landscape quandry
mmarteen
like building won't start until April, with the house finished no earlier
than June. That is assuming we don't get a late winter blast, which seems
to happen every other winter that pushes Spring to mid May. I am doing the
landscaping myself. This isn't as huge a task as it seems since the lot is
pretty small and the house footprint will take up a lot of it. Also, there
will be no front lawn to speak of, it is on a steep slope which we will
plant with a ground cover ivy, probably baltic.
Anyway, my problem is this: since I don't know when the heavy construction
on the house will be over, what can I do to get a garden going as soon as
possible without waiting and buying plants, no seeds (which would blow my
landscaping budget)? I am working with the uncertainty of the construction
and the uncertainty of the length of the season here in zone 4a Minnesota.
Our summers have been blastingly hot and our winters quite variable but
generally very cold and very dry.
Should I forget about starting seeds and only plan to plant seeds that are
planted in warm soil and grow fast? Any suggestions of flowers or foliage
plants that would fit that description?
I am also thinking about getting 50 hostas, potting them up and then
deploying them in pots around the new house yard where I intend to plant
them when we move in and eventually planting them in the Fall. I can also
start the window boxes here since they will be mobile.
Anyone had a similar situation? Any clever ideas from anyone else out
there?
mm
nan
> We are building a new house on an infill lot in Minneapolis and it looks
> like building won't start until April, with the house finished no earlier
> than June.
>
> on the house will be over, what can I do to get a garden going as soon as
> possible without waiting and buying plants, no seeds (which would blow my
> landscaping budget)? I am working with the uncertainty of the construction
> and the uncertainty of the length of the season here in zone 4a Minnesota.
> Our summers have been blastingly hot and our winters quite variable but
> generally very cold and very dry.
>
> Should I forget about starting seeds and only plan to plant seeds that are
> planted in warm soil and grow fast? Any suggestions of flowers or foliage
> plants that would fit that description?
>
> I am also thinking about getting 50 hostas, potting them up and then
> deploying them in pots around the new house yard where I intend to plant
> them when we move in and eventually planting them in the Fall.
>
> mm
Because of the limited growing season available as you have described,
potted plants may be the best way to plan. If it be colour that is
sought for this first summer/fall then annuals could be sown. The
selection of annuals may be gone from the nurseries when the time is
right to plant. You could prebuy in May, move to larger pots, and
plant when all is ready like your hostas. Or you could grow them
yourself in sinc with the progression of the house project. I would
discourage against direct sowing though as when the heat hits in May
or June small-sized seedlings may fizzle out in the open ground.
If it is possible to start your own seedlings then you could sow in
maybe, June , in small plastic trays (mushroom trays are good) under
one fluorescent light, or a windowsill/porch and then transplant them
to cell packs. When the garden is ready to plant they would be ready.
They would bloom for the remainder of the summer and into the fall
until hard frosts hit.
The above would be a hardy annual. I can recommend snapdragons.
Thompson and Morgan have a wonderful variety of them.
nan
canada
Frogleg
wrote:
<snip>
>Anyway, my problem is this: since I don't know when the heavy construction
>on the house will be over, what can I do to get a garden going as soon as
>possible without waiting and buying plants, no seeds (which would blow my
>landscaping budget)? I am working with the uncertainty of the construction
>and the uncertainty of the length of the season here in zone 4a Minnesota.
>Our summers have been blastingly hot and our winters quite variable but
>generally very cold and very dry
Calm down. Gardening/landscaping is usually a long-time pursuit. The
Second Rule of Gardening is "there's always next year." (The first is,
"Plants die.") This may be a time for small experiments, plants in
pots, scattering wildflower or grass seeds. Careful planning of *part*
of what you eventually want to achieve. You don't (I hope) have to
have a first-year landscape ready for House & Garden photographers.
You have time to look around and see what's successful for your
neighbors. "How long have you had that whatever-it-is bush? Any
problerms?" I'd say that at least 50% of folk interested in gardening
would be willing to sit down and discuss their own successes and
failures. Take it easy.
mmarteen
I would like to move ahead on this, one of them is that given the city
rules, I will have the landscaping money in escarow and all work on the
house will be need to be completed by March, 2004. We may still have snow
on the ground in March 2004! It is a huge bummer that we weren't able to
break ground this fall but the paperwork involved in getting this done was
pretty extensive.
