landscaping in San Diego County Archives - Christiane Holmquist Landscape Design

Yay! The fountain is in!

February 2, 2011 By Christiane Holmquist 7 Comments

(Cont’d from http://www.cholmquistgardens.com/2010/12/not-your-everyday-fountain/ )

What excitement when the fountain was delivered, after a few weeks of anticipation and faith that the fabricator would “get it” this time. It’s all we had imagined: Gracefully curving, it echoes the lines of the house and is of a material that complements its modern character: Cor-ten steel that is formulated to rust naturally and to provide a garden sculpture that works well in this landscape. Water gently flows over all sides and disappears in the gravel bed underneath (that hides a sub-terranean reservoir from where it is pumped up again).

This low-volume, water-conserving feature provides constant entertainment as the homeowner sees it from her kitchen window, and will be even more attractive to the grandchildren that can step up closely and play with the water (anticipating this we placed a sitting area next to it.)

Nothing of these few words reveal of course some “hick-ups” that the landscape contractor had to overcome first (and that are not un-usual in the landscape field): Tweak the water flow so it sheets evenly over the edges; wait a few days until the water started to clear up after the first rapid rusting which left the water murky. Now the water is almost clear, and in a month or so it should have completely cleared up.

It’s almost perfect: Just wait and see it when all the plants are “in” and also the (low voltage) landscape lights that will illuminate it at night; I think it will be beautiful.

Weathered Steel Fountains, Troughs and Shade Sails – how cool can you get?

November 3, 2010 By Christiane Holmquist 1 Comment

As a designer, I don’t meet clients at every project whose taste and dreams I can “read” immediately and who are open to my ideas. For this project I developed a concept of rather unusual materials and layouts, and I was thrilled when the clients received my suggestions with lively interest and reciprocated with creativity and lots of stimulating ideas of their own.

Controlled-rusted steel troughs maximize planting space in the pool garden

In this relatively small garden, it seemed as though the spaces needed for dining, lounging and just hanging out would leave us with lots of paved areas with no room left for softening and interesting plants. We therefore opted for raised planters as they not only make use of the smallest spaces by “going vertical” but also create dividers and add “weight” to the landscape. Since in a small landscape they are exposed to close scrutiny, it is important that they be made from a good-looking material. We found that controlled-rusted (or “weathered”) steel would work well with the house’s architecture and the existing copper accents used as end caps on roof beams and fence posts.

Shade sails protect the dining area from the hot noon sun

Now that weathered steel was introduced in a “cubist” way, we not only used it for the planter troughs, but also for several gas-fired lights and a low-volume fountain, as well as for the edging of lawn, of the raised sitting area and of the pebble-filled French drain around the pool. And from here the other “hardscape” materials seemed to flow seamlessly: Glass tiles for the pool; bamboo for the outdoor kitchen cabinets, and synthetic fabric for the shade sails.

Water in the fountain adds sounds and movement

As we went from conceptual design to reality, creative solutions were worked out, from unexpected finger-prints on the weathered steel and the inner workings of the fountain troughs, to the finishes of concrete and stone. With the collaboration of all parties involved and the contractor’s meticulous attention to detail (Schenck Building Company in La Jolla at http://www.schenckbuildingcompany.com ) this project was well and timely executed.

“Trees in my garden?…. No tree, please!”

August 8, 2010 By Christiane Holmquist 2 Comments

Front yard before re-landscaping

I never thought I would have to come to the defense of trees in the landscape. One of the most perplexing moments in my profession happens when a client says that they don’t want trees in their garden. Upon my rather baffled question why, their response is usually “too much water use”, “too much maintenance”, “not needed” or “just too much trouble”.

Hearing this makes me cringe, but I imagine what might have caused their feelings: High maintenance (such as pine needles in their pool filter), nuisance (like olive stains on the pavement), or danger (such as a branch dropping out of a Eucalyptus tree). With these images in mind, trees are for them undesirable members of the plant family that they don’t want in their garden, and they don’t share the notion that “trees are deeply rooted into the human psyche; in a hectic and chaotic world, greenery provides you with a safe, nourishing haven”. (Fran Lambert, Consulting Arborist, in “Trees and Turf”, April 2006).

