Best Ideas for New Landscapes!
These are just a few simple ideas that will save you money now and
maintenance problems later. After many years of maintaining
landscapes installed by both homeowners and landscape contractors, I
offer these suggestions because they make maintenance much easier.
Landscape contractors usually do not maintain landscapes on a weekly
basis. That is left for the gardener to do, whether the gardener is
the homeowner or a professional. The contractor is not always aware
of problems that develop a year or two after the job is finished. I
think these tips will prevent many common problems.
If you have tips that you think should be added to these, e-mail me
at the address at the bottom of the page. Avoiding mistakes in the
first place is the best way to prevent problems.
Wide Planting Beds Make planting beds at least 4 feet wide. This will allow you to stage your plants with taller ones in back and smaller ones in front. It will also allow plenty of room for moderate sized shrubs. Larger shrubs will require even wider beds, but very few shrubs can be maintained without shearing (butchering) in narrower beds.
Wide Walks Too Make walks at least 4 feet wide too, so that two people can walk side by side. Wide beds and wide walks let you reduce the size of your lawn, the part of the landscape that consumes the most water. California will always suffer from periodic droughts. Water may be abundant some years, but it will never be inexpensive again. Planning for the future means designing landscapes that minimize water use.
Size and Spacing Consider the ultimate size of the plants you select, and plant them so they don't grow together. Many plants have dwarf varieties that will not require constant pruning. Leave space between plants for air circulation and for growing room. California's natural landscapes, for the most part, are not densely planted. Bare ground, or mulched ground, is a natural part of a landscape.
Natural Pruning
Put away the hedge shears! Not all shrubs have to be shaped into
balls and boxes. Most shrubs trimmed this way loose all of their
natural beauty -- and all their flowers. What's the point of a
flowering shrub that never flowers.
It's easy to prune moderate sized shrubs with hand shears. You can
cut back long branches to maintain the size of the shrub. And you can
reach well into the shrub and remove branches to keep the shrub open
and airy. Even large shrubs can be pruned this way, though you will
need loppers for larger cuts as well as hand shears for smaller
branches.
Plant Selection
Many plants are available for today's landscapes, far more than were
available even 10 years ago. There is no need to limit yourself to
the 20 or 30 common shrubs your neighbors have planted. You should be
particularly aware of the plant's ultimate size and to its
adaptability to your garden. Be aware of its need for sun and water,
and be sure to put it in an area of your garden where it will get
what it needs. Be aware of any insects or diseases the plant
attracts. Select plants with few common problems. If you select with
known problems, be prepared to deal with them. Roses will always be
popular, despite the extra care they require. There are even roses
that are tougher than most, and all roses do better when given plenty
of space.
Here's a tip that will save you money when you buy plants. Buy plants
in one gallon containers. They will catch up to those in 5 gallon
containers in 2 or 3 years.
Plant Trees First
Trees take longer to reach mature size than do shrubs. If your budget
or time is limited, and you need to landscape in stages, plant the
trees first. They will have time to grow while you plant the less
permanent parts of your landscape. Needless to say, select trees
carefully. Be sure you know the tree's ultimate size and potential
problems. Many well known landscape trees are too big for today's
smaller properties.
Begin to train trees when they are young. It takes several years for
a tree to reach the size where you will be selecting the main
scaffold branches. Know how your tree grows and how branches should
be spaced.
Mowing Strips
Install mowing strips or curbs between planting beds and lawns. Use
bricks, concrete, cast concrete edging or plastic blackjack edging.
Redwood bender board will last a few years, but it deteriorates faster
than other edgings. If you use wood, consider 2x4 redwood as a
minimum.
Mowing strips make it easy to edge a lawn with a blade edger or a
string trimmer. If you use rocks for mulch, the strip will separate
the lawn from the mulch. Without a substantial mowing strip, it is
too easy to throw a rock when you edge your lawn. And nothing is
harder on a mower blade that hitting a rock.
Install mowing strips around trees too. Use the same material that
you use elsewhere around your lawn.
Mulch, Mulch, Mulch!
Organic mulch in beds helps retain moisture and prevents weeds from
germinating. Shredded bark is a good choice because it is easy to
walk on, and it doesn't wash away in the rain.
If you prefer to use a rock mulch, the best choice is river rock at
least one inch in diameter. Smaller size rock can easily work itself
into the soil or be washed aside during a heavy rain. Larger rock
makes it easy to use a blower to cleanup under shrubs -- if your
community still allows the use of blowers, and I hope it does.
Sprinkler System
Install a good sprinkler system. These tips will save you many
expensive repairs and upgrades in the future.
Use a controller with more than one program. Different parts of the
landscape need different amounts of water. Shrubs need far less water
than lawns.
Use only Schedule 40 PVC pipe. Landscapers will argue this point,
saying that thinner pipe allows more water to flow through, thus
making fewer valves necessary. I say that it is inevitable that one
day you will put a shovel through any pipe thinner than Schedule 40.
If you use flexible black tubing for your drip system, do not bury
it. You will one day cut it in half if you do.
Make it easy to replace valves. Put them above ground. You will need
to cover them to keep out the sun. It is very easy and inexpensive to
replace a valve, but you'll need to call a professional to repair
closely set underground systems. You might even consider installing
unions on the valves. That makes replacing them a snap.
Use flexible risers. They bend rather than break. Another good option
is to use break-off risers. They are designed to break. Don't use the
expensive rigid plastic risers. If you kick one of these, the tee
under the ground will break. Repairing that kind of a break takes
quite a bit of time and digging.
Don't place the sprinkler head right next to the sidewalk. Leave at
least 2 inches between the walk and the head -- enough room for the
lawnmower's wheel to pass without touching the head. Better yet, put
the sprinkler in the planting bed next to the lawn. If you have to
dig up and replace a head, you will be glad it's not right next to a
layer of concrete.
The most important tip is known by all landscapers but is difficult
to follow exactly. Sprinklers must have 100% overlap. That means one
sprinkler should spray its water clear to the next one. This is the
only way to prevent uneven coverage and dry spots in your lawn. You
don't want to keep the sprinkler on for extra time just so a few dry
areas can get enough water.
© 1998 by Jim Clatfelter
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