residential gardening, design and restoration

Wine Cellar and Wine Storage

2007-01-03T15:59:00.000-08:00

We just bought a new home up in the mountains and we actually have some space (versus cramped apartment city living). There is a whole area downstairs that already looks like a wine cellar - it just needs some racks. The temperature stays pretty even all year long but the humidity probably changes too much for long term storage.

I was reading through this report about wine storage. Probably overkill to have serious software and a wine cellar unless your collection is worth something or if you are trying to age the wine properly.

Enhance Your Garden with Beautiful Edging

2005-12-18T06:19:00.000-08:00

Adding edging around your garden or landscape is as important as the garden itself. The edging frames your garden much like a picture frame. A picture can be interesting and beautiful but it needs a frame to enhance its appearance, so it is with your garden.

There are various types of garden edgings. Many people prefer to use something heavy and permanent, like a low brick wall, or rocks set together with mortar. However, not everyone is physically capable of creating such a structure.

Bricks set freely can be just as effective. They can be placed in a simple line, end to end, or stacked in a double row, with gaps in between. They can also be set diagonally, leaning against each other for support.

Another attractive alternative is to decorate short lengths of board with old tiles. Tiles can often be purchased very cheaply from re-recycling places. Glue your choice of tile along the board using outdoor glue. On each end of the board, tack a peg with one end pointed. This will be used to push into the soil to support your board and keep it off the ground.

Bush rocks can also be used to give your garden that finished look. They need not be too big, unless you have plenty of muscle or help. You may be able to gather rocks from a friend's farm, or from the bush if that is legal in your area. Otherwise, garden suppliers usually have plenty to choose from.

How about flowering plants or shrubbery to create a living border. Choose a plant that will be suitable for your climate and conditions. The pretty pink of alpine phlox is an attractive border and the plants can be divided and planted again and again. Many other plants can be propagated in this way, thus reducing the initial costs. Of course, your border will take a little more time to get established than if you bought all the necessary plants at once.

Gazanias are another hardy border plant that can be divided many times. Bulbs might seem like a good choice too, but remember that they will die down and leave your borders looking messy for ages. In addition, they remain dormant for at least six months, so if you plant anything else there you risk damaging the bulbs. Of course, you can dig them up and replace them with something else, but you may prefer a more permanent border edge to save on the workload.

If you have a larger garden, comfrey is a plant to consider using for an edging plant. Its thick growth habit will prevent any grasses intruding into the garden, and the leaves can be pulled for excellent mulch around roses or other plants. It has delightful, dainty flowers in season too. However, a small garden could be overwhelmed by more than one comfrey plant.

In a small garden attractive annuals like sweet alice, pansies, violas or petunias make great borders. For something a bit different, try an herb border. Then you can go out and pick your herbs any time you want. Chives have a crisp green color that would make your garden sparkle while strawberries will entice the kids out into the fresh air to have a healthy snack.

Some people prefer to simply bevel an edge around their garden with the shovel. This is a good option if your lawn has the sort of grass with runners, like kikuyu. Those runners can be kept under control by chopping them off every so often with the edge of the shovel.

Whatever option you choose, it will enhance your garden to have a beautiful edging. For more ideas on creating a border for your garden, visit the links at the bottom of the page.

By David Chandler, 10/4/2005 Reprinted from Buzzle.com

Timely Tips for Getting Your Garden Ready for Winter

2005-11-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

It's fall – time to forget about the garden, right? Not so fast – getting your garden ready for winter can make a big difference next spring.

Instead of playing catch-up and fixing winter's damage, you'll be out gardening and enjoying your yard as soon as the first spring bulbs come up. A final garden cleanup is the first priority, so here's a checklist for the fall jobs to do around the yard and flower garden.

