Christiane Holmquist Landscape Design

Rediscover the Connection with Nature with Beautiful and Undemanding Plants

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I hope spring has revived your gardening interests to rediscover your connection with nature, and that you have been well.  My spring clean-up is not done yet; I’m still finishing bird netting over my strawberries, refreshing mulch, and getting my irrigation in shape.

In my last two posts, I was considering how hardscape has come to dominate many of our landscapes, and how the beauty, intimacy and romance has gone out of them. Today I want to show how well-selected plants can balance out the hard structures making our gardens softer and more welcoming.

[I’ll be speaking about this topic at the Water Conservation Garden on June 11, from 10-12 a.m. Come and join me and see more in-depth information and examples. I’d love to see you there!]

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This pool deck feels hot, and even in the water I imagine needing sunglasses to tolerate the glare from pavement and walls.

This design looks like many prized landscapes that boast a lot of flawless architecture; an artful pool, perfect stucco’ed retaining walls, a big deck with BBQ and Palapa dominate this backyard. Naturally we are proud of the beautiful materials used in these designs, but to me these landscapes look overdesigned and lifeless; I feel that they miss the opportunity to provide a true connection to the land, our family, even ourselves.

However, our gardens can be ideal vehicles to give our lives greater depth when we give plants greater importance and let them enchant us, when we let them make our gardens softer and more welcoming. Here is a list of plants that have presence in the garden, have in their combined use strong emotional impact and fulfill many of the functions that we have handed over to the “hardscapes”. Most of these are very drought-conscious or drought tolerant, so not only do they serve our immediate needs, they also help conserve water…

TREES

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This house begs to be dressed up and anchored to its place, with the help of trees.

Most gardens, even the smallest ones, need at least one or two trees. Trees shelter a garden space; anchor a home to its site by giving it the right proportions; they can frame a view, impart age and “wisdom” and provide needed shade and well-being. As architectural elements, they provide a “vertical element”; give a sense of place.
The following lists are by no means exhaustive; they only give a glimpse of what’s possible.

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The trees play a big role in making this front garden much more welcoming.

Obviously, a good choice unites the site conditions with the tree’s character as well as the likes and dislikes of the person who will live with the tree.

Also, consider that a tree that naturally suckers can be trained into a “multi-trunked” tree that offers the opportunity to enjoy its trunks better, show off its shape and create an open, airy screen. A multi-trunk Crape Myrtle comes to mind…

Medium to large deciduous trees: canopies for shelter and shade
Chinaberry Melia azederach
White Empress Tree Paulownia fortune
Chinese Pistache Pistachia chinensis
Chinese Flame Tree Koelreuteria bipinnata
Mesquite Propopis spp.
Mimosa or  Silk Tree Albizia julibrissin

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A tree’s foliage softens the many stone elements in this design; its canopy hugs the entrance into this garden.

Evergreen trees
Strawberry Tree Arbutus ‘Marina’
Texas Olive Cordia boissieri
Sweet Bay Laurus nobilis
Phoenix Date Palm Phoenix
Oak (many species) Quercus spp.
Magnolia
Acacia & Wattle (many) Acacia spp.
Primrose Tree Lagunaria patersonii

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Instead of gate columns, a duo of Floss Silk Trees frames the entrance into this garden. The Mimosa in the center will soon shade even more of this welcoming entrance.

Small deciduous, attention-grabbing speminen trees
Paperbark Marple Acer griseu
Chinese Fringe Tree Chionanthus retus
Crape Myrtle Lagerstroemia indica & Lagerstroemia hybrids
Palo Verde Parkinsonia aculeata
California Buckeye, Horse Chestnut Aesculus californica

Trees with distinctive foliage and/or attractive fall foliage; or with great winter silhouette
Crape Myrtle Lagerstroemia spp.
‘Forest Pansy’ Redbud Cercis Canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’
Locust Robinia pseudoacacia
Mesquite Prosopis spp.
California Buckeye Aesculus californicus
Cork Oak Quercus suber

ENCLOSURES & SCREENING  (TREES & SHRUBS)

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If it weren’t for the view of the ocean that we want to preserve, the shrubs and trees would soon hide all surrounding roofs and structures and reinforce the feeling of private sanctuary.

Let plants do the screening and enclosing (or at least hide the hard materials). The enclosure responds to an ancient desire for protection, and screening out an unwanted view or our neighbors’ homes and windows creates the best environment in which we can feel completely at ease, relax and connect with ourselves.

Camouflaging the boundaries to our private “universe” creates the sense that we are surrounded by nature which can make our gardens feel larger. Hedges of mixed plantings can provide a good screen or enclosure that requires only minimal pruning and shows off a variety of textures and colors.

Screening Plants (some might need gentle pruning to integrate into the hedge)
Toyon Heteromeles arbutifolia (a California native)
Yew Pine Podocarpus macrophylus and P. macrophyllus maki Shrubby Yew Pine
Oleander Nerium oleander
Bamboo Bambusa spp.
Lemon Bottle Brush Callistemon citrinus
Bay Laurus nobilis
Boxwood  Buxus sempervirens (when left unclipped as it is rarely seen, it develops a form that is sensuous and curvaceuous)

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Bamboo is on its way to hide the tall house in the background.

Exclamation points & Beacons; “Power Plants”, & columnar/fastigiated plants
These are plants with strong presence that replace gate columns or other devices of directing traffic; they also impart a very personal character to the garden.

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Iconic Italian Cypresses give this garden a Mediterranean feel (10)

Cedar Cedrus spp.
Boxwood Buxus sempervirens
Greenlee’s Blue Rocket Cupressus guadalupensis ‘Greenlee’s Blue Rocket’
Tecate Cypress Cupressus forebesii
Italian Cypress Cupressus sempervirens
Bottlebrush ‘Sim’ Callistemon vimiminalis ‘Slim’
Icee Blue Yellow-Wood Podocarpus ‘Icee Blue’
Kohuhu Pittosporum tenuifolium (various)

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The flowering Bromeliads Vriesea imperialis tower like exclamation points in this plant scene and give this garden an exotic feel.

THE FOREGROUND

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Some form of pavement might be welcome for certain activities in the garden, such as dining, lounging or hanging around a pool.  However, many plants can be employed to soften the edges of pavement, to connect spaces, and to break up large expanses of pavement.

They can also guide our paces and allow rich encounters in the garden. Their closeness to the visitor demands a variety of textures and colors.

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A narrow path invites an intimate and casual journey of discovery.

Low-growing, softening perennials
Trailing Buttercups, Sundrops Calylophus drummondii (or Calylophus hartwegii)
Little One Verbena Verbena bonariensis ‘Little One’
Stalked Bulbine Bulbine frutescens
Ground Morning Glory Convolvulus mauritanicus (C. sabatius)
Woodland Strawberry Fragaria vesca F. vesca californica (fruit bearing, excellent groundcover for shady situations)
Pink Spice Cranesbill Pelargonium ionidiflorum

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For less-often used paths, you could use just mulch, no edging needed.

THE MID GROUND

Mid ground shrubs anchor the design, provide longevity and structure; they serve as also fillers; some can do double duty as accents.  For these, I like to use shrubs with woody character; they are needed to “ground” the soft and inherently ephemeral perennials. In most designs, I prefer evergreen shrubs; they need not be shrubs with attractive bloom.

