn the machine when you are stepping on the driveway or walkway? See how tricky it is when you are trying not to step on the (virtual) plants?

Yes. In one house I was renting I cut brick edging into the beds for the mower wheels to ride on. At this hse we use a mowing service with the BIG mower deck so altho hubby will cut with a push mower when here with me, my lawn guy has been pretty clear abt what he needs. So the weed-whacking he'll have to do around that tree as it now is will require a tradeoff in other yard zones. We'll negotiate that this wk. One imorovement he will gush over is that the 16' gates he's had to untie will now be proper gates that simply open.

I have one more large area to dream in over the next 10 days before I head back to PA..... Part of a driveway already gated off as a dog n people patio. (I'll get pix when my helper comes in a day or two to eradicate summer weed debris and give me my clean slate.) That part of the property will need to be pretty ADA accessible. That's also the bbq area so when I get home hubby will guide walkway choices. I already know I'm taking over the seller's bbq area.... it needs a windowbox there more!


~S~

This message was edited Sep 28, 2014 2:13 PM

One foto and post that failed to load.... my eye has made it clear that against the dark hollies in the shade I want yellow. Good clue for eventual plant choice and I love yellow w lilac.

This message was edited Sep 28, 2014 1:41 PM

Here Ramona the lone swan sits guarding some of the dirty white rock that used to totally cover the front beds. It represents a large semi-sun area where the sellers tore out a tree and it's roots, leaving a hazardous hole and gash obscured by thick grass. I see a spiraea and crocus there eventually. Til then Ramona can bear plants between her wings to help attract hummingbirds. The rock in the foto hain't been rainwashed yet but sparkles when it's clean. Between Ramona and the front beds is a natural walkway to the front door from the drive, for which I have beautiful PA bluestone flags on hand. Someday I'll cut them in with alyssum.

Sorry, neighbor kids. You shouldda stayed off mah mulch. Now ur natural path across my garden-- not ur playground-- between tree n hse....

Isn't, anymore, but ur welcome to come visit our garden.

.......

To the left of the bed shown, I'm seeing a deep, rounded corner bed for a lilac. Northwest sunshine on that side of the house. Then hollyhocks n sunflowers agaist the house, to another corner lilac.

This message was edited Sep 28, 2014 2:46 PM

To the left of the peony that is at the far left of the little table n chair I set out, there is a mostly-sunny spot in the grass just begging for a showpiece and still lv room for the walkway from a car in the drive.

If I plant a couple of companion peonies there next fall, will 3 wks of care be enuf or should I plan on someone keeping an eye on the newbies? I'm not a fan of roses but LOVE peonies. Do I cut the one right down to the ground now, and set a cage ready to support it, in case I miss the bloom again in the spring?

~S~

I left cages over mine in my former home, that worked pretty well.

I fell into the Cottage Gardens forum today. ... didn't I see some of ur pix over there?

~S~

Yes, a lot of the pictures of are of my previous homes. The home I lived in from 1997 to 2004 http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/779605/

The home I moved into less than a year ago. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1371502/

The front yard finally got cleared, the gravel spread and I'm trying to get my little flower island planted. I'm hoping to get a little stretch of picket fence in it and a birdhouse/feeder on a post. PINK Tulips planted later and call it quits on this for fall.

Well I'll tell ya what. That thread was some serious eye candy. Never having owned a home til now at age 61, I'm all wanna do and short on can do.... but those pictures..... inspire me to plug away!

An old saying comes to mind-- "It takes longer if you don't start." ;-)

Someone told me Rubberific will leach out its hydrocarbons and hurt plants. Whaaaaat?!?!?

~S~

This message was edited Sep 28, 2014 8:11 PM

I don't know about the rubberific. I don't care for the way it smells, they say it smells less after a while.

#3, shows part of "coming soon flower island" and 4 is from road to house with island. #5, closer shot of island looking from house. Sure doesn't look like much right now! LOL

But what do you see there? I mean is there a vision in your head calling you? In there.... what form, color, shape..... [edit-- I've seen ur other thread since, Gravel Queen!]

I got lost today for awhile thinking of a garden like fireworks in slow motion. Maybe it was the excessive intake of eye candy, but this image of plants firing off their colors in sequence started running somewhere in the farther corners of my mind. (There's no tv at the vacay house lol).

OTOH I hear that for $145 I can order a whole starter garden.... scary!

~S~

This message was edited Sep 28, 2014 10:17 PM

Oh I have a vision alright! Like I said, picket fence with LOTS of flowers on both side filled with daisy, coneflower, maybe hollyhock, mums, cosmos, Wave petunias, snapdragons and I can't live without pink tulips! I've always strived to have something in bloom from earliest spring to lastest fall and have a little bit of "garden art" for when it's too cold for blooming.

Your plan looks to be shaping up nicely! (Saw pix)

A friend writes about Rubberific-- glad I didn't plan on planting edibles in it!--

"...Although Environment & Human Health, Inc. tried to warn everyone 
that the ground up rubber tires in synthetic turf & toddler playgrounds 
were carcinogenic - no one listened. Schools & towns continued - 
& still continue today - to install them. Neither state nor federal 
government stopped them. Today there are hundreds of thousands 
of these fields around the country. Cancer takes a while to develop 
-- but now the cases are coming in -- hugely disproportionately 
for the soccer goalies. Goalies spend more time diving on the 
ground - picking up even more of the ground up rubber tire pellets
than the other players....."

IF it really is carcinogenic, why would they ignore that? Makes no sense to me.

Your blue flagstone path plan sounds wonderful. I have been avoiding any stepping stone or ANYTHING uneven as it's such a safety risk for my husband with a prosthetic leg. I LOVE the look of stepping stones, paths etc. *sigh*

Just wanted to stick my head in here and say that I'm watching your planning and ideas with interest!! =)

Awwww! Thanks... most of my newer stuff is in a different thread tho.

DG rocks!