To do: Around the yard and flowerbeds

Until the ground freezes hard, continue to water woody plants, especially trees and shrubs just planted this season and all evergreens. Evergreens especially need a good store of moisture going into winter because they don't lose their leaves, which means they continue to transpire (give off water vapor) through the cold months.
This is a good time to transplant shrubs or small trees that you have earmarked for relocation. Do this job when the leaves turn color and begin to fall.
In most regions, autumn is also an ideal time to plant new trees and shrubs, as there's still time for woody plants to make good root growth.
Put plastic or wire mesh tree guards around the slender trunks of any new trees and shrubs to protect them from gnawing animals such as rabbits and mice. Make sure tree guards reach high enough, over the snow line.
Don't cut roses back now – wait until early spring. Hill up hybrid tea roses with soil for winter protection if necessary.
Pull out frost-killed annuals, and plant remains from the vegetable garden, and add spent plant material to your compost heap or home compost unit.
Whether you cut down dying perennial foliage or not when you're getting the garden ready for winter is up to you. Some gardeners like to leave seed heads and dried foliage for winter interest and to feed birds, while others prefer to leave neat beds ready for a show of spring-flowering bulbs. But remember: whatever you clean up now, you don't have to worry about in the spring.
Do one last weeding of your flowerbeds, and discard any weeds with seeds in the garbage instead of the compost. You don't want those pesky seeds sprouting in your garden next spring.
Consider shredding leaves and using them as winter mulch on flowerbeds. You can also add shredded leaves to the compost pile. In a season or so, they'll make compost, the best organic treat your garden soil can get. (Use a chipper shredder, if you have one, or just run your lawn mower over leaves.)

To do: Last-minute lawn care

Rake fall leaves off your lawn. Leaving them on will smother the grass.
If you spray your lawn to kill weeds, the month of October is about the most effective time for this job.
Apply winterizing lawn fertilizer.
Do a final grass cutting. Long grass encourages low-temperature fungi.
Why not get your mower serviced and its blade sharpened in late fall so it will be ready for you in the spring?

Now you can put your feet up and relax, sure in the knowledge that your garden is all snug for its winter nap.

Garden writer, photographer and lecturer Yvonne Cunnington gardens on a country acreage, where she has plenty of space to try out the new plants and garden design ideas that she writes about. She is the author of a book for beginner gardeners, Clueless in the Garden: A Guide for the Horticulturally Helpless. For more gardening tips, visit her website, http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Shop now for trees with autumn colored foliage!

2005-10-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

One of the distinguishing characteristics of a tree is the fall colored foliage. In the San Francisco Bay Area, we are fortunate enough to have a handful of reliable trees that display great color each autumn. Trees such as: Pistacia chinense ‘Keith Davey’(Chinese Pistache) has dense foliage and bright red fall color. Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweet Gum) has several cultivars with reliable fall color. In particular, ‘Burgandy’- deep purple red; ‘Palo Alto’ – bright orange and ‘Festival’ –yellow, orange and red mixture. The leaves have five lobes and look similar to a Maple. Best time to buy? In fall, to pick the color of the tree!

Next post: More information on this topic

Finding the time to garden

2005-10-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

With hefty mortgages and expenses to pay, many homeowners are unable to afford a gardener. At least this is the case in San Francisco, where struggling young homeowners quickly become do-it-yourselfers. Suggestion: Keep your green compost bin filled. Where time is an issue, set aside one hour each week and garden in stages. Eventually you will get through the side, front and back of your house.

Landscaping Design - The Primary Principles

2005-10-16T18:19:00.000-07:00

Principles refer to standards or prescriptions for working with or arranging various elements to produce the intended landscape design. Good landscape design follows a combination of seven principles: unity, balance, proportion, focalization or emphasis, sequence or transition, rhythm, and repetition.

Unity refers to the use of elements to create harmony and consistency with the main theme or idea of the landscape design. Unity gives the landscape design a sense of oneness and interconnection. Unity in landscape design can be achieved by using plants, trees, or material that have repeating lines or shapes, a common hue, or similar texture. However, too much unity in landscape design can be boring. Therefore, it is important to introduce some variety or contrast into the landscape design.

Balance gives the landscape design a sense of equilibrium and symmetry in visual attraction. There are three ways by which balance may be presented in landscape design. Symmetrical or formal balance is achieved when the mass, weight, or number of objects both sides of the landscape design are exactly the same. Asymmetrical or informal balance in landscape design suggests a feeling of balance on both sides, even though the sides do not look the same. Asymmetrical balance in visual attraction may be achieved by using opposing compositions on either side of the central axis. Landscape design with radial balance has a center point. A sunflower, a wheel, and the cross-section of an orange all have radial balance.

