SPRING TINTINNABULATION

Yes, I had to look up that word too.

TINTINNABULATION: The ringing or sound of bells (www.dictionary.com)

A few days ago I asked readers on my Facebook page to shout out their favorite (non-garden) words, so I could happily reconnect those words to the garden.  This is a great way to stretch your creativity (try it).

Many great words popped up, but this one intrigued me, plus made me think of my favorite bell-shaped spring flowers: Lily of the Valley, Virginia Bluebells and Daffodils.  It also made me realize how many bell-shaped flowers exist...crazy!  What are your favorites?  Big thanks to Foy from Foy Update for suggesting it.

While we're ringing in this lovely spring I wanted to give you a quick heads up on one of my big projects.  In the next couple of weeks I'll be revealing my new website.  It will be expanding this blog a bit and hopefully help you be able to sift through all my posts and tutorials a little easier (so they can be a resource for you). It will also fold in my illustrations a bit more.  I can't wait to show you!

I'm also working on a fun garden post to help you think (and create) your garden in three dimensions.  If all goes well, that will be my first post on the new site. My time is in competition with spring weed-pulling right now, but I'm attempting to stay on track! To those in the US, enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!

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SIZING AN OUTDOOR PATIO

Every year this question ultimately comes up in my landscape design studio: "How large should I make a patio for a certain number of people?" I found a handy document from Concrete Network with their suggestions, then put my own graphic spin on it below. If you also have suggestions, please leave them in the comments below.

UDPATE on 5.17.14: While discussing this on LinkedIn, John Welch of 3G Design brought up some additional important points related to this topic that I wanted to share:

John writes...The dimensions suggested...seem about right as far as accommodating tables and chairs is concerned. This is not necessarily the whole story, however. I always try to be generous and allow for a couple of extra places and I try to make sure there is clear access to and from the house (if the terrace adjoins it) unencumbered by furniture. Ideally you would be able to walk around the table too without stepping off the paved area or being crushed against a wall.

The other factor to consider is that of proportions. Tiny terraces look odd next to wide, high facades and conversely huge expanses of paving can look out of places against more modest dwellings. Clever design can only do so much to ameliorate this. So, there are aesthetic as well as practical considerations. I also like to place at least a narrow band of planting between house and terrace to soften this transition between horizontal and vertical surfaces. There may, of course, be budgetary restraints which can limit how big an area you can pave and what you use as a surface treatment.

Well said John.  Thanks!

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GEUMS ARE GEMS

I discovered this flower only a few years ago and now cannot imagine living without it.  In early spring it pops out like orange polka-dots all over my zone 5 sunny perennial border.  The foliage is wide and round giving much needed coarse texture to the garden.  The flowers balance above about 12-18". There are many different cultivars, so I may be creating my own sweet little geum collection soon. Be warned that it does not transplant well.  My greedy side wanted more, so I attempted to divide and move them around, but only lost some in the process. I guess that is a a good reason to go plant binging shopping again.

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SUCCULENTS ON THE FRONT PORCH

Over the last couple of weeks I've been participating in an online illustration class...Make Art that Sells by Lilla Rogers. I'm always looking for fun ways to improve my graphic communication skills, so am excited about this class and how I can explore additional methods to teach garden design.

The images below highlight our last project using succulents as inspiration. I imagined this being a front porch, with mismatched antiques, surrounded my containers of succulent plants.  Now I just need a glass of iced tea!

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PLANTING DESIGN TIPS

Though I officially learned planting design in college, I didn't begin my real education until I began creating my own garden. These are a collection of tips I've learned over the last twenty years in both capacities. 

If you'd like more information on some of these tips please check out these posts:

Drawing Tree Forms
Make Your Garden Pop with Texture
Texture in the Garden

I hope to expand on additional tips in the future...so keep a look out for those.

I'd love to hear your planting design tips too. Please share one in the comments below.

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PLANT BINGE SEASON

Spring brings the urge to plant binge (I'm an admitted plant addict). 

How many times have you entered a nursery center with looking as your only goal, but leaving with handfuls of plants?  The worst case is at the end of the planting season when everything is marked down to pennies.  How could you not purchase a few more goodies for the garden?  I fall into this category often, but I do follow a few personal rules.

1. Try to buy at least three (or more) of one plant.  Though you may not have a destination in mind yet, at least there will be a nice grouping for the final design (and it will look like you planned it).