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The pavement echoes the sinuous forms of plants that work together to create the experience of discovery on approaching the hidden sitting area.

In landscapes with more succulents, I like to use shrubby succulents that keep their form and their ‘leafy’ or fleshy foliage (Senecio, Aeonium haworthii).

Mid-ground shrubs
Dwarf variegated Myrtle Myrtle Myrtus communis ‘Variegata’ compacta
Creeping Barberry Berberis repens
Hummingbird Sage Salvia spathaceae  (California native plant)
Rockrose ‘Sunset’ Cistus ‘Sunset’ 2-3 x 6-8 ft; evergreen, magenta flowers
Senecio amanensis
Aeonium haworthii
Geraldton Waxflower ‘Purple Gem’ and ‘Purple Pride’ Chamaelaucium uncinatum
Blue Bells Eremophila hygrophana
Grevillea rosmarinifolius ‘Scarlet Sprite’ , foundation shrub, 4-5 ft,

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Plants invite the path to curve around them, creating suspense and making you wonder what’s behind them.

Cacti, succulents, yucca-like plants: Plants with striking foliage and/or form
Century Plant Agave spp.
Aloe spp.
Candelabra Cactus Cereus peruvianus
Sotol Dasylirion spp.
Dragon Tree Dracaena draco
Barrel Cactus Echinocactus spp.
Beargrass Nolina spp.
Prickly Pear Opuntia
Yucca
Clumping Bamboo Bambusa spp.
Sago Palm Cycas revoluta
Chamal Dioon spp.

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A Vriesea imperialis Terrestrial Bromeliad is a dramatic accent here – but just wait until it’s in bloom! (see above)

THE LARGE STUFF: Accents & “signature”

Sometimes it’s useful to employ shrubs that draw the eye, perhaps in order to distract from an unwanted sight behind it… These shrubs can be “signature” plants that enhance or underline the character of the garden: Subtropical, or Mediterranean, or California native, or Urban/modern.

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A Yellow Bird of Paradise sets the theme in this garden where succulents, drought tolerant perennials and grasses create an entertaining variety of undemanding plants.

Tecoma ‘Solar Flare’
Texas Ranger Leucophyllum frutescens
Baja Fairy Duster Calliandra californica
Brazilian Copper Tree Euphorbia cotinifolia
Arabian Lilac Vitex trifolia ‘Purpurea’

Large backround shrubs
Some shrubs are needed to simply give the illusion of being surrounded by endless nature, as back ground plants.
Griselinia Griselinia littoralis
Sweet Olive Osmanthus fragrans
Toyon Heteromeles arbutifolia
Bay Laurus nobilis

EMOTIONAL IMPACT, NOT ARCHITECTURE

I believe a garden, in order to enhance our connection with nature, to nurture us and to be memorable, needs to appeal to our emotions, whether is has a modern geometric design or is more free-form, naturalistic in character. I’d do this by making the garden look “grown” and casual, not forced, like in this example: When creating a southwest garden and imitating the desert floor, consider a mix of several sizes and textures of that hard material: A desert floor is made up of fine textured sand, coarser gravel, and small and large pebbles interspersed with rocks. A groundcover therefore made of a uniform cover of gravel would look unnatural.

Placement and size of plants: When placing a bold grouping of, say, Barrel Cacti, make sure the placement is asymmetrical, in order to achieve a nature-made effect. Introduce these plants in different sizes, not all the same which would look contrived.

Mix textures:  Avoid making a garden with only strong textured plants; in nature, those plants are always surrounded by more ephemeral, fine textured plants.

In other words, study how plants and landscapes grow… disguise the hand that is designing the garden, and aim for the emotional impact that a naturalistic garden can impart, even when it is a geometrically organized, modern design.

Look to my next post for more on how plants can help us create living designs.

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How to Escape the San Diego Garden Doldrums

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Integrate your garden into the larger xeriscape that is our San Diego County.

(It could spell more fun and savings than you expected.)

How to escape the SoCal garden doldrums

Grounded: Desert plants evoke our Anza Borrego desert; DG and boulders connect with the Mission Hills behind the house

With approaching retirement and more time to travel, Jeanie and Jim realized that their traditional garden didn’t seem to allow them much time away; it just didn’t respond well to weeks of absence. When they called me, I found that they begun to add to their traditional home landscape design many new-found loves: Various Aloes and Sticks on Fire Euphorbia, Organ Pipe and Barrel Cactus, ‘Bells of Fire’ Tecoma, Crown of Thorns and other xeriscape plants.

With their list of collected plants I was handed a clear mandate: Remove the old lawn, the worn-out shrubs and even the Queen Palms; create a drought resistant landscape, lively and evoking our local Anza Borrego desert, yet not too spiky and withered looking, that would be easy to maintain and allow them weeks of absence without needing human intervention.

How to escape the SoCal garden doldrums

Front yard Before

Here’s their testimony about our adventure together:

What was the biggest motivator to transform your garden?

“We have always enjoyed succulents and the desert landscape, so we wanted both our front and backyards to look like the desert that we love. Also, due to our continuing drought situation, it made sense to convert to a low water landscape to save water. Additionally, the biggest motivator was to reduce our work in the yard: mowing would no longer be necessary. As we travel and are gone for extended periods of time, we wanted a landscape that was virtually maintenance-free during our absence.”

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Above, the old lawn is more or less gone, with palms being ‘statuesque’

So where do I begin a landscape design renovation?

I imagined the entire garden as ‘playground’ for all the exotic drought resistant plants that Jim and Jeanie dreamt of. To display these plants to their fullest, the tilted surface of a mound would be useful; also, the mildly undulating terrain would bring some movement into the “flat” scene.

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The new back Yard design provides more entertainment space and greater visual pleasure.

During our brainstorming the desire for ‘more entertainment’ were mentioned, so for the backyard I designed an extension of their patio, surrounded by seat-walls for casual overflow seating. Behind these walls, the terrain was also be mounded to give the planter bed here greater movement. Many of their desert plants were put here to which I added a few well-tested perennials and grasses: Sundrops Calylophus, Verbena ‘De la Mina’, California Fuchsia Epilobium and Angelita Daisy Hymenoxis. While the textures and forms of the desert plants are more permanent, the perennials and grasses would add a notion of seasonal decline and re-growth.

To these I added various Agaves, Rushes, grasses and Red Yuccas; also fluffier and softer foliage plants, such as Emu Bush Valentine Eremophila, and Texas Ranger Lynn’s Legacy’ Leucophyllum, chosen for its silvery foliage and light purple flowers that would offset well against the yellow and orange flowers of Senna, Tecoma and Palo Verde. I used creeping Elephant’s Food Portulacaria as an attractive groundcover and the grass-like Bulbine because of its flowers that attract bees year-round.

escape the SoCal garden doldrums

Still in their infancy, plants begin to take their place in this scene.

For me, Jim and Jeanie’s project was very satisfying; having clients who so clearly appreciate where they are, love region-appropriate plants and are open to a professional landscape designer’s suggestions makes always my job most pleasurable.

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DG as top dressing, boulders and xeriscape plants give this garden a strong regional and authentic character.

Here’s how Jeanie and Jim think about the experience:

What was your biggest and best-appreciated result?

