gardening question

[blooz]

Some perennial flowers like Irises.The flowers only bloom in the spring but the green leaves make a nice backdrop for smaller summer blooms.

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[Jimmypoo]

I don't answer the posts of people who leave their xmas lights up all year long.

Hmmmph. The nerve.

[OWC Jamie]

Those would be Easter decorations if they were pale colours.

A neighbor down the street put up all green and white bulbed "X-mas" lights for St. Paddy's Day. Green candles along the sidewalk, too.


Haven't seen any madmen and englishmen put up Halloween lights on St. Paddy's yet.

[freeradical]

Here's a good tool for finding the right kind of plants.

http://plantfinder.sunset.com/sunset/plant-home.jsp


Also, get a copy of the Sunset Western Garden Book. If you only have one book on gardening, this is the one to have.

[Manlove]

Do what you like.
It's funny, I see loads of posts complaining about people or clients trying to design their own websites and coming up with a mess, which could have been avoided if they'd gone to the pro in the beginning, but wanted to save a few bucks!
I'm a garden designer and feel exactly the same way about gardens.
Find a local designer who knows what plants work in which situations and ideally, as mentioned, use some native trees and shrubs. He/she will ask you questions related to your projected use of the space and you will avoid planting something that will be out of scale and look ridiculous in 5 years.

Of course, people diy it all the time, and after they realise they've made a hash of it, they call someone like me who tries to make amends.

My advice, map out and draw a simple scale plan of the area at 1 inch to 4 feet. Read books like the one linked to above. Read about local wildlife to see if you can help it. Read about colour in gardens.
Think about how YOU want to use the total space of your garden, but don't forget that trees keep growing.
Keep the area as free of weeds as you can this year and don't try to do it all at once.
Trying to simply add a shrub or two to what you have now to replace the dead ones will not lead to a satisfactory garden.
Take your time and have fun.
Lastly, be outside as much as you can be.

[Manlove]

lazydays wrote:
I've always wanted to transform this backyard area into more of an evergreen/japanese garden/something different than it is right now, kind of place.

This is the pertinent part of your post. Transformation.
What you have there already is static, dead, even the things that aren't dead look dead because they don't move or play together. They look plonked rather than thoughtfully placed with intent.
Start over. Make it an expression of self.

I have some friends who live in Bend, OR which is high, dry desert, which sounds like what you have.
Maybe ditch the lawn? It is so hard to keep alive out there. Japanese plants aren't really suited to that environment, but a some maples would be okay (check Sunset). Look at lots of pictures.
Make this the planning year.
Gardens last for decades so don't rush when you don't have to.
Of course, if you are planning to sell soon, pull out the dead shrubs cover with fresh mulch and presto...!

[haikuman]

http://www.nwcb.wa.gov/education/Eastern_Garden_Wise_Web.pdf

Seems there is a beautiful Japanese Garden you can visit in Spokane...
you might discover some ideas there *(:>*



hhttp://www.thefriendsofmanito.org/nishinomiya.html

http://www.thefriendsofmanito.org/directions.html

Rudie *(:>*

[freeradical]

^^^^^ - What Manlove has said about picking the right plants is critical. I don't know how many dead or nearly dead Birch trees I've seen in Sacramento. People fail to give them the water they need. It's not enough to simply water the lawn for a Birch tree to survive. You have to take special measures to make sure the water gets underground to the tree's roots.

I've also seen plants that are appropriate for Sacramento in the absolutely worst locations. You'd be amazed at the number of Olive trees that are located right next to a sidewalk.

[haikuman]

I appreciate what professional Landscape Designers & Architects do .
That said, I have also seen many non professionally landscaped yards.

With patience and research and aloha, plants love aloha," thoughtful
planting and care". Also transplanting things that do not do well in one
place in the yard to another place in the same yard is not uncommon.

Plants love a good foundation, hole depth, amending the soil with nutrients
and not j-rooting them when you plant them, good drainage.

Again as mentioned above reading about the characteristics and nature of the plants
you want will help to ensure success, the experience and pleasure you garner from
year to year will also bode you well .

Rudie *(:>*

[Manlove]

Agreed Rudie. Some of my favourite gardens have not been designed by a professional. These tend to be odd, esoteric gems that could not possibly have been designed, but rather needed to grow organically as an expression of the owner.

I've also seen 100's of 'designed' gardens which leave me feeling empty.

I guess it's all about a feeling for place.