2. Try something new.  If you're only paying 99 cents, why not try a new plant?  If it doesn't do well, no biggie.  My garden is filled with sale (and even free) plants that no one else wanted or recognized.  I now have some amazing plants that I would have never dreamed up on my own.

3. Is there a season you're lacking great color?  Late summer or fall perhaps?  Try to find plants that fill those gaps.  Don't let the lack of bloom in the nursery distract you - just because it's not blooming at that moment, doesn't mean it's not fabulous. Read the tags and grab the beauties others missed. 

4. Pick up those small, special plants (less than 12" tall).  These itty bitty plants are perfect for the front of your border or tucked in small spaces. Buy as many as you can. It's so much fun spreading these out along the front of a planting bed to pull it all together (what? a sale item creating a cohesive design?).

What other hints do you have?

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GARDEN INSPIRATION

As you may know, I enjoy exploring garden blogs. I even keep a board of them on Pinterest.  Once in a while I love pulling out a few for extra inspiration. Since it's spring and we're aching to get outside (at least those of us in the cooler parts of the world) I encourage you to start dreaming.  Here are four to get you started:

Garden Therapy

Cornus Garden Design

A Garden of Possibilities

Successful Garden Design

I not only enjoy finding inspiration from blogs, but also from you. A couple of months ago I shared a survey to get feedback on possible topics I could cover on my blog.  For those that didn't participate, I'd love your thoughts. Here is a link to that survey once again: GARDEN DESIGN SURVEY.

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DRAWING TREE FORMS

There are three design elements to consider when creating a planting design: form, texture and color.

Each plant you choose encompasses these characteristics in different ways. Though you should consider all of these it is important to know that form is the most consistent, then texture and finally color. 

A good planting design should start with a strong composition of forms in elevation (standing in front and looking straight on). Trees, shrubs, and perennials all have forms. Below are only some examples of tree forms. Additional ones, not included below, are vase-shaped, weeping, and irregular. 

To design in elevation it's helpful to also be able to DRAW in elevation. I've included a video below to show my simple technique, so you can begin the joy of designing right away. 

A design hint: Take a photo of your house, throw on a piece of tracing paper, then try drawing some of these plant forms on top to see what combination might work for your landscape. Don't forget to layer them too (some tall plants in back, then medium and smaller plants in front).  Enjoy!

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THE BEAUTIFUL TRIM

Today was our first warm day this spring and now I have flowers swirling in my head. I thought this was the perfect time to share one of my favorite plants, paired with a planting design hint.

An essential part of the perennial border often not given the deserved attention is the front...the extreme front. Often we jump into plants that are 18" to 24" tall in this location, but what makes this part of the border special is the beautiful trim of really short plants...those 12" or less. I especially love when they spill over onto the sidewalk. 

I've been experimenting with this living trim for a few years and have discovered a few beauties.  One of them is Veronica x 'Waterperry Blue'. This plant only grows 4-6" tall and has an amazing blue flower in the spring (zones 4-5).  The foliage also has a slight burgundy tinge making it extra nice throughout the growing season. Oh, I can't wait until the snow is completely gone!

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HOW TO LABEL PLANTS

When we create a landscape design it's important that we communicate what's on the plan. The plants are one of the most important elements and typically take up most of the design, so an organized system to labeling them is a must. A beautiful design can look messy and unprofessional if plant labels are not laid out well. Below are the rules I use when labeling plants in plan view (looking from the sky down towards the garden).

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WHAT IS A RAIN GARDEN?

A rain garden is a planting area that captures runoff from rain that falls on roofs, driveways or yards. They help create landscapes that are both beautiful and hydrologically functional. These types of landscapes hold and infiltrate water, rather than generating runoff that causes water quality problems and contributes to flooding.

• It is a depression or shallow bowl made in the landscape that is level from side to side and end to end.
• Runoff that travels to your rain garden is temporarily ponded (the water does not stay long).
• The captured runoff in a rain garden allows water to infiltrate into the soil, rather than running into streets and storm drains.
• Relies on soils with good percolation rates (clay, not so good).
• Location is critical. It must be located so runoff goes towards it. Look for low spots, but soils must have good percolation rates. Water should not stand in an area for more than twelve hours.
• Rain gardens should not be located upslope from a house or closer than ten feet from a foundation.
• Native plants are recommended for rain gardens. These will develop deep root systems that generate high organic matter and porosity, plus the right choices can tolerate temporary flooding and extended periods of dry weather. These also don't need fertilizer...in fact, it's important that you do not fertilize.