“With careful plant selection, hardscape, lighting and other elements of the garden, we feel it was a success and we’re proud of having a really great yard. An unexpected bonus is the many compliments received from neighbors.”

To this I would add: With the boulders and the mounds as top dressing Jeanie and Jim have expressed their appreciation for our dry environment, but foremost they linked their garden with the rugged hills of Mission Trails Park across the canyon. The plants they love and the chip seal (a coarse DG) do another to give their garden a strong regional and authentic character.

What is your greatest pleasure now, or the thought or feeling most often felt when walking through your garden?

“We really enjoy the variety of our plant selection with the many colors, textures and shapes. Using DG (decomposed granite) as topdressing mulch allows the plants to really “pop out.” Over the last year we have witnessed the growth and color changes of the plants realizing that the landscape feels more alive and ever-changing than just a static lawn. We also appreciate the hummingbirds and bees that visit regularly.”

escape the SoCal garden doldrums

Paddle Plants hugging a boulder

Any lesson learned or any other thought that you care to share with the readers?

“We learned: In drought situations, drip irrigation is the best way to conserve water. Landscape lighting is extremely important. Anyone undertaking this type of project should get the best lighting they can afford since it makes the project exceptional as the landscape is not only admired during the day, but it is just as impressive in the evening. (We highly recommend Volt LED lighting (available on the internet.) Also, it cost us twice as much as we originally thought during the early planning stages. Hardscape, lighting and other changes made during construction drove our costs up, but we are so pleased with the results that we would do it again. “

How to escape the SoCal garden doldrums

Colorful and interesting; lawn-be-gone!

Looking back at this project and considering the short time in which this garden has continued to grow, another idea comes to mind:

In southern California, it is sometimes hard to remember what time of year it is, but it is especially important to do so now: days are getting shorter and cooler: we need to remember how our bodies respond by storing more food, by changing sleep patterns and energy levels, by changing moods. A garden should be a natural environment, one that changes with the seasons and reminds us of our place in the web of life and of its cyclical nature. Those clipped lawns and shrubs surrounding our office buildings may provide us with a glimpse of green, if we are fortunate enough to have a window to the outside, but they leave us with little comfort and warmth when our lives change. If we get married, or divorced, have an accident, grow old, start a new career, buy a house, lose a friend etc., a static landscape may feel even more alien and uninviting if it mocks our changing natures.

What we seek in a garden is a reconnecting with the relish we relive every year, in the first days of spring when plants are just beginning to flower again, or on a warm day in fall, out at the edge of a clearing in the forest, that fills us with peace and amazement at how beautiful even small things can be: it can be a great comfort in times of change. Building a drought tolerant landscape is an opportunity to connect with the beautiful natural environment of San Diego County, and to let the seasons and change back into our lives.

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Colorful, virtually no water nor maintenance – mission accomplished

 

Endless Summer: Landscape Design With Water Conservation

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A journey to transform a garden and find beauty, serenity and sustainability.

Landscape Design With Water ConservationProblem:

An East-Coast garden under a California sky; Soulless, uninviting, and thirsty.

Solution:

Start with a blank slate.

Welcome with a lively tapestry of fascinating, region-appropriate plants that put nature back into the garden and help rediscover its soul.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation
At some time after purchasing this Southern California home, it occurred to the homeowner how unwelcoming its existing landscape was:

The East-Coast landscape with lawn and roses didn’t work for this Ranch-style house, nor did it respond well to the need for water conservation.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

This home, whose architecture, materials, and siting have more of a Frank Lloyd Wright feel to them, invited a simpler and serene landscape that would thrive even with parsimonious amounts of water and would incorporate California landscape elements: Clear skies and brilliant light, rugged nature with canyons and arroyos, boulder-strewn mountains, deserts, and a host of interesting native plants that are known worldwide.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

Designed by Ken Ronchetti, whose architecture has “a soft strength in its simplicity”, the homeowner was ready to explore how to make her garden more inviting and how to capture its soul: Could succulents, California natives and other water-wise plants, until then unknown to her, complement and hold up to this architecture?

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

The first priority was to integrate the existing Live Oak and Paperbark Trees; both have reached a beautiful maturity. The stone cladding of walls and pilasters create a strong element, and we knew that incorporating boulders would play up their strength and be part of the landscape.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

Knowing the client’s love for plants, I subdivided the area into separate spaces to be discovered on a path. This path is important to put the visitor into the landscape, not just view it from the edges.

She’d be able to wander through individual garden rooms and planting scenes or stop at the bench under the Oak tree, inviting rest and discovery of a tapestry of perennials, woody California native shrubs, and succulents that are endlessly entertaining and consume very little supplemental water.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

The courtyard is walled in, resulting in the need for the landscape to be open and allow a feeling of depth. Therefore the plant compositions stay mainly low so that the can eye can wander across the tapestry of interesting plants.

Visible here are Sundrops Calylophus drummondii, Agave ‘Blue Glow’, Blue Bedder (Beard Tongue) Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Margarita BoP’ , against the foliage of Velvet Elephant Ear Kalanchoe beharensis, and Golden Breath of Heaven Coleonema pulchellum ‘Sunset Gold’.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

Many beautiful boulders now echo the rugged stone element used for walls, walkways, and pilasters. Among them a bubbling boulder is the focal point upon arrival. It is surrounded by plants that highlight its beauty and ruggedness.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

The heavy downpour during a recent thunderstorm tricked a Mountain Lilac here into re-bloom several months after its first bloom this spring. It makes a lovely companion to other drought tolerant plants: Agaves, Sundrops Calylophus drummondii, Crassula coccinea ‘Campfire’, Echeveria Ruffles, and Blue Oatgrass Helictotrichon sempervirens, Silver Spurge Echeveria rigida, Aloe Little Gem Aloe rudikoppe.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

It is a balancing act to create harmony and cohesion with a limited plant palette, but limiting it is important to avoid a hodgepodge and mere plant museum. Here, drought resistant ‘Pink Spice’ Geranium Pelargonium ionidiflorum mingle with Echeveria ‘Ruffles’, Verbena ‘Little One’ Verbena bonariensis ‘Little One’, and Sundrops Calylophus drummondii.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

Always conscious of sustainability, the existing picket fence was kept; Although more befitting the previous Victorian landscape style rather than the new one, it was found useful to accentuate the feeling of intimacy and keep rabbits and raccoons out as much as possible.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

This garden is very much an experimental site:  It is growing, evolving and confirms our trust in the future as the plants mature. Some of these plants, such as Blue Sedge Carex flacca have shown to be the wrong choice for this garden (they never stopped sprawling).

Finding the right amount of supplemental water is a bit of a challenge as with varying sun exposure, tree canopies and roof overhang there are more individual watering zones than one might expect.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

I’m passionate about juxtaposing different textures and forms to create tension and interest, so placing a wispy grass or delicate perennial next to a heavy boulder is a knee-jerk gesture.

RSF 2015 (13)

Also appealing to me is placing a fleshy succulent next to the rugged mass of a boulder; I feel that both complement each other, and although the Sunset Jade Crassula argentea in this picture can’t hold up to the sturdiness of the rock, its equally robust and ‘weighty’, and both plants heighten up their individual qualities.

