A word of caution to garden enthusiasts and weekend warriors who hear the springtime call to battle:  watch your step!  The unusually wet weather has saturated this area’s heavy, clay soils and they are extremely water-logged.  Working in garden beds this time of year can be very damaging to the soil structure.  Be careful when clearing beds (or having your landscape service do so for you).  A long rake (which I personally prefer to a noisy leaf blower) will serve you well.  You can also wait a few weeks for the soils to dry out somewhat.  Remember, there will certainly be cold days and nights ahead – be patient!  All too soon we’ll be complaining about the hot weather and how much yard work there is to be done!

P.S.  Don’t forget to fill your bird feeders – it’s nesting time and they need all the help they can get!

Planning is really essential to spending your landscaping time and money wisely.   The best way to get started is to assess your property  – take a walk around and do an inventory of what’s good and not-so-good.  Is it easy to view the main entrance, or is it hidden behind a wall of overgrown rhododendrons?  Does the patio face a scraggly lawn or something not so attractive in your neighbor’s property?  What is the most important thing about the outdoor space for your family:  access?  Playing space?   Eating and cooking area?  Entertaining space?  Quiet and privacy?

Now, take a look at the light conditions in the various parts of your yard.  Maybe the front of the house gets tons of sun and the backyard is a cave – maybe the backyard wouldn’t be so dark if one or two trees were carefully pruned?

Next, be sure to identify what style your house is (Contemporary, Victorian, Colonial Modernist), and what style you are comfortable with (casual, formal).  Finally, the color of your house should be taken into consideration when it comes time to select any plantings you’ll be adding (or removing, if necessary!)

Once you have this information, you can prioritize your plan of attack and be sure you are addressing the most important things first.  HOW you address these priorities is also important.  Try to be forward-thinking:  if you just replace a dying foundation shrub with a new one of the same kind, you could be repeating the same mistake.  Why was the shrub dying anyway?  If you are a do-it-yourselfer,  be sure you have the equipment and expertise to undertake the desired changes.   If you are either inexperienced, overscheduled or both, you would be well to consult a professional about how to achieve your vision, and how much it will cost to make it happen.  Usually, there are several ways to accomplish the same effect, and each one will have pros and cons (and different price tags.).

Click the tab below for a list of common mistakes made in residential landscaping, followed by a menu of solutions (short term or long term) to suit different budgets.

COMMON MISTAKES IN RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPING

• Overgrown shrubs around the foundation area – where’s the house? Who’s coming up the walk?
• No foundation plantings – the house looks naked
• Large areas of mulch (often brightly colored) – can clash with house color, hard to maintain weed-free
• Random clumps of ornamental grasses – lack of recognizable design, often out of step with the style of the house.
• Solar lights – they never work
• Monotonous plantings – they bloom maybe once and then they’re just a green bush.
• Parade of unrelated plants & shrubs – distracting and messy-looking
• Wrong plant in the wrong place: shade lovers frying in the sun, sun lovers languishing in the shade.
• Trees or shrubs planted too close together – close quarters can create unhealthy growing conditions; if they do thrive, they will need to be moved when they grow in.
• Not a tree in sight – is it a golf course or a residence?
• Patio seems randomly placed, not near a door, or the bbq, but just floating out in the lawn
• Swingset or trampoline is the first thing you see when you look at the property.
• Watering with the “teacup method” – watering each plant with your hose for 2 or 3 minutes once a week isn’t enough.

SOLUTIONS TO COMMON RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPING PROBLEMS

Here are some common ‘problem areas’ and just a sample of some suggestions for addressing them in the short term (“Quick Fix”) and long term. Short term solutions are for instant gratification to spruce up for sale; longer term is for those who can afford to wait. Short term is not always the cheaper route: one $ denotes a cheaper alternative, $$ denotes not cheap but not a bank-buster, $$$ means fairly expensive.

Foundation plantings:
The idea is to have shrubs and perennials that will enhance the style of the house year-round.
Quick fix: Replace overgrown shrubs with smaller shrubs ($$), choose a mix of evergreen shrubs and deciduous flowering shrubs or small tree to add color in spring and fall.
Longer term: Many shrubs like rhododendrons, Japanese andromeda, yews and hemlocks can be pruned severely to return them to an appropriate size ($). Make sure there is a balance of heights and textures in the shrubs you use. Plant bulbs among the shrubs for a spring pick-me-up ($).