I've gently borrowed all this wonderful information from the Iowa Rain Garden Design and Installation Manual.  I encourage you to take a peek at this resource for more detailed information on plant choices (for zone 5), soil percolation rates, plus how to install and size a rain garden.

I've also created a Rain Garden Pinterest board to show you more wonderful examples.

For those that would like a print of this rain garden diagram you can purchase a digital version here or a hard copy here.

In my next post I'll show you how to create a rain garden with a fun theme (I can't wait!).

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A PEEK BACK AND FORWARD

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I can't believe the whirlwind I've been through the past year.

At the beginning of 2013 I was uncertain about which direction I should head with my writing and illustrations. I ended 2013 with a wave of unexpected accomplishments that ironically steered me in a new direction.  It's a direction towards merging my divergent talents into a focus that creates energy and hopefully breathes a fresh perspective into something I adore: garden design.

Though I am still trying to figure out where all this is leading, I truly appreciate so many of you jumping on this crazy garden bandwagon. It has been such a joy meeting so many passionate gardeners.

Some things I accomplished in 2013:

• Made a big decision to combine both my food and garden blog, then...(only a few months later)...
• Decided to just focus on my garden blog (jeez, was that a relief).
• Finished my theme garden eBook (and eventually made the even bigger decision to give it away, which has been worth every copy).

What do I want to accomplish in 2014? Besides continue sharing garden design tips in my own illustrative way, I'd like to focus on a short, important list:

• Figure out where am I going with all of this. I've made some big shifts this past year, but I'm not quite there yet.  I love teaching, drawing and garden design, so will continue to explore that combination to hopefully educate you, while also filling both our hearts with sunshine.
• Identify that next big book idea (something is brewing inside me right now).
• Find out what you'd like me to share and explore with you. If you have a moment, would you mind taking this short survey (only four questions), to help me get started on this last goal?

2014 FEEDBACK SURVEY

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DREAMING OF BEDLINES

How do I stop the madness of crazy bedlines? These are the lines that slither through the lawn without a care in the world. Those new to landscape design often follow this approach: place plants in the ground, then outline each plant on the edge with a bedline, which results in a wiggly array of chaos (see below).

I encourage you to take a step back and think about how landscape design is about creating space.  We create the space first (the lawn or patio, for instance), then use the plants to reinforce that space.  You can read more about this idea in my Keep it Positive in the Garden post. The bedline is the edge of that space, so it needs to be purposeful to reinforce whatever shape you are creating for the lawn or patio.

Catherine from Garden Drum has a great way to think about this concept. She describes the garden space we are creating as the doughnut hole, while the actual doughnut is the planting bed reinforcing it. The bedline would be the outer edge of the doughnut hole.

There is another benefit to stronger bedlines...less maintenance and easier mowing.  Imaging trying to edge all those wiggly curves with a spade, or worse, trying to mow into those tight little crevices. Eek.

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POPPY: WHAT A SWEET NAME

Recently, a friend of mine had a sweet little girl named Poppy.  She asked me kindly to create an illustration for her room, so I created the one below.  My friend is a horticulturist, so her other daughter is aptly named Violet. What a beautiful pair.

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A GARDEN HOLIDAY GIFT

Over the last few weeks I've made a lot of big decisions in terms of how I want to focus this blog and share my love of garden design.

In celebration of my birthday and the holiday season, I'd like to toss in one more twist...sharing my eBook, The Peanut Butter & Jelly Garden with all of you.  This book focuses on my theme garden development process in a whimsical (yet practical) way.  I've been developing this process for a long time and just want to share it with the world (no need to hide behind a price tag anymore). 

Once you read through this book you'll begin to understand me as a designer and illustrator...and hopefully be inspired along the way. The only thing I ask in return is that you sign up to receive my email updates (which really isn't a lot...typically once a week). That's it!

You can read more about my eBook here or just sign up for your free copy by clicking the blue circle below.

I hope you enjoy this new journey into the magical world of garden design...and happy holidays!

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HOW TO DRAW A PLANT SYMBOL

As I teach you my tips and tricks about garden design, it's only appropriate to also give you the skills to carry out your creations. One of these skills is knowing how to draw plants in plan view (looking from above down towards your garden). I've included two resources for you below...an illustration showcasing a sampling of plant symbols, plus I created a short video so you can actually see the process of how I draw them.

If you'd like to purchase a copy of the diagram above you can find the digital version here or the hard copy here...and below is a short video showing you how I whip up a plant symbol or two. Enjoy!