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Evoking the mountains and their delicate windswept plant companions, Agave ‘Blue Glow’ and Foothill Penstemon Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Margarita BOP’ nestle between these boulders.

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Against the canopy of the Paperbark Tree Melaleuca quinquenervia the perennials,grasses and succulents, this feels like the relief of a sunny clearing in the forest.

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I am very happy that the owner has asked me to keep an eye on this garden and help it mature with monthly maintenance. Looking at these photos and considering the time that has elapsed since the garden was first planted, I’m struck again at how exciting it is to care for all these plants.

What will the garden mature into? Will the plants keep their promise?
I’m delighted by the garden’s serenity, and the homeowner’s words give me great joy: “You couldn’t have captured my vision any better.”

Photography courtesy of Emma Almendarez.

When in drought: Fall in love with water wise landscape

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quiet bark mulch

With the recent rains, it’d be easy to forget last year’s water worries – if it weren’t for the memory of our ever rising water bills! Winter isn’t over yet and more rain is in the forecast, but our overall water shortage and Southern California’s water dependence are a serious problem that is not likely to go away any time soon.

This challenge shouldn’t fill your hearts with dread however: In the following I’m going to show you how water conservation can be turned into a pleasurable task that makes you fall in love with your garden again.

PamandMartyWygod
Martin J. Wygod, a racehorse breeder, and his wife, Pam, in their Rancho Santa Fe garden. With more than 100 acres, they have replaced much of their landscaping with succulents, cutting their water consumption in half from what it was in 2004.
Credit Sandy Huffaker for The New York Times

The New York Times recently focused on Rancho Santa Fe in a report on efforts to reduce water use during the drought. The initiative taken by Martin and Pam Wygod is highlighted. I’ve worked with the Wygods since 2012 and accepted their challenge to redesign their landscaping to achieve a significant reduction in water use.

When I started the collaboration with Mrs. Wygod, she had selected the entrance courtyard because it seemed particularly well suited to her goals. With great determination she had already removed all previous plants so that the empty space would allow her to better visualize the alternative: A garden that would express her love for a more naturalistic and intimate space and her dream of repose and calm; one with a rich variety of textures and colors, of more wildlife and quiet stimulus for the senses, every time you walk through it.
Moreover, creating a symphony from the great variety of beautiful water-conserving plants that our climate allows us to grow would be so much more exciting than the traditional lawn-cum-roses that had been there before; and importantly, this garden would also satisfy her desire for greater water conservation.

wygod front garden

Above a ”teaser” concept sheet used to help the client visualize the general feel and theme of her garden

In the following weeks, I collaborated with my client on several drafts and concepts to help her capture her vision. Initially, inspired by the beautiful rock veneer on the house façade and perimeter wall, I drafted a naturalistic landscape with several low mounds, boulders and a rock fountain, and with stone-edged gravel paths winding through the garden, inviting discovery and contemplation.

Concept front yd middle

Above, one of the draft concepts showing gravel paths and gently mounding planter beds

This undulating landscape would be alive with exceptional drought tolerant plants from Mediterranean-type climate zones. The existing mature Live Oak would need to be preserved as well as the big Paper Bark Tree. For the latter finding companion plants would be a bit of a challenge because the root competition under its canopy is fierce. On the other side of the garden, under the Live Oak Quercus agrifolia, the plant selection would have to be extra careful: Already stressed from the lawn removal and the shut-off of the regular lawn water we needed to avoid disturbing the Oak’s roots even more and provide the irrigation solely timed to the needs of this California native.

Initially very fond of this first concept and after a few weeks of consideration, my client realized however that she preferred a quieter, more dreamy and calming landscape. I suggested to play the stone element down a bit by removing gravel and rock edging, thereby calming the scene. Also, we agreed that the mounds made the landscape design “too busy”, and that they took away from a generous sense of space.

We did retain the large boulders and winding path ways, while putting the paving selection for the pathways on hold; my client couldn’t “feel” yet what material she’d want to walk on in her garden.

Garden without edger

A walkway, still undefined, winds through this xeriscape design.

While I was working on the re-design, Mrs. Wygod found a beautiful bench; placed invitingly in the shade under the Oak, traveling the garden paths would be even more irresistible.

walkway

Above, the same garden scene, photographed a year later: The pathways havs become more defined by adding a narrow black edging and a soft, small-pellet fir bark.

Once we had communicated and understood the layout of the garden beds and determined most of the hardscape elements, creating the planting plan was exciting:  Putting together a plant list that attempts to incorporate the client’s very personal preferences for textures and colors, and that is suitable for the various micro-climates in this garden (shade under overhang and under trees; root competition, seasonal sun exposure in other places etc.) is a like a challenging piece of music, and you’re thrilled when you have done well.

Of course it helps when your client is as fond of plants, too, and open to a certain measure of experimentation where you hope that a certain plant will like the situation you place it in and then wait to see how it performs.

I couldn’t have been luckier than with this client:  Experienced and fond of her gardens she is aware that gardens need time to grow in and that each plant choice is an investment in the future that requires patience.

Entrance Garden

The garden in its third year; it’s coming together

Now in its third year, the garden is still evolving:  Plants are growing in and need to be pruned and gently directed; some haven’t liked the micro-climate and needed to be replaced (it’s too hot in this garden for Blue Oat Grass Helictotrichon sempervirens); Blue Sedge Carex flacca proved to be too much of a spreader and started to engulf the neighboring plants.  The perennial Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Margarita BOP’ is a delicate plant that is not easy to find the right amount of irrigation for, so it often displays dried leaves around the base and is in my mind too ‘unkempt’ looking. Perhaps ‘Little One’ Verbena will be more satisfying?

And the long-considered fountain will be added next; it will be a stunning addition to this garden.

Penstemon 1
Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Margarita BOP’, a temperamental perennial

As the NYT article points out, the water savings achieved in this garden are considerable. Moreover, the homeowners’ pleasure that they derive from this garden is real:

“We are thrilled with the front garden. You were able to take my thoughts and transfer them to a stunning garden. A friend of mine from NJ who is head of the Garden Club was so impressed with the garden she took photos to share with her members.
The fountain will be a project for when I am here to look at the stone with you. Step by step we are building the garden."

Bench and boulder

The bench is still an important focal point of the garden, but not much longer: We are about to add the long-awaited boulder fountain. Soon!

Get ready for a most promising planting season: Here are some beauties for plant-aholics to drool over Part III

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(In my previous posts Get ready for a promising planting season: Here are some beauties for plant-aholics to drool over Part I and Get ready for a promising planting season: Here are some beauties for plant-aholics to drool over Part II I presented a selection of promising plants that have fascinated me for a long time and that I find useful for many landscape designs. The following is the next installment to my previous posts.)

After the long summer months, the cooler days after a rain are so invigorating, and gardening gets much easier. The light has a special brilliance to it, and the ground is still moist from the first rains this fall. This is my most productive gardening time outside, and when I hear again the sweet, drawn-out Tzeee of the White-crowned Sparrow who recently returned to our gardens after spending spring and summer in the northern regions, I can zone out and be completely at peace.

This is also a very productive time for the plants although we don’t see much of it: With cooler weather plants don’t get stressed (if not hit immediately by Santa Ana winds); the roots are actively growing and will be ready to push out new growth above ground come spring.