Proportion describes the size relationship between parts of the landscape design or between a part of the design and the design as a whole. A large fountain would cramp a small backyard garden, but would complement a sprawling public courtyard. Additionally, proportion in landscape design must take into consideration how people interact with various components of the landscape through normal human activities.

Focalization or Emphasis directs visual attention to a point of interest or prominent part of the landscape design. This could be a hanging earth-forms sculpture, a stone-finished Corinthian garden fountain, a mass of architectural herbaceous perennials, or an elegant spruce. Emphasis in landscape design may be achieved by using a contrasting color, a different or unusual line, or a plain background space. Paths, walkways, and strategically placed plants lead the eye to the focal point of the landscape without distracting from the overall landscape design.

Sequence or Transition creates visual movement in landscape design. Sequence in landscape design is achieved by the gradual progression of texture, form, size, or color. Examples of landscape design elements in transition are plants that go from coarse to medium to fine textures or softscapes that go from large trees to medium trees to shrubs to bedding plants. Transition in landscape design may also be used to create depth or distance or to emphasize a focal point.

Rhythm creates a feeling of motion which leads the eye from one part of the landscape design to another part. Repeating a color scheme, shape, texture, line or form evokes rhythm in landscape design. Proper expression of rhythm eliminates confusion and monotony from landscape design.

And finally, repetition in landscape design is the repeated use of objects or elements with identical shape, form, texture, or color. Although it gives the landscape design a unified planting scheme, repetition runs the risk of being overdone. However, when correctly implemented, repetition can lead to rhythm, focalization or emphasis in landscape design.

J Voight is an avid landscaping design enthusiast who provides excellent tips, techniques, and advice to anyone wanting information on landscape design. You'll find all of this outstanding landscaping news at http://www.great-landscaping-ideas.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

How to extend your living space outdoors – working with color

2005-10-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

By: Malcolm Kay
September 19, 2005

As suburban gardens become smaller, outdoor areas have evolved into more of an extension to our interior living space. Much more thought needs to be given to decorating the available space so that it becomes a totally integrated area. Colour in particular greatly affects our moods and changes the feeling of the space within which we relax, play and entertain. And for plant lovers, there's a plant thats suitable for every colour scheme and every location.

If you already have a dominant architectural or color theme indoors that brings you pleasure, try to extend this to the outdoor area so it becomes a natural extension of the indoor living area by using the same theme with cushions, pots, furniture or other decorative features. If you have a wooden floor adjacent to the outdoor patio or courtyard, you could extend the natural wood look to the outdoors constructing a wood deck with a similar colour lumber species. A simpler and quicker alternative if you have an existing concrete patio is to cover the area with interlocking wood deck tiles. These tiles can be simply laid over any existing concrete or wood surface and lock into place with inbuilt connecting tabs. Theres a range of wood species available so you should be able to find a color that comes close to your existing flooring (see for example http://www.ezydeck.net). And if you have ceramic or porcelain tiles indoors, theres now a range of similar interlocking tiles available with ceramic tiles on top which also comes in a variety of colours and styles. Both types of tiles can be laid by anyone without any experience in just an hour or so and are generally available in several patterns so you can choose a design which suits your situation best.

Experiment by using neutral colours for walls, fencing and paving and then by changing decorative accessories and garden plantings, you can create a different look for each season until you've found what works the best and give the most pleasing result.

Don't overlook using textures in addition to colour, as contrasting textures play a very important role in a pleasing landscape design. Opportunities for experimenting with texture effects could include tables, chairs, pots, wall hangings, cushions, paving, plants and practically any decorative accessories. Foliage in particular offers a multitude of textures and interesting shapes. Choose plants with a theme in mind: are you creating a tropical wonderland, a place to sit in the sun and dream of holidays in Tuscany, or a stark modernist approach with grasses and cacti? But before rushing out and spending a fortune at the nursery, remember that each plant has specific requirements in terms of soil, sun, humidity, temperature and rainfall. If you can't provide these, your plants simply won't flourish. Consider how each plant will look in each season, especially the main season when you want to be using your exterior spaces the most.

