Topics. Planning for urban gardens Exposure Scale Time Traffic. M isbehaving plants Disasters in the garden

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2 Topics Planning for urban gardens Exposure Scale Time Traffic. M isbehaving plants Disasters in the garden

3 Planning For Urban Gardens. The fall is a perfect time to plan for what your garden 'vill need during the next growing season.. It is time to ask some very frank questions of yourself and your relationship to your garden. a) What 'vould you like to have your garden become? b) What needs to be changed, added, or deleted? c) What 'vorked, or did not, and why?. The reasons that our gardens thrive, or fail, come do,vn to. some simple facts that every gardener must consider.. Four of these are exposure, scale, time, and traffic.

4 Take the time to find out whac direction ) our home fares.

5 Take the time to find out 'vhat direction your home faces. Exposure If you are doing a front yard garden and you have a southern exposure 'vith no trees to add shade do not plant Hosta and expect picture book results. Plants 'vill do best if given the proper environment. If your favorite plant is not performing in your front yard, and you have the soil properly prepared, perhaps the exposure is 'vrong. Consult \vith your landscaper or garden center pro prior to installing the plants. It is important to learn from past mistakes. If a plant has not done 'vell, and 'vas purchased from a reputable source, maybe improper exposure contributed to your failure.

6 If your front garden is ten feet by 8 feet using an arbol', statl1e, or fountai11 designed f'or a country e.state \Yill 11ot \\'Ork.

7 Scale In urban gardens one of the most important things to consider 'vhen designing or redoing an existing garden is the space. If your front garden is ten feet by 8 feet using an arbor, statue, or fountain designed for a country estate 'vill not work. If you have trouble 'vi th the design phase be realistic. There are many firms that will desig n the space for you. One of the reasons small space gardens fail is that the desig ner (homeo,vner) tries to fit one of everything into the space, this is poor desig n. Repetition is one of d1e basic laws in landscape design. Perhaps the second most com1non failing is in not considering the plants that are installed and their mature size. A good desig n should look good 'vhen installed yet should also take in consideration that the landscape will truly be mature in about ten years.

8 Time The gardens that you see that look well maintained look that \vay because they are. When considering your garden landscape be realistic. Ho'v much time do you have to devote to the project? Many homeowners turn the actual maintenance over to a professional. This by no means indicates that the garden is no longer yours. You are the one that can decide how much involvement your schedule allows. \ hen considering a 10 foot by 8 foot garden you should be able to dedicate at least two hours per week doing the tasks that a 'veil-maintained garden will demand.

9 If using a professional company to maintain your garden budget for one to nvo visits per month. The costs can vary, yet remember this is an investment and you usually 'vill get 'vhat you pay for. Take the time to do a little intervie\ving of the potential gardener or landscaper. If they are professionals, they should be able to answer your questions and come up \vith a plan for your gardens needs.

10 Our city garden have to endure the real possibility that they may need to withsllljld the feet of many passersby.

11 Traffic. Our city gardens have to endure the real possibility that they may need to 'vithstand the feet of many passersby.. Planting delicate flo,vers in the tree box in front of your home is beautiful, ho,vever everyone will not be as caring of your handy 'vork as you. Planting a border ofliriope can be just as beautiful and it can \vithstand the foot traffic that our nvo and four legged neighbors can inflict. Many gardeners have installed fencing to help protect the tree box plantings.. You should be mindful that your fencing is not creating a hazard to pedestrians.. Many DC gardeners do install fencing for their front yards. This is a good idea and 'viii go a long way to protecting your plants.

12 A fro11t garde.11 to a condo con1111unity c.an hecon1e. a luslt space, as long as the.re is constant care. taken to ensure the garden tl1ri,,es in tl1e urba11 landscape.

13 \\/hen designing the garden remember exposure mus r be considered. This south &cing garden thrives because the plants have been chosen correctly.

14 Lush landscapes like this one take tin1e, n1akc sure yot1 ha, e enough to properly care for the garden and you will be 1.hc Nik of the block.

15 Misbehaving plants Like it or not your plants don't have the same rule book that we do and therefore don't have to behave the \vay 've think they should.

16 What did I do wrong? When good gardens go bad So1nc seasons arc better than others. The art of great gardens has a lot of trial and error behind the big beautiful blooms. Once we have made sure the plants arc properly located, watered, and have the right types and amounts of nutrients. We arc then at the mercy of the clements. Sometimes our gardens in spite of our best efforts just don't do well. Blistering summers, freezing and tha,ving in winter, and rains or lack of rains can all have unwanted effects on our gardens. These forces are part of 'vhat makes each year in the garden exciting and nc'v and as a true gardener we must cherish the volatility of Mother Nature and embrace constant change in our gardens.

17 What did I do wrong #2 Some other things that can cause a few sleepless nights and a complete loss of garden bliss are: The art of great gardens has a lot of trial and error behind the big beautiful blooms. D,varf plants that aren't.. \Vhen a grafted plant returns to the root stock (My \veeping cherry is not)!. I did not plant that plant!

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