Fine Gardener
This is where I get to showcase aspects of jobs that I think are interesting as well as rant and rave a little bit.
Shadygrove Ct., Cupertino
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Much of my work involves fixing a problem or filling holes left by a designer or contractor, and this is a perfect example of the latter. The designer had left a pretty much empty area right next to the client's front entry. All she called for was a big patch of green mondo grass and nothing else - boring, boring, boring. Now, the client really likes Japanese maples but there were two problems: Space was limited both vertically and horizontally, and the ground did not drain well in this location. (Japanese maples need excellent drainage.) Here is what we worked out:​
To solve the space problem, I chose a cultivar from Mendocino Maples (www.mendocinomaples.com) that only gets a few feet wide and 8-10' tall. The foliage goes well with the house and the fall colors are spectacular. The drainage problem was trickier. I made a "raised bed" of fieldstone boulders and these compliment other boulders I previously installed. Mossy/lichen covered boulders look great in the winter when it rains. I brought in better soil instead of using what was onsite. Notice the white flowers of Bacopa (Sutera cordata) below the maple. These plants flower most of the year and will trail down the rocks. I replaced the green mondo grass with clumps of "black" mondo grass and a layer of mulch finishes everything and helps to hide the drip irrigation.
The cost of this solution was not very much and it went quickly once I had the rocks on site. Placing them was hardest, both physically and mentally, part of the job. The client was not happy with my idea until I finished everything and now he really likes it.
If your yard could benefit from this same level of knowledge, creativity, and craftsmanship, give me a call.
FINN LANE, LOS ALTOS HILLS
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Raised garden beds can be integrated into any landscape - even front yards. They look great, are easy to care for, will last for years, and design ideas are limited only by your imagination. However, I think the best garden beds have several things in common:
1. Beds should be 2' tall (your back isn't getting any younger).
2. There should be a board around the top for sitting and leaning.
3. The irrigation system has to include a way to remove the emitter lines for yearly servicing.
I have found soaker hoses to be both the least expensive and the most efficient way to water a raised bed. This particular system can be lifted out in one piece, set aside, and then the bed can be serviced. Yes, you do have to service raised beds every year. On the other hand, you could skip it and watch your yields decrease.
Below are 15-gallon nursery containers into which will go the tomatoes. Tomatoes do well in pots and they simply are too big to take up space in the beds. I will install 1/4" soaker hoses in each pot and much larger diameter soaker hoses in the beds. They are made from recycled tires, so you're helping the environment when you use them. Around each pot will go a Texas Tomato Cage (http://www.tomatocage.com). These are the best I have ever used and both less expensive and better designed than the premium cages at local nurseries.
The marigolds and alyssum will repel bad bugs, but the nasturtiums (corner plants with round leaves) will attract aphids. Why attract the little devils? This makes it easier to concentrate them in one place and then beneficial bugs such as Ladybugs will hang around longer. Nasturium flowers and leaves are both edible; The flowers look great in salads and the leaves have a peppery taste that goes well in a stir fry. The dinosaur is optional.
PACIFICA DR., CUPERTINO
Let’s talk about fences for a moment. Why is it that some fences last for many years and others (most?) are ready to fall down after just a few? I recently built a simple fence that should give you some ideas. Let’s look at some factors that can make a fence last for a couple of decades!
1. Not all wood is the same. The type of wood you use for posts makes a huge difference in the structural integrity of any fence. The big box stores (“low, low prices”) usually sell what’s called “Hem-Fir” vs. real lumber yards that sell Douglas Fir. Simply put, pressure-treated DF lasts (far) longer and is (much) stronger than pressure-treated Hem Fir.
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This is what the posts looked like on the old fence we tore out. The neighbors built it a few years ago and confirmed they bought the wood at the “low, low prices” store.
2. Size matters. I no longer use 4 X 4 posts for tall fences. The smallest post I use is a 4 X 6 although I’d much rather use 6 X 6s. For this fence, the field posts are 4 X 6 and the end post is a 6 X 6 as it must be strong enough to connect 2 fences.
3. 3 is better than 2. Most production fences have the rails just connecting 2 posts. Look closely at the kickboard (2 X 12 DF PT) and you will see that it connects 3 posts. The top rail (2 X 6 DF PT) does the same, but I make the break on a different post. Shake a fence constructed this way and you will immediately notice the difference in strength.
4. Water = rot. There are many different styles of fences, but long-lived ones all allow rainwater to drain quickly. Look closely at these “good neighbor” fences that are everywhere and you will see grooves either cut into the rails or created with 1 X 1s. These hold water vs. allowing water to run to the ground quickly where it belongs.
5. Redwood rots. Yes, you read that correctly. Today’s redwood boards are from 2 nd growth (at best) or 3 rd growth (more likely) trees. Let this material touch the ground and the boards will rot within just a few years. Put in a real kickboard that touches the ground and keeps the redwood up in the air.
The bottom of the redwood boards is nowhere near the ground and any water that hits the fence can run off right away. And, yes, those are 3 rails that you see.
6. Face and toe are not equal. Face nailing is when the nail goes in at a 90-degree angle to the face of the board. Toe nailing is usually something like a 45-degree angle for the nails. I think you can figure out which one is a lot stronger than the other.
Pretty basic design, right? 20 years from now, this fence will still be standing up nice and straight and providing a backdrop for the Mutabilis roses and Brunfelsia that will be planted in front of it. You're probably wondering what that space and top rail are for, aren't you?
The overall fence is 7' high and that top rail looks a little strange sitting up there all by itself. In this situation, the neighbor has some wonderful flowering plants and vines that will grow over the top rail and then trail down onto the client's side of the fence. Imagine the low-maintenance color she will have with Mutabilis roses and Brunfelsia topped by flowering vines.
Now that's a view to die for outside your kitchen window!
WINTER COLOR
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I just love winter gardening. This is part of my front yard in the middle of February and the only work I do is occasional deadheading. I've got several kinds of lettuce growing in the back yard and I can usually harvest leaves every day. All sorts of veggies and flowers will grow in our mild climate. Try it this winter and see how easy it is to brighten the grayest of days with flowers and provide fresh veggies at the same time.
