Archive for Low Maintenance Landscape Examples – Page 17

True Low Maintenance Landscape Uses Synthetic Lawn

Save Time and Money by Installing Synthetic Lawn

Low maintenance landscape design in St. Johns Portland

AFTER: Low maintenance can also be lush. The plants have filled in nicely 2 years after installation.

The synthetic lawn and Landscape Design in a Day was a retirement gift Bob and Norma gave to themselves.  They were so sure about synthetic lawn they had already purchased it.

From the first phone call, I knew how many square feet of synthetic lawn we would use and where it would go.   They were looking forward to a lawn that would stay green no matter what their boxer dog did.   Mowing, fertilizing and watering would no longer be part of their new retirement lifestyle.

 

Before mid-century modern landscape makeover, St. Johns Portland, Oregon

BEFORE: Landscape Design in a Day, the synthetic lawn and all the homeowner’s hard DIY work

Plant Color and Diversity a Must
Norma especially enjoyed plants with a lot of color.  The front landscape plantings needed to have year round color, and have interesting texture.  She was interested in a very clean mid-century modern hardscape but wanted the plantings to add a softening effect.

The backyard could be completely devoted to summer color as few windows faced the back.

Norma’s New Plant Palette Includes:

Norma used the popular design website Houzz to send me pictures of her style. This saved time and worked very well for us to zero in on the kinds of plants she loved.

Synthetic Lawn Installed in St Johns Portland Oregon front yard

AFTER: Photo taken just two months after the Landscape Design in a Day was completed

Colorful foilage lasts for months, flowers in summer.

Weigela ‘My Monet’ displays colorful foliage that lasts for months. Bell-shaped pink pearl colored flowers appear in late spring / early summer and attract beneficials to your garden.

True Grit
Bob and Norma intend to stay in this home for many years.  I recommended they invest in my “true grit” soil prep process.  It creates an environment for healthy plants, the plants need less water, and often grow bigger than in typically amended clay soil.  It is a lot of work! We joked about whether Bob would still like me (since he was the one doing the heavy work) after he was done.  The results are very exciting and satisfying for me – let alone my clients!

Our Clients Say it Best
Norma commented, “Thank you for all your help. Bob has been digging and digging and hauling 19 yards of crushed rock, compost and dirt.  I have a feeling we saved a ton of money.  It was worth doing it ourselves!”

She continued saying: “We are pleased with how our new landscape turned out. In fact, people are stopping in the street and taking pictures and giving us the thumbs up. Thanks again for everything.”  – Bob and Norma, Vancouver, WA

Does Your Garden Need a Facelift?
Email or phone Carol today to schedule an appointment: 503.223.2426

 

 

Satisfy Summer Color Cravings with Easy Care Crocosmia

Crocosmia at Merrywhether Farm

Crocosmia flowers mean summer has arrived!

Having grown up in Oregon I can’t really trust summer is here until I see those intense red, orange or yellow trumpets!

In Portland,  they typically start to flower in late June into early July. The variety Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ is the local favorite because of the intense crimson hummingbird attracting flower. Plus it’s one tough plant that comes back even in adverse situations.

The Good News
Crocosmia are perfect for color cravers. The long, strappy stems are great in a vase and beloved by hummingbirds. They are tough and clients think they are extremely low maintenance.

So What’s Not to Love?
Crocosmia as a group can be aggressive spreaders – especially for small urban gardens. Lucifer reaches 36″-42” tall and has a tendency to flop halfway through summer. The corms need to be divided frequently to keep these issues in line. To me, that is not low maintenance.  I have better, findable replacements to add to your summer garden before you give Lucifer the “Get thee behind me”! hiss.

This crocosmia mimics the color of a juicy tangerine.

Other Crocosmia Options
Better varieties are 10 to 15 inches shorter than Lucifer, don’t crowd out their own flowers and don’t flop to the ground.  Lucifer lovers will complain that none of the other red varieties spread as fast as Lucifer . . . but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

Far Reaches Farm specializes in crocosmia.  Check out their catalog to read more about some of these varieties.

Hellfire’  is 24″-30” so is smaller than Lucifer and is an intense orange red.

‘Walburton Red‘ is closer to the rich red of ‘Lucifer’ but will increase very slowly compared to ‘Lucifer’. This is where I compare cheap chocolate to real chocolate, by the way.

‘Golden Fleece’ is 24″-30″, an amazing color of deep clean yellow. It starts flowering late in the summer and will carry through to fall.