Before people get too much wrapped up in the upcoming holiday preparations, I’d like to continue my look around at my magazine clippings, flagged articles and photo gallery and share with you more promising plant discoveries or other interesting tidbits from the landscape and gardening world.

First of all I’d like to mention my delight that this magazine is available again: Garden Design Subscribe to Garden Design magazine, after a hiatus of a couple of years it’s being published again in a revised format. It is in my opinion the only American magazine that educates and makes us dream; without any ads, the close to 130 pages feel substantial like a book, with scrumptious photos and detailed articles. They highlight garden creators and great gardens across America. The garden writers and contributing editors, oftentimes garden artists themselves, cover art, exceptional plants, plant-travel and publish a calendar of landscape events offered in several distinct gardening zones. I find it a must-read for anybody who is interested in the landscaped environment and our interaction with it.

Here now a few more exceptional plants that I’ve found worth my investment of time, money and muscle:

Chondropetalum tectorum Small Cape Rush, Bamboo Rush

Chondropetalum tectorum Small Cape Rush, Bamboo Rush

Chondropetalum tectorum Small Cape Rush, Bamboo Rush

At the recent Fall Festival at Waterwise Botanicals www.waterwisebotanicals.com, local grower of outstanding garden plants for water-stared Southern California, I saw how this fascinating Bamboo Rush complimented the beautiful pond that Tom Jesch, manager of this operation, has built.

It’s a lovely pond, full of life with small and larger fish, aquatic plants and many insects and other wildlife that come to drink here; it’s built without liner, pump or mechanical filters. The pond alone is worth a visit; the nursery is open to the public.

Against the pond’s background, Chondropetalum tectorum (Small Cape Rush) from South Africa is a remarkably attractive plant that brings movement and stature to any landscape, be it a naturalistic/eclectic Californian; modern/contemporary or minimalist. It would demand attention planted in mass or as single accent. It is a low maintenance, low water-use plant that evokes the water without necessarily needing its presence; the grass-like plant looks equally good sited along a dry stream bed or a seasonal pond.

Cape Rush forms dense tufted clumps from which arise 2-3 foot tall dark green unbranched stems. The dark brown sheaths at the joints drop off in summer leaving a dark band. Late in the season the stems arch gracefully from the weight of clusters of small brown flowers at the tips.
Plant in full to part sun. It is drought tolerant, and appreciates supplemental water in spring. It is hardy to about 20-25 degrees F. It can be successfully planted in seaside gardens, used in relatively dry landscapes or used as a plant in the shallows of a water garden. Tolerates a wide soil pH range.

Summary:

3-4 ft high x 3-4 ft wide; sun or shade exposure; drought tolerant; hardy to 2-25 F.

(Don’t confuse this plant with the larger Chondropetalum elephantinum; it is a more robust form up to 6 feet tall.)

Leptospermum scoparium ‘Apple Blossom’ ‘Apple Blossom’ New Zealand Tea Tree

Leptospermum scoparium Apple Blossom

Leptospermum scoparium ‘Apple Blossom’ ‘Apple Blossom’ New Zealand Tea Tree

In this garden where we used many succulents and drought tolerant Mediterranean and California natives, the tall shrub in the background with the pink flowers is Leptospermum scoparium ‘Apple Blossom’ (New Zealand Tea Tree ‘Apple Blossom’). This shrub seems to shelter the smaller plants in the foreground, and it makes a pleasing link between them and the canopy of the oak. It also provides a long-lived contrast with the ruggedness of the boulders and the fleshy structure of the Agave desmetiana ‘Variegata’ on the right.

‘Apple Blossom’ Tea Tree is evergreen with double light-pink flowers that appear in a very strong flush in the spring as well as in the fall. Its tiny needle-like green leaves are often tinged with pink (especially during cold temperatures). It requires good drainage, is drought tolerant, and is hardy down to about 20 degrees F.  This shrub can also be used as container plant.

Summary:

Upright shrub to 8 ft tall x same width; full sun; drought tolerant /requires good drainage.

Aeonium hybrid ‘Cabernet’

Aeonium Cabernet

Aeonium hybrid ‘Cabernet’

Aeonium hybrid ‘Cabernet’ with its deep green & wine colored foliage is a low-growing, rounded shrubby succulent that gets to about 2-3 ft wide and to 8 inches tall; in late winter it blooms with brilliant yellow flowers. Here it shows off its tight form against the chartreuse fronds of Coleonema ‘Sunset Gold’, Lavender and the red branches of ‘Apple Blossom’ New Zealand Tea Tree.

I use it as useful contrasting and unifying plant against which more delicate perennials, grasses or more fine-textured shrubs can display their beauty.

Aeonium Cabernet needs full sun in more coastal areas or part shade; in hot inland locations it’s best to protect it from the hot sun. It is summer dormant which means it rests here; over-watering will damage it. Leaves will just tighten but plump right up again with the cooler season. It’s front tender and is quite water-wise; too much water makes it flop.

Summary

9 inch tall x 2-3 ft wide; full sun / part shade; regular water to water-wise. Front tender

Crassula capitella ‘Campfire’

Crassula capitella ‘Campfire’

Crassula capitella ‘Campfire’

In this photo, you can see the reddish tips of the fleshy upright succulent branches of Crassula capitella ‘Campfire’ (Campfire Crassula). This groundcover-type produces propeller-like leaves that mature from light green to bright red.

It grows prostrate, forming mats about 6 inches tall to 2 to 3 feet tall wide . Clusters of white flowers rest on the leaves in the summer. It does best in well-draining soil that is allowed to dry out in between watering. If it can’t dry out regularly, it will produce black spots and floppy growth.

It does well in part sun but also in full sun with minimal water as I observed in my hot inland garden where its growth was much tighter and the foliage color more intense. In gardens where it was not allowed to dry out between watering, I noticed that it produce black branch tips and a very floppy growth.

This Crassula is not very hardy and will be damaged below 30 degrees F°.

Summary:

6in x 3 ft wide; full sun / part shade; well draining soil; drought tolerant to regular water.

 

I hope that these selections will inspire you and assist you in your landscape design.

I wish everyone a fun and healthy planting season, and much satisfaction next year when these plants come into their own.

And my best wishes to everyone for a lovely holiday and a prosperous New Year.

Help! My Gardener is Ruining My Garden! Part 2

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In this post I continue to examine how to protect your garden’s beauty and value and how to avoid maintenance headaches.

maintenance service

Communication with the maintenance service

Things to review with the supervisor:

  • Let the supervisors know of your preferences (see above).
  • Can they explain the irrigation system to you so that you can run the timer yourself if you so choose? (In fact, it is absolutely essential that you understand your irrigation system and do periodic check-ups on timing. This way you remain aware of the seasonal changes in your landscape’s water demands or determine the irrigation cycles yourself in an emergency.)
  • Do they plan regular walk-throughs with you?
  • How easy is it to reach the supervisor, and how promptly do they respond to an emergency?
  • How often is the supervisor on the site? If not regularly, how trained are the maintenance workers?

Soil and Irrigation

Many of the gardens that I see suffer more from over-watering than from too little water (the symptoms = wilting and tip die back look pretty much alike initially). It seems particularly tricky to water “infrequently but deeply” and then letting the top 3-4 inches dry out between irrigation cycles…

Aeonium Cabernet

This Aeonium Cabernet is showing signs of summer dormancy with leaves dropping along the stems; if it gets overwatered now, the stems will get ‘mushy’ and wilt, and the plant will die from the center out.