The standard landscaping called for is just to sod the whole yard. I had to
file a plan with the city and it is a little more unorthodox, incorporating
perennial plantings and low maintenence growncovers. If I can't accomplish
some of that we will be surrounded by dirt until the following season, which
given the slope might also lead to some erosion problems.
As for fellow gardeners, I have already been talking to the neighbors, our
neighbors to the south are into gardening and I am sure I will ask them a
lot more questions as the plan develops.
mm
"Frogleg" <nob...@nevermind.com> wrote in message
news:3e19a88f....@news.earthlink.net...
Pam
perennials and groundcovers - your garden will look pretty bare for a good
portion of the year if you limit yourself to just these plant types. Even in a
small garden, the 'bones' are important and there should be a good range of
small trees and evergreen material hardy for your zone which could be
incorporated. And don't forget about screening out the too close neighbors.
Check out local nurseries and garden centers - they will likely be able to
consult with you regarding suitable plants and design issues for a nominal fee,
if not for free.
pam - gardengal
mmarteen
am trying to do, in total:
1. There are 3 large trees in the front already, at least one of which for
sure is a keeper, the others, it is unclear since they may be too close to
the excavation. I am going to try to keep an 8 ft cedar and have it moved.
2. I want to plant a Korean maple as the centerpiece of the front yard but
once again, that will be affected by when we actually move in. Also some
foundation shrubs in front, some small evergreens I haven't chosen yet, and
probably a hardy hydrangia and a rhodie. I have left a few pockets for
perennials and reseeding annuals. Plants I am considering: siberian iris
and various kinds of lillies and in the shady sections: euchera, lily of the
valley, astilbe, bleeding heart. And of course, hostas.
3. Hanging baskets in the front of the house, and window boxes on the
topmost window and the back window, all planted with easy stuff like
impatiens where it is shady and petunias where it is sunny, mixed in with
some kind of folliage plants.
4. The first 30 feet of the lot are a high slope which will be taken care of
by the baltic ivy, hopefully. At the crest of the slope I want to put
overlapping plantings of big daffodils and daylillies so that I get daffs in
the spring and daylillies for the summer.
5. On the south side of the house (the sunny side) I am planting several
rose bushes, the hardy canadian kind and other hardy rugosas. I am going to
try a Therese Bugnet by the fence and peg it as I have read that they bloom
more this way and it will eventually make a good screen if it works out.
Also, I am planning a clemantis trellis for that area.
6. In the center of the back I plan to put in a "lawn" of Nichols' eco mix
for my zone. I know it won't look like a traditional lawn and it will
probably take a few years to establish itself but I am willing to wait for
that in order to have a herbal type lawn rather than the traditional turf.
7. On the southwest corner goes the annual border with a few perennials.
8. On the west, along the back fence, millet, amaranth & sunflowers for
crafts and the birds. Unfortunately, this will go in dead last since we
won't put up the fence until every piece of equiptment is in and every stick
of furniture.
9. On the north west corner, my composter. (Best place with the neighbors
taken into consideration)
10. On the north side, (facing south) my vegetable garden, in raised beds, 3
4'x4' squares and one octagon with 4' sides
11. The north side along the house will be planted with hostas, there isn't
much space there since the house is off center and there is a service
walkway. It is also very shady.
The problem with this elaborate plan is that I can't do large pieces of it
the first year we are in if we get in in June or later. I am trying to
figure out which pieces I can do and which will have to wait until next year
(or later).
mm
"Pam" <grdn...@attbi.com> wrote in message
news:3E1AECA3...@attbi.com...
Pat Brothers
selections will be in the spring. You may want to wait and see the day
lilies in bloom to pick the colors. Then just set up your own mini
nursery and plant them when you can. I have been known to keep plants in
pots a year or more before getting them in the ground.
Pat Brothers
The Powell House
Wake Forest, NC
USDA Zone 7b
nan
bring it in early to a corner of the yard may save on big truck tracks
later when all is smoothed over by the workers. Drainage is important
and slightly raised beds for plants like roses might be to their
benefit.
"mmarteen" <mmar...@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<avhofs$fnoj2$1...@ID-165117.news.dfncis.de>...