Crocosmia flower buds add fascinating texture and color.

Other good varieties that are hard to find but worthy of your garden
These corms (bulbs) don’t overcrowd and therefore continue to flower freely:

  • Bright Eyes
  • Burnt Umber
  • Little Devil
  • Little Red Head
  • Miss Scarlet
  • Walburton Yellow

Please don’t feel you have to rip out your Lucifer even though I have compared it to bad chocolate! Feel free to try a few of these other varieties and then if you are tired of giving up space to “Mr. Spread and Flop”, you won’t have any problem giving him away to a friend or containing him. Perhaps ‘Lucifer’ is a really great first crocosmia, sort of like a first love James Dean bad boy that you can’t part with.

 

We love to design colorful gardens with lots of pollinator friendly plants.  Contact us and lets talk.

 

Backyard Makeover for the Love of the Dog

Landscaping for Your Dog

Grass landscaping for your dog.

This is what grass is really good for!

In need of landscaping for a dog.

The shed was unattractive and too small for a home without a garage. Before Landscape Design in a Day.

Peanut was the only one using this back yard.

My client Susan wanted the back yard to be private, very simple and wanted to solve problems such as where to put her bikes, hide the garbage cans and create a mud room for Peanut to come and go from.  We had finished the front landscape the year prior designing for a sunny, easy care garden that included her veggie beds, the design also added dramatic curb appeal.  “I get a ton of compliments from my neighbors.”  Susan M.

Fabulous tool shed for dog landscaping.

Peanut’s patch of lawn in front of the new tool shed.

So while we really were fixing up the back yard for the dog, everyone uses it now.  The new stone patio entertaining area with raised planter surround makes it easy to care for the plantings and they are taller to boost the privacy effect.  The new landscape is very low maintenance

Find Peanut the dog in her newly landscaped back yard.

Peanut likes her new back porch. She is in this picture, can you find her?

with a small lawn (for Peanut of course).  The fig tree my client Susan had always wanted went up into the stone planter.  The credit for the wood structures goes to Susan’s architect.  The tool shed, the garbage can corral and the bike shed are a wonder of good design.  I worked closely with Donna Burdick of D & J Landscape Contractors to install the hardscapes (basalt stone walls, the huge extra thick flagstone for the patio, plantings and irrigation).    I love how this courtyard styled back yard looks.  Best of all Peanut approves!!

If you are looking for Portland landscaping for your dogs, contact me for more information.

 

Ultimate Courtyard Garden

Blog pic Knight in her new courtyard garden Photo Oct 18, 10 30 35 AMCondominium owner Katherine Knight had a tiny disaster back yard.  She went on Angie’s List and found Carol Lindsay Landscape Design in a Day and on the phone we hit it off instantly.  She told me “It all sucks, what I want is a beautiful low maintenance place to chill out with my friends.”  After talking we decided that a Landscape Design in a Day would fit her needs perfectly.

On our design day I found plenty of difficulties, horrible surface roots from the condominium common area trees, deep shade, an avalanche of tree debris and some tricky rules and regulations from the condominium association.

On the plus side, her small back yard looked out on a park like setting of grass and mature trees.  She had a hydrangea gifted from her daughter and a structurally attractive Japanese Maple that we could reuse beautifully.

My client says “it all sucks” referring to her tiny back yard

Katherine also wanted a garden that she could care for into her golden years.  On our design day it became clear that a courtyard would be perfect for her.  I suggested stone walls to create two large planters that would frame the new courtyard.  The surface was “last forever” 2″ thick, dyed concrete slabs that fit over a pressure treated wood deck frame.  This technique was a big money saver.  I added full season, easy care plantings into her planters  and utilized her daughter’s hydrangea in a prominent location.  We saved her Japanese Maple and made it the focal point of the garden by selecting a sparkling copper toned pot and placing it where it could be seen from the dining room table.  She was excited about the design and hired me to help her be her own general contractor for the installation.

“I got everything I wanted and then was shocked at how beautiful it all is.”

I brought in specialty contractors to include my husband, Bob Lindsay, Urban Renaissance, and two other contractors that I have worked with previously. In addition to installing the new design, the irrigation was updated to fit the new landscape.

Kathy said “I got everything I wanted and then was shocked at how beautiful it all is.  My neighbor says I now have the ultimate courtyard garden and I added a $20,000 value to my condominium.”

Kathy and I will work together to design her gate and install her lighting plan in the Spring.