I’d ask the maintenance professional about their familiarity with modern irrigation technology: Are they open to contemporary components such as a “smart” irrigation controller that helps you calculate water needs?
Also: Taking a soil tests with an auger or ‘soil tube’ should happen at regular intervals on a job site; it helps determine the moisture content of the soil as well as possible rot or pests.

Interfacing with Other Specialty Service Providers

Will the maintenance integrate their services with other specialty providers, such as arborists, irrigation specialists, or plant pathologists as the case may require? (Do they perhaps have their own certification in arboriculture?)

Outdoor Lighting

Can they also repair outdoor lighting? Perhaps even install it as a retro-fit?

Watersedge-Landscape-Night-1

(Photo courtesy Watersedge Landscape)

Mulch

Do they know the value of proper mulching, and will they vouch to keep it at the height specified in the design?

mulch

Here, two different mulches were used as organic groundcover between the plants and as pavement for the walkway, outlined with black aluminum.

Weeds and Invasives

Do they know their weeds? Will they pull a Mexican Feather Grass before it goes to seed?

mexican feather grass

Stipa tenuissima Mexican Feather Grass is a popular ornamental grass that has been recognized as very invasive.

Will they recognize an Oak seedling, or some other invasive plant species, such as Salt Cedar?

salt cedar

A Salt Cedar can be an attractive shrub that is highly invasive with many attributes that are harmful to our natural environment.

Plant Expertise, Training and Certification

Of the many local landscape maintenance service providers that I checked online some mention their training in pest control and fertilizer applications; few however list training in horticulture (which would include knowledge of new plant introductions for Southern California’s limited water resources), irrigation or arboriculture.

xeriscapes

Here, in its 2nd summer after installation, plants are beginning to fill in, and the textures and forms are taking shape.

As our understanding of xeriscapes deepens and our appetite for exciting low water-use plants from South Africa, South America, Australia or our own south-western states grows, more and more nurseries and growers offer these, and what was exotic five years ago is becoming common-place in our new gardens.

Here are some important questions for the maintenance candidates:

  • Is their knowledge of standard and new introductions of low-water use plants up to speed?
  • Are they aware of current trends and tools of the industry?
  • Do they have any training in ornamental horticulture principles and maintenance standards (“specialty” pruning of trees and shrubs included)?

This training is locally available, through many community colleges or organizations in the landscape industry: The California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) and the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) are two of the leading professional associations that test and certify members of the green industry. Landscape Industry Certified Technicians have proven their know-how to do the job right. They have passed a series of written and hands-on tests covering safety and technical aspects of the job.

Seasonal Color

If you need seasonal or special occasion “color splashes” into your garden, ask the service provider if they could be counted on providing these services.

References & Licenses

Before you entrust this maintenance company with your property,

  • Ask for several reference addresses and visit these;
  • Ask whether they have a training program for their employees, and what it consists of;
  • Do they have any type of certification from an accredited learning institute in the horticultural industry?
  • Talk to at least two if not three of their clients to get a good sense of the responsiveness and quality of this candidate.
  • At a minimum, ask for letters of appreciation from their previous work.
  • Your maintenance company should be licensed and insured; without it, you might be liable for any damages or injuries that they sustain on your property (and your homeowner’s insurance won’t cover you here).
  • All these qualifiers exclude the “mow-and-blow” crews… It’s unfortunate that they haven’t done much to not deserve this name.

The Long Haul

A garden will never be ‘finished’, yet that it will grow and evolve. In order to protect the investment that you made into your landscape, much consideration goes into the selection of your maintenance service. Will they commit to helping reach a beautiful goal over time and to not let short-term interests ruin it? And will they continue to loyally support you with honest professionalism as your garden grows and matures?

These are surely questions worth asking. Read part 1 of Help! The Gardener is Ruining My Garden.

Help! My Gardener is Ruining My Garden!

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my gardener is ruining my garden

Ingredients for your own Eden: Take a bit of space, add an inviting piece of furniture, surround with a beautiful plant screen and groom well.

Just recently I got an SOS call from a client who is desperate to find help with a nightmare she is experiencing with her present maintenance company: Plants in various states of wilt or decay, with bare spots in the landscape; succulents drowned, groundcover smothering everything in its way, and most offensively, “alien” plants willy-nilly planted, presumably as substitutes, that have nothing to do with her landscape design and that she never approved.

dead groundcover

A sorry sight: There are bare spots on this slope where the groundcover died; the succulents are the wrong ones, and other plants are missing from the original design.

She is very upset that the trust that she placed in her grounds-person was wasted and is worried that the quality of her landscape is seriously endangered. As I’m working out a plan to help her, the horror litanies from other clients come to mind: “My landscaper has hedged this shrub into a blob although I told him to leave it alone”, or “My gardener doesn’t know how to prune these perennials”, and “My slope is all washed out and plants are dying on it; should I just pave it over?” and “I don’t know why he chopped my tree”.

Obviously, these home owners don’t have a maintenance company that is well trained; their crew’s work might actually harm the long-term health and beauty of the landscape, instead of safeguarding their investment.

spotty irrigation

Spotty irrigation has caused bare spots in the lawn; shrubs under the trees have been pruned into unnatural shapes.

For these homeowners it is frustrating to realize that, after several years of ‘care’ by their gardening service the actual state of their landscape is far removed from the one they once dreamed of. What happened to original design intent? How is it possible that these landscapes are ‘monotonous’, overgrown or disfigured? Obviously, the regular mowing, weeding, trimming and blowing weren’t what was needed. What went wrong?

Perhaps it helps to consider the type of gardens that we want today: In my view, the showcase gardens (most often lawn-centered) in which we display exceptional roses, exotic palms or other specimen plants are no longer relevant, at least here in Southern California. On their way out also are the gardens designed with stately foundation plants around a lawn that highlight our social status, or that are plain buffer-zones between us and our neighbors.

The gardens of today that many people dream of are extensions of our living spaces. Here we play and entertain, relax in privacy and seek a modicum of nature. For our landscapes to become true sanctuaries to recharge in, we need to create gardens that engage our senses. These are no longer areas to be tamed and trimmed but places to work in with nature, using light, rhythm, space and texture, and where we respect and enjoy the changes that come with time.

Watersedge-Landscape-Design3

A beautiful example of what excellence in maintenance can achieve. Photo courtesy Watersedge Landscape.

So how do we find this maintenance professional who understands this and who will respect the original intent of the design, and who will safeguard our investment? Who nurtures the landscape, rather than whipping and hedging it into shape? Who we can rely on to insure that the landscape matures and thrives as planned?

Communicate with your designer

shrubs

The shrub by this front door is just too big, and its maintenance will eventually result in suppressing its growth leading decline and eventual death. This obviously was not the best design choice.