Front yard after introduction of trees and other colorful plants

I am passionate about good design as well as about plants, so remaining calm in this situation and not becoming “preachy” is a challenge. The role of trees in the landscape seems uncontested, but when you think about them, what comes to your mind besides beauty, shade, stature?

For me as landscape designer, I am foremost interested in the architectural aspects of trees. First of all, their size and mass establish the overall framework of the spatial composition; in this way, they are among the most important landscape design elements, creating floor, walls and ceilings of “outdoor rooms”. A vegetative ceiling can provide a sense of vertical scale in an outdoor space, a feeling of comfort and shade.

Trees give a house scale and place it in proportion with its surrounding; a house without trees therefore feels like a box that isn’t grounded, like a container that hasn’t settled into its site.

Back side view of house with tree

Back yard without trees

Trees can act as windbreaks or screen of an unsightly view, or frame an attractive one like a picture frame. With their color and structure, they can be used as an accent point in your landscape picture.

Besides being indispensable parts of a design, trees play a great role in human as well as the environment’s health: Their canopies contribute to air quality by filtering dust; they also provide some noise reduction (the tall, densely planted trees with fleshy broad leaves do the best job). And, as a tree provides nesting and shelter for birds, they assist in insect control, and listening to the song of birds is usually very pleasant.

Shady pond

As energy consumer I consider also the energy savings through trees, and last but not last SHADE! “It never rains in California”, and the whole world envies us for it, but to have endless sunshine in a garden would be like living on a sunny plaza that has no shelter from the sun. A man-made shade structure can be a great element in a landscape, but it doesn’t quite have the same effect as the dappled, cool and moist shade of a tree! Summer shade from the deciduous trees placed on either south or west sides can lower utility cost by amazing 10-15% (and allow for solar heating in the winter months).

These are measurable benefits that we gain from trees (not to mention the delight that a tree in full bloom can create). And the cost of trees, you may ask? Of course, there is some maintenance: A young tree will benefit from yearly inspections and minor corrective pruning during its infancy to assist it in growing into a well-shaped healthy specimen; this way a costly restorative pruning can be avoided when the tree is much older.

And water needs? Of course you will need to water your trees; even trees indigenous to our dry Southern California need water during their establishment phase which can last a couple to 3 years depending on the amount of rain during the winter months and other factors influencing establishment.

Weighing the investment in trees against their benefits, consider this: The National Arbor Day Foundation states that “A well placed and properly irrigated tree will have a measurable return on investment”: In deed, the Foundation estimates the value that trees add to properties at 15-20%!

In order to assure the most pleasure out of your trees and the least trouble, here are some suggestions how to avoid problems with your trees:

Select trees that:

– are in the most natural state as possible and have a good trunk taper

– have juvenile branches spaced throughout the trunk (until trees are anchored and established, lower juvenile branches need to remain on the trunk and main stem and therefore looks more like a shrub)

– are appropriately sized for the container

– have branches with wide angles of attachment (larger than 45 degrees)

Avoid trees that

– have been pruned into a lollipop shape

– are supported by a nursery stake (whenever possible)

– have pot-bound or girdled roots

– appear weak, sick, or unhealthy

– show mechanical damage or other wounds

And don’t plant trees too close to power lines, nor closer than 10 ft to permanent structures. (Check also on proper guide lines for tree planting in fire-prone areas).

There are great resources in our County for people that want to learn more about trees: The book “Ornamental Trees for Mediterranean Climates; the trees of San Diego” is a colorful guide and compendium of a host of trees that thrive here, with descriptions, photos, and even addresses where the photos were taken. The Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon (more info at www.thegarden.org ) showcases many suitable and lovely trees for our area. And of course there is Balboa Park with its trees, and the San Diego Botanic Garden (formerly Quail Gardens at www.qbgardens.com ).