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ONLINE PLANT DATABASES

People often ask where I search out new plants for my designs. Besides books, I enjoy perusing online plant databases. These are great for narrowing down choices by picking key plant characteristics. For instance I can search for a 24" tall perennial that likes sun, has purple flowers, thrives in zone five, plus has an upright form. A great way to narrow down thousands of plants to two or three.  Note that none of these are inclusive, so you'll have to use a combination of sites to find a good selection of plants.

Here are some of my favorites:

Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder

Midwest Groundcovers Advanced Plant Search

Monrovia Plant Catalog 

Perennial Resource Perennial Encyclopedia

UPDATE:

Here are some additional database suggestions via those on my Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ streams:

Bluestone Perennials Plant Finder

Cal Poly Tree Selection Tool

Dave's Garden PlantFiles

Fine Gardening Plant Guide

Great Plant Picks (Pacific Northwest)

Jim Melka Plant Finder

LBJ Wildflower Center Native Plant Database

Learn to Grow Plant Search

Nursery Guide (Oregon)

Online Plant Guide

Plant Lust

Rhode Island Coastal Plant Guide

Royal Horticultural Society Plant Selector

San Marcos Growers

Shoot Plant Search

UConn Plant Database

USDA Plant Finder

Waterwise Database (zones 8-11)

Waterwise Santa Barbara

The database below actually helps you ID plants.  Love it!

New England Wild Flower Society Simple ID Key

This plant database is subscription-based. It has a wealth of plant information from Australia, but has spread into other parts of the world too.

PlantFile

Do you have a favorite online plant database not included above? Happy plant hunting!

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DETAILS IN THE GARDEN

A couple of months ago I visited a small, yet amazing garden in central Iowa.

I learned something that day: size doesn't matter...it's all in the details.  

That same day we also visited a landscape much larger than the one below. It was beautiful, but lacked the engagement. I saw everything at once, rather than enjoying the thrill of mystery.

Always think about the details of your garden, including furniture, ornamentation, architecture, paint, and sweet plantings.  How can you surprise your visitor rather than just giving away all your views in one sweep?

 

If you'd like to explore this landscape more, here are the last two posts I wrote on the same garden:

A Dog Friendly Garden
Texture in the Garden

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THE NEIGHBORHOOD SHEDS

I was perusing my former garden blog and came across one of my favorite posts from 2011...a little ditty on garden sheds.  Here is the post as written...

Can functional structures like sheds be beautiful too? 

As we decorated ours with corn stalks a couple of weeks ago I realized how lucky we were to have such a lovely, vibrant shed in our garden. I then realized our neighborhood was filled with similar structures...some old, some new, but all stunning. They all store tools (and some even chickens), plus garden ephemera. Each one has an intriguing beauty. 

Rather than build a typical shed in your yard, create a functional masterpiece that becomes an integral component of your garden. 

Our fun orange garden shed designed and constructed by my husband.

Our neighbor's garden shed and chicken coop to the east of our house. 

A shaker-like shed and beautiful worn brick a couple of houses to the north.

The oldest and most detailed shed in our neighborhood located just to the northeast.

A big thanks to all of our neighbors for letting me tromp through your yards, move around your garden tools and allowing me to flip your light switches on and off to take these photos.

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KEEP IT POSITIVE IN THE GARDEN

Let me tell you a little secret about garden design. It's important to keep your livable spaces positive.

What do I mean? Often we'll lay out beds, think about their shapes meticulously, plop them in our yard, then fill them with plants...creating a negative space for our main livable area. This main area becomes leftover space, even though it should be the main focus of our garden. The main space is often the lawn (though it could be a patio or deck too). This is very similar to rooms in your house.  Each room has a strong shape with walls that reinforce it.
Try designing this way instead...

1. Identify where you would like your main lawn area.
2. Determine what shape it should be...an oval, square, circle, kidney bean, etc.
3. Keep the bed lines clean and/or in broad strokes (not a lot of small wiggles).
4. Place planting beds and plant materials to reinforce your shape (along the outer edge, not in the middle).
5. Now you have an amazing garden where you can place garden furniture, read a book, have a picnic or play a little croquet.

A couple of thoughts...though the positive garden I'm showing you above is formal, your garden does not have to be.  This process works for both formal and informal gardens.  Also, your lawn shapes do not have to be totally surrounded by plants.  You can place them sparingly to still give the idea of a lawn shape, without totally enclosing it.

In the end, I want you to remember that garden design is about creating space.  This space is formed by plants and hardscapes, but you must always remember to create the space first.

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