When you create your landscape plan (whether with the help of a professional designer, or with your own energy and creativity), you will have the opportunity to consider many elements that will inform the design and that ultimately will determine the amount of maintenance:

  • How controlled do you like the plantings to be? More formal, or more naturalistic?
  • What feel? Urban, woodsy, tropical, southwestern, California relaxed, formal Mediterranean, etc…
  • How densely do you like it planted? With a dense plant cover, or more with recognizable “individualistic” plant quilt?
  • Are you comfortable with the old standards, or do you prefer new exotics?
  • Do you like the natural, relaxed shape of shrubs that sometimes can be picturesque with unusually angled branches, or do you prefer it tight and controlled?
  • Would you be a friend of seedheads, or do they look too weedy to you? (Many perennials require regular deadheading to look good and keep blooming.) Can you stomach wispy grasses, or do you want them at all times neat and clean looking?
  • What type of growth on your trees can you expect (this will tell you how soon you need to consult an arborist)?
  • How will the garden look right after installation; what look can I expect at maturity and how long might it take to see a definite change towards fullness of growth?
  • Which plant is supposed to be a single-stem plant; which one will need to be trained into multi-trunk specimen?
  • Who is going to do the maintenance? You yourself, or a maintenance service? Are you interested in protecting your garden, or would you think that the type of work needed in your garden requires specialized training and education?

Your responses to these questions help determine the selection of plants and the amount of maintenance. It will then be important to communicate this design intent to the maintenance service.

These questions will also influence your selection of the right maintenance company that has a track record of doing quality work.

barren slope

A barren slope despite of regular irrigation… Most likely the irrigation water was applied so fast that it ran off before it had time to sink into the earth… which left plants on this slope to die from thirst.

In my next post I’ll write about the other pieces of the maintenance puzzle.

Beautiful drought tolerant garden in San Marcos

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drought-tolerant garden in San Marcos

This landscape was transformed from lawn-centric static space into a living garden designed for outdoor living.  It is colorful and entertaining year round, and invites to enjoy and relax, play and garden.

Shade trees and pergola

 We transformed the yard into a drought resistant landscape with room for many activities: A patio roof and shade trees make outdoor living comfortable; with play lawn and plenty of garden beds (both homeowners are avid gardeners) there’s room to play outdoors year round.

A colorful waterwise landscape is more to the homeowner's liking

PROJECT SUMMARY: After sitting down with the homeowners, we opted for lawn-removal in front and kept only a minimum of lawn in the backyard for the children to play on. With this landscape re-do, the homeowners have reclaimed their front yard and created a private “buffer zone” at their front door. The homeowners are passionate gardeners, so we significantly increased their garden space and filled it with exceptional drought resistant plants.

  

We replaced the paving material of the existing terrace with a tumbled paver placed on sand and added a shade structure.  Although the terrace was reduced in size, it is comfortable for the many uses of this family, and the large shade cover creates lovely dappled shade in this space. A wrap-around seat wall invites garden visitors to observe the plants and the fish in the small pond placed at the edge of the terrace for close-up viewing.

A low water landscape after the renovation

As the trees grow, they will not only cool the entrance and protect shade loving plants, they will also complement the horizontal lines of the architecture, anchor the house to its site and “shrink” the home to a more human scale.

Tricycle path in the backgarden

To allow more water to penetrate into the subsoil, compacted pervious DG (decomposed granite, a local material) was used to create paths through the garden.  These paths lead to benches and arbors and provide a clean, fast-drying surface to walk on or ride a tricycle.

  Raised beds and DG path

Partners:

Nature Designs Landscaping, Vista, CA

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Better Beds with Shrubs Part 1

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Shrubs placed to hide the boundaries

Shrubs hide the boundaries of this garden

 

For me as a landscape designer placing shrubs in a design is as natural as adding sweetener to my desserts; I’m so sure of their benefits (shrubs, that is) that I never think much about them. However, they have, perhaps the most important place in a home landscape design, and a recent visit at the Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon where many spectacular specimens were in bloom, made me realize how effective shrubs are in any landscape, and so I thought I’d investigate their role.

example of foundation plantings

Foundation plantings can easily take on a very static look

Foundation Plantings

We all know the old standards in our traditional gardens, the Indian Hawthorns or Mock Oranges placed along the base of houses and therefore called “foundation” shrubs. Those gardeners practicing a more low-water and water-wise landscape style might think of Bird of Paradise, or New Zealand Tea Trees (a bush despite of its name) or perhaps Butterfly Bush; other people who have not yet gotten used to our dry climate prize their favorite (when it’s in bloom), the Lilac or the Hydrangea.

These are mostly large bushes with showy flowers, oftentimes pruned to fit the space… As their place was poorly chosen at planting the homeowner ends up fighting the eternal fight and pruning it into unnatural shapes and blobs. Bothered by these maintenance chores, one might not consider the benefits that these very special plants bring to our gardens nor the amazing multitude of size, texture and form we enjoy here in southern California.

The architectural role of shrubs

The most important aspect perhaps is going to be visible in our ‘slow’ months of July and August: It’s so hot and the sunshine so intense that many plants go into summer rest (“estivation” which is the equivalent of winter dormancy. Our California natives are particularly adept at it). Now even drought resistant plants used to our “Mediterranean” climate because of similar origin (such as Daylilies, Lavender Cotton, Iris and Beard’s Tongue or Pelargonium… ) are done with their first cycle of bloom and go into a waiting period until the night temperatures drop and the days get shorter, in mid September or thereabouts.

Coral tree knits perennials below it together 2

A limbed-up Coral tree “knits” the perennials below it together

 

Accent and cohesion

Now imagine a planter bed filled with these small and mid-sized perennials, even succulents and grasses, and notice how “flat” it looks during these months and how little interest there is in such a planting; all is more or less of the same height and “weight” and nothing provides a resting place for the eyes.

However, add a few bushes in the right places, and all of a sudden the scene comes to life: These taller plants provide an anchor and accent, an organizing feature, one that holds the scene together. And while all other smaller plants can put on a great show and are continuously changing, a well placed shrub can give great strength and permanence to this scene.

Sunset Gold Coleonema contrasts w perennial grasses

‘Gold Sunset’ Pink Breath of Heaven with its spreading, reaching form contrasts with the perennial grasses behind

Organization & structure

Place a well-chosen shrub in the background, perhaps spreading like a sheltering umbrella over your soft perennials, and your planter bed will instantly gain organization and structure. Now add to this colorful berries that persist on the shrub, such as Cotoneaster or Toyon, and the visual interest of this planter bed will last perhaps even into the next spring.

Parney Cotoneaster

Parney Cotoneaster provides shelter, food for birds, small mammals and insects

 

Some shrubs serve as providers of food and cover, for birds and insects, and enrich our gardens that way. Shown here is the evergreen, water-wise Parney Cotoneaster.

Please see the upcoming Part 2 of this article in which I explore how to design with shrubs, and give a list of choice shrubs to work with.

San Diego … Drought Proof Your Landscape, Part 2

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Xeriscape is rewarding

Xeriscape landscaping can be colorful, water-saving and rewarding

In my previous post, San Diego … Drought Proof Your Landscape, Part 1, I explained the term “xeriscape” and outlined several water-smart landscaping ideas and the first steps towards a water-wise landscape that is beautiful and yet sustainable. Here are the remaining steps a well as valuable resources.

5. Now that you are making voids in your garden (by eliminating certain unsustainable plants), perhaps it’s time to splurge on a few new hardscape elements (patios, walkways, shade pergolas)?