I don’t think I’ll ever be detached and impartial when it comes to trees, but armed with the above list of arguments and paybacks I hope to be more neutral and professional when explaining how trees will benefit my clients and how fundamental (could you say imperative?) they are for their home landscape. Despite of their initial rejection none of my clients has yet refused to concede interest in trees, and fortunately, I haven’t yet had the commission to design a “tree-free” garden. That would be the saddest thing, and I hope it will never happen.

FIRE-UP YOUR PASSION – Red plant accents that warm up your landscape

April 14, 2010 By Christiane Holmquist 2 Comments

Mass-plantings of Crown-of-Thorns Euphorbia milii

I have a special predilection for the color Red: Not only does it become me as a blonde, it also fires up my mood, makes me cheerful and revs up my energy. I am drawn to Red like a hummingbird, and if Red on me invigorates me, I believe seeing red “lights” in the garden would do the same. Even in a garden space where the main hues are cooler and more restraint, and where there are lots of calmer tones in rocks, timber, pathways and other hardscape elements, a few red splashes warm up the planting scheme and make the tones more saturated. Red works particularly well in South-West style gardens, where it makes a lively contrast to lighter colors such as DG, sand or gravel whose tones look washed out in the strong sunlight; used as color on a background wall it adds drama to succulents and cacti.

Bloodred Trumpet Vine Distictis buccinatoria

Red can provide a bright focal point, such as a Bloodred Trumpet Vine Distictis buccinatoria drooping from a wall or from an arbor, or a Crown-of-Thorns Euphorbia milii, mixed with Firecracker Broom Russelia equisitiformis, spilling from an urn. Used as accent plant in the background, such as in groupings of red-flowering Aloe behind shorter, softer perennials or clumping succulents, the Aloe’s red flower spikes will show like exclamation points, and their pointy leaves will create a dynamic contrast in structure and texture.

Firecracker Broom, Crown-of-Thorns and Kalanchoe manganii in container

When planted in the foreground as border accent, or hugging the curves of a path, Red creates a bright ribbon through the garden that your eye can follow; as foreground plant repeated throughout the garden it ties different areas together and adds cohesion.

If used as red winter bloomer, f.e. Cyclamen Cyclamen persicum, it will bring much needed warmth into your planter beds, and in dark and shady places the red flowers will shine like lights.

Delightful summer-blooming Cantua 'Hot Pants'

I am having fun doing this and have compiled lists of plants with red flowers that I like to use. Of course each landscape prompts a different choice because of its design style, its existing sun/shade conditions, its soil type, the character of the architecture and the hardscape materials chosen. The following compilation of “Reds” contains plants with various growing conditions, but all are long-lived, low in maintenance needs and more or less water-wise and tolerant of xeric conditions. (However, it’s important to note that a plant’s location will determine how tolerant of dry conditions it is: For example, a Crangrape Cuphea C. llavea “Crangrape” is more drought tolerant in coastal locations and soils than in hotter inland valleys.) Nor is the list all-inclusive, and if you have more suggestions, I will be happy to add them.

THE SHORT & MEDIUM STUFF FOR SUN & PARTIAL SHADE

Aloes (many): Aloe ‘rookappie’, Aloe saponaria, Aloe arborescens, Aloe nobilis
Autumn Sage & relative Dwarf Crayon Sage Salvia greggii, S. grahamii
Baja Fairy Duster Calliandra californica & Fairy Duster Calliandra erophylla
Blanket Flower Gaillardia grandiflora
Bottlebrush Callistemon citrinus and C. viminalis
Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa
Cantua ‘Hot Pants’ Cantua buxifolia
Chuparosa Justicia californica
Coral Bells Heuchera sanguinea, Heuchera micrantha
Croscosmia
Crown-of-Thorns Euphorbia millii
Emu Bush ‘Valentine’ Eremophila species ‘Valentine’
Royal Beard Tongue Penstemon spectabilis
Firecracker Penstemon Penstemon eatonii