But remember, too much of anything, whether it's patterns, textures or colours, can be confusing. Too much variety in small spaces can look excessively busy. And with plants, large groupings of just one or two varieties will usually create a much greater impact and look more balanced in a small area than a host of different plants with a riot of different colored flowers.

Gravel's use in Japanese gardens

2005-09-25T17:16:00.000-07:00

In a recent article of Roth Tei-en’s Journal of Japanese Gardening Sept/Oct 2005, I came across a piece titled “The Use of Gravel” by John Powell. For any homeowner with a Japanese style garden, this is a useful article. You will learn the tools tips and techniques to selecting, installing and maintaining gravel.

For those interested in Japanese gardens and design, the use of gravel is often given to represent water as it does in karesansui gardens. Gravel can be used to represent the flat surface of a lake or used as a streambed. It might also be used to represent snow covered hills.

For greater inspiration on this topic, take a look at the Adachi Museum of art. The grounds feature: a moss garden, dry garden, white gravel pine garden, Juryu-an Garden and Kikaku-no-taki Waterfall. Here the gravel is maintained 365 days by museum staff and gardeners trained to keep it raked, swept and free of debris.
While this is high maintenance indeed, maintaining gravel groundcover regularly keeps it looking its best. In the case of the Adachi Museum, the results contribute to the garden’s enchantment for the visitor.

Viewing the garden from above - Part 2

2005-09-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

Tip pruning the canopy and select branches of Angel’s Trumpet: Datura, is also necessary throughout spring and summer for maintaining views from above of the rear planting areas. Although this tree is frost tender in many climates, we are fortunate to be able to grow it well in the Bay Area, where there are several nice varieties to choose from.

Badly formed plants such as the leggy growing purple flowering Princess Tree: Tibouchina, was a candidate for a severe heading back. While this pruning technique leaves the tree looking hacked and butchered for several months following, on a healthy specimen, dormant buds will grow from the woody stumps creating a new floriforous head.

As with all gardens, the seasons bring about changes, creating new expressions. With fall upon us, our job for view enhancement is nearly complete, once the Podocarpus tree is pruned. After that, we will have many months to concentrate on the understory and plantings.

Viewing the garden from above - Part 1

2005-09-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

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.

Tips to improve the quality of your outdoor space and patio

2005-09-12T19:49:00.000-07:00

It’s easy to get overwhelmed trying to figure out just how to bring an outdoor room together to make it a peaceful spot to relax or enjoy quality time with friends and family. But if you think of it as yet another room to decorate and furnish, the space will come together more easily.

Measuring and a simple site analysis

Just as you would for a room inside your home take the measurements of your patio or outdoor room area. This most important step is essential for scaling in comfortable sized outdoor furniture, patio accessories, planters and such. The next step is to conduct a simple site analysis. For this you will want to jot down factors such as the direction (north, south, east, west) your patio is facing, prevailing winds, if any; areas in sun or shade and any other relevant observations that will impact the quality of people spending time in that space.
Now for the fun part, create a realistic wish list beginning with how you would like to use your patio: to relax, to entertain friends, to grill/barbeque, to eat outdoors, to hang out with friends and family, to converse, etc. Now go back to your site analysis and determine, if applicable, where you can start staging the pieces to your outdoor room. But before you do so, here are some tips and ideas for you to consider.

Arrange patio furniture and elements thoughtfully

In order to create a comfortable space with pleasant atmosphere it is important to consider these details: Circulation – how will people walk through the space; Seating – where will people be sitting; Views - what will people be looking at when sitting. For circulation, you want to position a sitting area in a location where circulation will not pass directly through, making the space distracting, unless you have no choice. For creating comfortable seating for conversation, orient chairs, sofas, and gliders towards each other, 6 to 8 feet apart; this is a comfortable distance for talking without feeling too close. For views, you can create focal points with trees and shrubs in the distance, or planters and ornaments closer by.