In my mind a garden is only a place worth caring for when it comes to life with plants. However, our landscapes need structure and good organization if they are to be enjoyable. And to enjoy them usually means entertainment, relaxation, rejuvenation, and also play and reconnecting with nature in the privacy of our home.

Shade cover allowing daylong use

A shade cover allows daylong use of the patio

Patios, decks or terraces:

They have an immensely popular and well-deserved status in our landscape.  If comfort and peace eludes you on your patio there’s no incentive to be out in the garden much…

  • it  needs to be big enough to be comfortable;
  • it needs to be paved with safe and appealing materials;
  • it needs to be sheltered from sun, wind or the curiosity of our neighbors;
  • it needs to be comfortably accessible from the kitchen when food is carried outside to the dining or lounging table.
walkways in the garden

Walkways in the garden expand your enjoyment of it

If you find that any of these elements is missing from your entertainment/relaxation space, now might be the time to remedy these shortcomings and create a comfortable outdoor entertainment space design.  Perhaps a new pavement is needed, or a shade device? This could be a pergola, an umbrella or shade sails, or (most practical perhaps or economical) a shade tree!

And new pathways? Imagine going on a discovery tour in your garden and enjoying your creativity, admiring what all the beautiful drought tolerant plants are showing off through the seasons.  A discovery path that winds around your new planter beds, or a strolling path leading to a bench or comfortable seat at the rear end of your garden could be a long lasting addition that will pay off many-fold.

6. Mulch  -  too often overlooked

Mulch to save water

A good-looking mulch helps save water and gives it all a finished look

A thick layer of mulch, spread around all plants is so important! It should be 2-3 inches thick, or the kind that includes also small pieces (not the nuggets or the shredded lumber), and not smothering the root crown (the part where the roots converge into the stems just at/above soil level) to avoid fatal fungus disease.

A layer like this is attractive, makes your plants stand out, cools and enriches the soil, prevents erosion from rain or hard irrigation, and slows down evaporation. It’s a big water saver, and whatever has decomposed during the year, needs to be replenished in the following spring.

Some landscape are well served with an inorganic layer of mulch, made from decomposed granite or crushed rock. These materials are well suited to Southwest landscape designs or “desert-scapes”, and this type of mulch, although not enriching the soil, can help reduce evaporation and gives a finished look.

7. Know your soil

Knowing your soil

Knowing your soil texture helps determine what to plant, how to irrigate and how to amend your soil

Knowing whether you have sandy, loamy or high clay soil lets you determine whether to “condition” your soil (by adding compost, organic matter, or other ingredients such as gypsum), which irrigation system to use, how fast water drains into the sub soil and when to irrigate again.  It also helps you determine which plants are best for your location.  In my mind it’s not as necessary to add nutrients –  most of the drought tolerant plants come from areas with nutrient-poor soil  –  as it is to have organic matter in your soil as this organic matter, as it decomposes, feeds more micro-organisms and creates a healthier environment for plants.  So adding compost for example helps you improve your soil.

This Homeowner’s Guide to a WaterSmart Landscape Flipbook helps you determine this question.

8. Hand-watering; still a smart irrigation technique?

Handwatering with hose-end sprinkler

Hand-watering helps to “spot water” only the plants that you want to save

If you have a mature tree in your landscape that “never gets any (irrigation) water”, you might think you don’t need to water this specimen.

However, it’s important to consider that our winter was very dry, and that “established plants” can get by without extra water – only if they can tap into a reservoir of soil that was re-hydrated in the winter. With our meager rainfall this winter, there’s nothing much to tap into… I’d get a hose-end sprinkler device , one that you can set on the ground, at the end of your garden hose, and a simple kitchen timer, and give this so important asset in your garden a few deep soakings. It’s important to note that a tree that is stressed doesn’t show its stress right away; it might take a couple to a few years until the stress invites insect attack, tip dying, and eventual demise.

What’s deep soaking? Only a soil moisture measuring device, such as auger or soil tube, can prove that your water has sunk in deeply. For a tree that means 18 to 24 inches because in this layer of soil trees usually have about 90 % of their roots.

9. Investigate where your irrigation system might be wasting water.

example of overspray

Sad thing to see so much water land on the driveway

It has been shown in numerous studies that the traditional sprinkler heads and rotors have a mere 50% efficiency rate, and you can observe in your neighborhood (if not in your own garden), how much of runs off before it can get to the plants (such on compacted turf for example, or on slopes); or how much gets blown away by the wind, or how much of lands on driveways or sidewalks.

The modern low-volume spray systems or drip are much more efficient, and water used these systems go much farther.

10. Irrigate wisely – not miserly.

Feeder roots

Most trees’ feeder roots are to be found in the top 18-24 inches

The word is “deep watering”, not frequent… This has to do with your plants root systems: For trees about 90% of their roots are in the top 1-2 feet; for larger shrubs a bit less, and for perennials about 6 inches. (These are very rough generalizations and can be fine-tuned depending on the plants that you want to water.)

To water a drought tolerant plant, you might think you don’t need to water much. That’s ultimately the goal, but it’s important to visualize the root system of this plant:

At planting time all the roots of this plant are in a small confined space – a 1 gal or a 5 gal pot, or larger – and if this plant is not allowed to stretch its roots out far and deep, it will never be ‘drought tolerant’! The establishment phase therefore is crucial: During this phase the water needs to be applied regularly and deeply.

To determine how long then your irrigation system needs to run, you will need to a percolation test.

11. Invest in a smart irrigation system

Not only is low-volume irrigation more efficient at watering your landscape and therefore wastes less water, it can be combined with a “smart irrigation controller”. This device is tied into weather stations (the better ones even have local sensors) that measure your local temperatures, even relative humidity, solar radiation, and water loss due to evaporation. Combined with your input of the type of plants that you want to water, your soil type and your type of irrigation system it calculates how much and when to water.

If this process is over your head, there are many local companies that offer help with this smart system. (check out the CLCA website for qualified landscape companies. Also the Irrigation Association and American Society of Irrigation Consultants)

Lastly, it’s very useful to locate any leaks or breaks that your system might have, and to do a pressure test: Pressure that’s too high can cause more wind-born water and runoff than you want to pay for…A pressure regulator can achieve valuable water savings.

Water Conservation Resources

Bench inviting to rest

This bench invites to rest here for a while

Here an EPA overview of ‘smart sense controllers’: www.EPA.gov/WaterSense

The San Diego County Water Authority has a very useful website. It lists numerous resources related to water conservation:
www.BeWaterWise.com

To see how beautiful water-conserving plants can be, the The Water Conservation Garden’s water-wise demonstration garden is a must-visit.

The Landscape Watering Calculator computes individualized watering requirements.

The California Friendly Garden Guide searchable plant database and other useful features.

San Diego County Water Authority 20-Gallon Challenge information.

On this website you’ll  also find more educational resources for students and teachers.

Christiane, your design is beautiful. Viewers love the design and color. Thank you so much for all your support while the project was being developed. It would have been more stressful for me had you not held my hand regularly.

Rachel Michel

CHRISTIANE HOLMQUIST LANDSCAPE DESIGN


Download my article published in San Diego Home and Garden Lifestyles Magazine!
Contact Me I offer phone and/or onsite consultations and landscape design.

Phone: 406-246-6065

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