Grevilleas ‘Poorinda Constance” , Grevillea lanigera
Kalanchoe Kalanchoe blossfeldiana & Kalanchoe manganii
Kangaroo Paw “Bush Blaze” & “Sunset”, Anigozanthus flavidus
Many Daylilies: Red Hot Poker, Cardinal Spokes Hemerocallis hybrids
Nodding Pincushion Leucospermum cordifolium
Propeller Plant Crassula falcata
Red Hot Poker Plant Kniphophia uvaria
Sticks on Fire Euphorbia tirucalli
Watsonia Watsonia intermedia
Zonal Geranium Pelargonium hortorum

(See also my previous article “Exceptional Winter Blooming Plants for Southern California”)

RED-FLOWERING TREES
Here only an incomplete list:
Australian Flame Tree Brachychiton acerifolius
Coral Trees Erythrina x bidwillii, E. caffra, E. coralloides etc.
Crape Myrtle “Watermelon Red” and “Tonto” Lagerstroemia indica & Lagerstroemia x hybrids
Firewheel Tree Stenocarpus sinuatus
Mimosa, Silk Tree Albizia julibrissin

From lawn-scape to entertainment garden: How much fun can you have in your garden?

March 15, 2010 By Christiane Holmquist Leave a Comment

This project was one of the most satisfying transformations that I have worked on, and in this neighborhood it presents a dramatic deviation from the traditional Rancho Bernardo landscape which consists of large lawns and foundation plantings. To be frank those lawns and usually clipped foundation shrubs don’t create much interest, and I hesitate calling these “gardens”; they rather invite me to yawn.

Fortunately, the homeowner shared this feeling and wanted all his lawn removed: He felt that he had neither an enticing space to indulge in his love for tropical plants, nor that the existing patio offered sufficient room to entertain his family and friends, and that a lawn would not serve him any longer. Although the outside of the home did not reveal the client’s taste, I noticed many modern art objects inside his home. A little bored with the ubiquitous curved and “free-form” lines for pathways, lawns and patios, I hoped he would be open to a more modern or contemporary approach to the desired re-design of his landscape, and I was excited when he said he was.

I was now free to examine whether an orthogonal or right-angled arrangement of spaces and elements would work, and it turned out that the combination of both would produce the best results: Since the existing patio was not only crammed into the smallest portion of his back yard but also too close for comfort to a more private and quieter sitting area that he wished to create by his bedroom, the dining and entertainment terrace needed to be moved out into the garden, into the previous lawn area had been. A patio of the desired dimensions would only fit if set at a 45 degree angle to the architectural lines of the house.

This invited to repeat the angular layout in the walkways that connect the main patio with a small breakfast area by the front entrance as well as with the quiet-zone by the bedroom: Colored smooth concrete pavers of varying size cross a garden that is populated with a variety of tropical and subtropical plants. Even the fenced utility enclosure jots out at a 45 degree angle from the house.

While the quiet-zone at the bedroom received a traditional shade cover with a slightly sloping roof, the homeowner splurged in a custom peaked-roof trellis over the dining patio– a fun variation from the traditional flat roof that is more economic to install.

In order to keep the water bill moderate and with an eye to sustainability, I combined many brightly colored sub-tropical moderate water-users: the magenta-flowering succulent Rock Purslane Calliandra surinamense, intensely blue Catmint “Blue Wonder” , orange-red Lantana, Blue Hibiscus Alyogyne huegelii, Golden Wonder Senna Cassia splendida ‘Golden’, Firecracker Broom Russelia equisitiformis and Cape Honeysuckle Tecoma capensis, with thirstier tropical plants such as Princess Flower Tibouchina, Pink Trumpet Tree Tabebuia impetiginosa, and flamboyant Canna Lily Canna. Most of these plants are easy to maintain (the Canna perhaps needs a little more attention to keep it clean looking) yet moderate in their water consumption. With separately timed (drip) irrigation stations a combination like this conserves water yet allows the garden the tropical feel that the client desired. And since he knows that his drip irrigation system is quite adaptable to add-ons, he is happily continuing to bring in exciting finds of his own selection.

