Monday, February 24, 2014

Design Decoded 2.24.2014

sarah price landscapes via Pintrest
Why it works:
This modern take on a prairie or meadow garden is a brilliant combination of structure and softness.  The formal, clipped hedges of evergreen boxwood (Buxus spp.) add just the right amount of contrast and stability to a very loose and organic perennial planting.  Although shown flanking stairs on a moderate slope, this design style would be equally effective on a flat ground plane.  Many of these native plants would work well here but, for our dry, sunny climate I'd switch out the boxwood with green lavender-cotton (Santolina rosemarinifolia) or English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia).

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Great Backyard Bird Count

black-capped chickadee
Looking for something fun to do this weekend?  Even if your garden is covered in piles of snow or ice, you can still participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) February 14-17.  This annual event originated in 1998 as a collaboration between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society.  It's a citizen based effort to count and identify wild birds.

All it takes is 15 minutes of observation, any day of the event, any place in the world.  Then submit your information and follow the tally.  The GBBC website has everything you need to get started, including lists of birds that you are most likely to see in your location.  Need help with bird ID? There's an app for that!

It's fun, it's easy, and it's an important means of collecting data about bird populations and the world we live in.

Last, but not least, some great facts — myth busters! — from the GBBC e-newsletter:
  • Feeding hummingbirds does not stop them from migrating. In fact, leaving your feeders out longer may help provide that last bit of energy they need to make their migration successful.
  • Birds do not choke on peanut butter, but you can add some grit or corn meal to yours to keep it from clumping just in case.
  • Birds’ feet are not likely to stick to cold metal perches.
  • Birds do not become dependent on bird feeders.
  • Birds do not die from eating uncooked rice.

Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Design Decoded 2.04.2014





This image features a vertical garden of nasturtiums from the Chicago Botanic Garden that I find very appealing. What makes this design work?

In a word: Simplicity.

  • The simple mass planting of one flower species creates a restful, yet intriguing, color-play of closely related hues reminiscent of the color field paintings of Mark Rothko.
  • And they're edible! Any trailing trailing plant, but particularly annuals with a long flowering period and multi-colored blooms, would be suitable.  Think Calibrachoa, Verbena, Petunia, etc.
  • The simple, bookshelf-style frame is extremely well crafted, but is designed without frills to serve as a background to the planting.
  • The deep shelving permits the use of common flower pots rather than specialty inserts, as with some of the new-fangled vertical gardening systems.

The downside? This baby would be extremely heavy, especially with wet soil.

A vertical garden can be a practical space saver and a work of art. Are you ready to include one in your landscape?