Front Entry and walk:
It should be easy for the visitor to see their destination; the walk should guide the eye as well as the feet to the door. The front door should be framed in a welcoming manner.
Quick fix: Add containers of annuals around the doorway or steps ($). A small tree in a container can be a nice focal point. Replace the porch light or doorbell. Replace or add cushions for existing porch furniture ($).
Longer term: Put in attractive shrubs around front door or at bottom of steps; add flower beds ($$) to accentuate the shape of the walk and entryway. Add a gate to the walk ($ – $$). Replace the path material for a new look ($$$). Install low voltage lighting ($$).

A note on driveways (more below): an attractive mailbox with pretty perennials or annuals below (Clematis vine, long-blooming Black-eyed Susans, colorful Cosmos) can perk up the vehicular entrance to your property.

Patios and Decks:
A patio or deck greatly expands the living space of your home. Patios should have a connection to the house or garden plan. Consider whether your deck suits the style of your house – would steps to a patio be better? Both patios and decks are more enjoyable if they feel private.
Quick fix: a planter with vertical trellis can achieve instant privacy ($). Think about placing the BBQ conveniently, but not so it dominates (and smokes out) the space (zero$). A table with an umbrella and colorful chair cushions will jazz things up ($). Containers of blooming flowers will help organize the space and make it seem more like an outdoor room ($). Paint decks for a cleaner look ($-$$ depending on size of deck).
Long term: If the patio is adjacent to the house, a pergola overhead ($$) creates an attractive room-like feeling and provides dappled shade (allowing a vine such as wisteria or climbing hydrangea to grow on the pergola is a beautiful, classic look). Adding water feature like a small fountain ($) or more elaborate pond ($$) nearby will provide a soothing sound of water (and screen other noises). If your deck seems out of place, a paint job might help ($-$$), or replace it with steps to a patio ($$$). Update your patio furniture ($$).

Fences, screens and driveways:
Fences are a good option for disguising unwanted neighboring views, however, a fence in bad condition makes the property look run-down. Often driveways act as dividers between properties and need strong delineation. Lattice panels can be used to screen play equipment from view.
Short term: install or replace a fence ($$). Add a low stone or brick wall along driveway ($$). Install a lattice screen ($$) or evergreen hedge ($$) to hide play equipment.
Longer term: Put up lattice to cover an unattractive fence ($), grow ivy or other vines on the fence/lattice ($), at the base of the fence or along the driveway edge, plant perennials with large, attractive foliage (lilies, irises, ferns, hosta) ($).

Wet areas:
A soggy part of your yard can be transformed if you “go with the flow”. Create a river bed with river rocks and moisture-loving plants like irises, ferns, skimmia and anemones.

Dry shade:
Under shallow-rooted trees it is hard to get anything green to take hold. Some tough customers include: vinca, pachysandra, forget-me-nots (a self-seeding annual), coral bells and certain ferns. ($)

Flower beds/perennial borders:
A good rule of thumb is keep it simple. Select 3 or 4 types of perennials ($) that you know will be successful in the sun and soil conditions you have and plant them in groups. Try to select plants that have more than one good season (see list below). As they mature they will create a massing effect. Don’t sprinkle a little of everything everywhere. Do include a focal point such as a birdbath or colorful urn ($), or a small flowering tree ($$) or dwarf evergreen ($). You can place pots of annuals in the empty spots until the perennials fill in ($).

The roses weren’t my idea.  They were suggested by someone who was helping us with the yard after we first moved to this house.  I was at that time a garden newbie and very overwhelmed with two toddlers and a new, old house, both of which took up most of my waking (and “sleeping”) hours.  For the first few years these three shrubs got pretty much no attention other than an occasional watering.  It wasn’t until both my children were in school for at least part of the day that I opened my eyes and realized I had growing things in my yard.