Soil Probe and Mulch – Two essential tools to help you conserve water and keep your landscape healthy

September 24, 2009 By Christiane Holmquist Leave a Comment

water feature pond and sage appeal to hot gardens

I am fortunate that I can experiment to some extent in my own garden with layouts and plants touted “drought tolerant” and “water wise”, and that I can practice the techniques of planting, maintenance and water conservation that I explain to my clients.

Plants have always been my passion, but in our hot inland valley during the long hot summer months and no rain in sight until late November or December, and with fast draining DG soil (decomposed granite), proper watering becomes important, and determining the right irrigation amount, frequency and duration is an on-going task.

In the past years our reservoirs have emptied to very low levels and water prices have shot up. First I learned to recognize drought stress, and then it became obvious that my planting design needed to become more sustainable: I had too many plants with greater water needs than I felt was warranted, and the remaining ones were too close together, requiring more water and more maintenance to remain tidy. Out came many popular plants, such as as Garden Penstemon, Kangaroo Paw and Lamb’s Ears, and most of my roses were sacrificed as well (I’m down to one that can do with less water – the climber Mermaid).

Although it may sound like a painful sacrifice, it was not: On the way to that easier-to-maintain and less thirsty garden I am discovering many beautiful plants that are doing very well here, like Flannelbush or Mountain Lilac from California, Proteas from South Africa, Texax Ranger from the Southwest and Northern Mexico, succulents from South Africa or California itself … the list is long and exciting, and I will be writing in more detail about some of these exceptional plants in future posts.

Here are some tips and techniques to keep the ornamentals and the vegetables in your garden healthy and good looking through these hot months:

Lots of mulch: I try to keep the layer at least 3 inches thick, on top of the soil around trees and shrubs and in between my perennials; even in my vegetable garden I try to apply it where possible. I prefer a medium textured bark or similar mulch with pieces of about one-inch in size; this will allow water to pass quickly through the mulch into the soil instead of being retained by the mulch. My irrigation system applies water infrequently and deeply; this keeps the mulch dry and optimizes its water-saving potential. Every year I replenish a good inch of this layer as it decomposes slowly, enriching my soil.

Mulch is probably being put to good use in your garden, too: The multiple benefits of this material can hardly be gained otherwise. But you might have some areas where mulch is difficult to apply, as in a vegetable garden. Here shallow cultivation between watering cycles, with a hoe to 2-3” deep, loosens the soil, destroys weeds, aerates the roots and assists in reducing water needs. (Be careful not to injure delicate surface roots around tomatoes and corn.)

My most practical, diagnostic gardening tool is a soil moisture probe: This is a stainless steel tube, about 24 inches long, fitted to a comfortable T-handle. When pushed into the soil and pulled out again, a partial cut-out in the long end of the tube lets me check the plug of soil in the tube: I can see how deeply my watering has penetrated, or how much remaining moisture is in the soil if I am unsure whether it’s time to water again. It also allows me to see how deep the roots have grown and, subsequently, how far down my watering should penetrate. If I suspect a disease, such as a fungus rot, the roots in the soil plug tell me how healthy they are by their looks and feel: If they are grayish, soft and mushy, they are ‘sick’ and unable to perform their job. The smell test is important, too: a healthy soil has a good earthy smell, so if that’s off I know that a soil-borne disease is troubling my plant, or that the roots have died because of too much water.

In my landscape design work and horticultural consultations, too, this probe is invaluable: Together with a drainage test it helps me determine my client’s soil type and guides my selection of the plants that will grow in this soil (usually we send a soil sample to a spealized laboratory to be analyzed for its texture and nutrient content). This tube is well worth its cost of around $65 (check with the irrigation and landscape supplier Hydro-Scape, 5805 Kearny Villa Rd, San Diego at http://www.hydroscape.com/ )

Christiane Holmquist Landscape Design. [P] 760-586-6065

Christiane Holmquist

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