Viewing the garden from above - Part 1

For a homeowner who is not going to go down into the garden but wants to enjoy it from above, taking into account the garden views from upstairs windows and/or decks will help adjust the planting plan.

In San Francisco, where garden space is typically 30’ X 30’, people look to maximize the design effects: creating outdoor rooms with patios, paths and fountains. The same is true with a garden to be viewed from above.

One such garden is one that we have been maintaining and restoring for over a year. The objective is that homeowner be able to see as much of the garden as possible from the 2nd and 3rd story decks.

An existing 35’ Podocarpus tree adjacent to the deck requires annual pruning and is due to be thinned and reduced on our next visit in October. While we typically schedule an arborists to prune trees larger than 25’, deck access from the homeowner and neighbor’s property make it possible for us to safely work on the tree.

Once the Podocarpus has been pruned the garden will require only minimal adjustments for the next 8 to 10 months. In the past year, we have pruned several Plum trees along the fence line and through out. At this point, they are in far better aesthetic shape: having opened up the garden as well as enhanced views.