By then the shrub roses were sizeable and, miraculously, blooming spectacularly.  I first took pruners to them just to remove the spent blooms when they started looking shabby.  To my delight, they responded by blooming again!  This was very gratifying.  As were the compliments I started getting from neighbors and passing dog-walkers.  “What amazing roses!” – uh, right!  It’s just a talent I was born with I guess!  I found myself watching them, gauging when I would need to prune them next – when to time it so I only had to remove a few mature blooms in order to maintain the shape I liked the shrubs to have.

It was strange.  I was practically in a meditative state when I was pruning these shrubs.  Now, eight (!) years later, and content with my decision to be a landscape designer, I still learn something new every time I prune these roses.  It’s actually very funny how many correlations you can make between pruning roses and navigating your life.  For example,

If you are working on one side of the shrub and you’re not sure where – or if – you want to make a cut, it’s best to walk around to another side and approach it from a different perspective.  Hmmm.

The deeper you get into the shrub, the more difficult it is to get back out – literally, because of the thorns.  Figuratively, well, you get it.

Don’t leave a branch half cut or damaged – it will fester and rot.  It’s better to make a clean cut even if you have to sacrifice blooms for this season, the shrub will be healthier for the years ahead.

What starts out looking like a completely overwhelming thorny tangle isn’t so bad if you  approach it branch by branch – and take your time.  No one says you have to finish it all in one day!

Well, who needs a therapist when you have rose bushes to prune?  And by the way, don’t forget to smell them!

-Anne

A more practical outlet for the gardening ‘itch’ is to get out and do some selective pruning.  There are several shrubs that require attention in late winter or early spring, among them are shrubs that bloom on new wood and cane growing shrubs.  By pruning before new growth appears you will improve the overall health of the shrub, stimulate growth and enhance its appearance for the coming growing season.

-Shrubs that bloom on new wood include certain hydrangeas (Panicle hydrangeas (H. paniculata) and smooth hydrangeas (H. arborescens).  Big leaf and Oak leaf hydrangeas should not be pruned at his time, as that will remove their flower buds.

-Cane growing shrubs include Forsythias, Mock oranges, Privet, Rose of Sharon, Smoke bush, Viburnums and Weigela, as well as shrub Roses.  (Since Forsythia blooms early, you may want to wait until after it blooms to do your pruning).

-Crape myrtles and red twig dogwoods also need attention this time of year.  Crape myrtles will bloom much better with judicious pruning, and red twig (and yellow-twig) dogwoods require pruning to keep their stems brilliant and colorful come winter.

Pruning can be daunting.  If you’re not sure how and where to prune a shrub, get advice!  Trees and shrubs are a valuable part of your property and once something’s been lopped off, there’s no re-attaching it!  You can consult gardening handbooks, your cooperative extension or a garden professional.  Be sure you are talking to someone who has had training in plant care, as not everyone who claims to be a “landscaper” really has an understanding of the growing cycle for individual shrubs and trees.

Let the growing begin!

-Anne

There are several deciduous trees and shrubs that keep their leaves throughout much of winter:  beeches, pin oaks, azaleas, and roses are a few.  With frost and winter light they are quite beautiful.  Shrub roses will often continue blooming until we get several below freezing days in a row.

Berries add interest – from the bright red of the hawthorn tree to the dark blues of a viburnum.  Shrubs like hydrangeas can also be beautiful if their dried blossoms are not removed.  The sword-like leaves of some varieties of irises, which turn shades of rosy gold, will persist until they get too soggy.

Many of your perennial flowers and grasses still have (or should have) their seed heads, which can be dazzling on a frosty morning.

If you have a sheltered sunny spot in your yard, there are many types of herbs which will remain green right up until the first heavy snow!

And then there are the evergreens – in addition to the conifers and hollies that we associate with winter landscapes, many perennials have green foliage throughout the winter months.  Thymes, heathers, spikey blue fescue grass, liriope, dianthus and many of the spurges and sedums to name a few.

I hope I’ve persuaded you that winter in your garden doesn’t have to be a dull affair – with a little planning and some restraint at fall clean-up time you can enjoy your property 12 months a year.

P.S.:  please remember to fill the bird feeders and be mindful of wildlife during these chilly days and nights!