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Health & Fitness

Garden Design Tips & Tricks (Part I)

I remember the day we closed on our home in Campbell. We were as excited as kids on Christmas! The lot, large for our neighborhood, was one of the things that drew us to this particular house. Room to plant! To landscape! To garden! It all seemed so exciting.

Then came the day when I stood in that empty space and realized it was up to me to fill it. Ideally, we would have hired a landscaper to do the dirty work, (or, if we were lucky, one of those reality TV crews would take care of it all while we went away for a weekend.) Alas, a quick fix was not possible. It was all up to us.

Thirteen years later. I’ve made a lot of blunders, killed a zillion plants, and I have one particular rose bush that I have moved FIVE times (more on that another day. And yes, it’s still alive!) Even if you’re just getting started, looking to overhaul an entire yard, or even just a corner, here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks:

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Planning Your Landscape

Think about how you want to use your space, or spaces. Look around your yard and see it as rooms with different purposes rather than just one big space. You might have a patio that could be used for dining. Another space for a play area. Perhaps others for entertaining around a fire pit, a kitchen garden, or a place to enjoy a cup of coffee on a summer morning…it’s really about what YOU want and how you want to use it. Personally, I wanted a place to eat outside in the evenings and a place to enjoy the morning sun. The fountain patio became my morning hangout as it faces south, and the dining patio was moved to the east side (not shown) with ample room to entertain, lots of late afternoon shade, and easy access to the kitchen. Look and see what established plants you already have to work with - almost every yard in the Silicon Valley has a fruit tree or two, which are great for spring blossoms and seasonal fruit! We had too many (14 - I kid you not ) so a lot of them had to be removed to make way for the hardscape. We kept an established avocado, two mandarin oranges and an apple. 

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Complimentary Rooms

Just as you wouldn’t decorate every room in your home exactly the same way, your garden should show variety and interest in the various spaces, while all being complimentary or thematic. Take into account the amount of light each area receives, and keep the color of flowers and foliage, as well as seasonal blooming times in mind. I have one portion of the garden that gets full sun that is all hot, southwest colors like dark purple, hot pink, orange and yellow. Another side of the yard is in deep shade, and I keep those hues softer. White, pale yellow and pale pink show up better against the wood fence and dark foliage in the shade. 

Think Big!

The aisles of perennials available at your local hardware store for pennies on the dollar can be tempting to the new gardener, but choose your larger plants and trees first. Like furniture, start with bigger pieces before you accessorize your space! Don’t be afraid to anchor your space with large shrubs or even trees – be patient and buy them small to save money; you’ll be rewarded with a balanced and lush landscape in just a few years’ time.

Come back next week for Part II - Now that you have your anchor plants decided, how do you fill in the blanks? Plus a great list of online resources for ideas and plant info, and where to go for answers to every garden dilemma under the sun! 

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Adelle Gabrielson is a local writer and amateur gardener trying to live life with grace, humor and great shoes. Read more of her musings at www.AdelleGabrielson.com or follow on Facebook

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