Dealing with wind and sun

From your site analysis you have discovered information about how the wind blows. By knowing the direction of the prevailing winds you can make some good decisions about the placement of certain items. First, if you are going to include a grill or barbeque be sure to locate these accessories in a location in which the wind will carry the smoke from the cooking fire away from the outdoor space; there’s nothing more irritating than the uncomfortable sting of a smoky grill. Also, if you have an area with cold wind, you can block it by creating vertical planes; this can be done by planting trees or shrubs in the ground, or by placing them in planters within or around a part of the patio. Fences and walls can also help. As for sun, these same vertical planes can screen hot, late afternoon sun. For overhead sun, retractable awnings can be a very effective way to minimize both sun and heat. These awnings are designed to extend (open) or retract (close) to create shade or sun options. Other ways to create shade from the hot sun: patio umbrellas and trellises, pergolas, or arbors.

Creating a sense of enclosure

Creating a sense of enclosure is a great way to make your outdoor space more intimate; it is also a great way to create separation and privacy from your neighbors. Think of the walls and ceilings inside your home: the walls are the vertical plane and the ceiling is the overhead plane. Outdoors these vertical and overhead planes help create the foundations to an outdoor room. While you don’t want to overdo it or completely enclose your outdoor space, adding elements: shrubs, trees, arbors, trellises pergolas and such in a careful way can improve the atmosphere of your patio space. see: http://www.everything-patio-furniture.com/

Buying patio furniture and accessories

Once you’ve measured your outdoor space, done the site analysis and figured out the area where you will be putting your outdoor furniture it’s time to begin reviewing outdoor furniture and accessory options. If your patio is very small, you may only want to buy 1 or 2 chairs or loungers for conversation and relaxing, and a small bistro table with chairs for snacking. If your space is large, you may be looking for a larger seating arrangement: sofas, chairs, coffee tables, in one area and a patio set with umbrella in another. There are many options and styles available and you can learn more about the materials and brands available by visiting a local patio furniture store or by shopping online. Popular furniture materials include: outdoor wicker, teak, wrought iron, cast aluminum, recycled plastic and casual aluminum. You can buy this furniture individually or as a set such as a dining table complete with chairs. With many patio furniture options to choose from you can easily create an outdoor space that will be well used. Additional outdoor decorating accessories such as patio lamps, fire pits, garden arbors and trellises, and outdoor heaters fit in well to create a great atmosphere outdoors as well as being extremely functional. For example, outdoor heaters will greatly extend your time outside, allowing for more time to enjoy yourself outdoors later into fall, and earlier into spring. Outdoor fireplaces such as: chimeneas, fire pits or even a gas outdoor fireplace create a great atmosphere and focal point, as well the opportunity to grill, heat, or just enjoy hanging out by the fire.

Restoring an older garden

2005-09-11T08:51:00.000-07:00

With a recent trip back east to Larchmont New York from San Francisco, the idea of tackling a beautiful, albeit overgrown composition of foundation trees and shrubs, brought about a wonderful restoration opportunity.

Considering that the home, a large handsome Tudor build in the 1920's by a well known architect who designed the house to live in, the home has beautiful detailing. While no information exists about the planting plan, the present homeowner has lived in the house since 1978, and has been reluctant to prune, shape or edit many of the woody plants surrounding the property.

That said, the homeowner, being a garden enthusiast as well as interior designer has brought about an expansion to existing planting areas as well as the creation of new ones. Small planting areas such as the woodland garden and dry creek were developed based upon microclimatic conditions and factors such as shallow soil and bedrock outcropping.

So while the last 10 to 15 years has brought about a handsome transformation to parts of the property with many unusual plants: Hepticodium, Callicarpus and Rheum. The house had begun to loose some of its architectural beauty due to the eclipsing plants, gaining unnecessary proportions in both height, width and shape.

To restore the overall shape took a full day. No tools other than pruning shears, loppers, and foldable saw were required. A walk through of the property, front, sides and back made clear statements of improvements needed to be made. Examples include: scaling down 6 foot Azaleas and Kalmias, form enhancement to create a balanced undulating effect of companioning shrubs, trees and more.

In addition to sizing down plantings for the sake of architectural enhancement and easy passage, large scale Tulip and Oak trees would require selective lower limb removal as well as thinning to open the sky to the home and property.

After 30 years of unstoppable growth, it was time to take back the house and create a better feel and look. While the project will require more work next summer, the effects have left the homeowner very pleased.