Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary

If you have not certified your garden as a Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary, take a look at this site from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/backyard/

It suggests improvements we can make to make our yards more friendly to our native wildlife. It also has a link to the form for applying for certification as a Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary. You probably already have most of the required elements and might only need to make small adjustments, such as adding a birdbath or planting a native shrub.

Certifying through the Department of Fish and Wildlife has a nominal fee of $10. If you certify through the National Wildlife Federation, the fee is $25, although it includes their magazine.

End of summer garden photos

I haven't taken pictures in my garden for awhile and decided I'd better get some before the fall rains and cold weather.

Here is a nice grouping of coleus in my covered patio area:

 Fuchsias are great this time of year. This photo shows Fuchsia magellanica 'Aurea', Fuchsia ‘Dying Ember’ and ‘Pat’s Dream’. You can also see the tops of Scarlet Runner Beans that climbed from the lower garden level. This year the rabbits did not eat my black-eyed Susan plants.

The bed by the spa is my red, white, and blue bed. The blue Agapanthus and white Liatris finished blooming.

 I love my Red Banana, even though I need to bring it into my "shed/potting room" for the winter. In fact, I bought two more this spring! This Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia) is variegated, so looks nice even when not flowering. Of course, all my Brugmansia will also go into my potting room.

 More Brugmansia, a nice dwarf Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica ‘Petite Embers’), Grand Nain Banana, Tropicana Canna:

 I grew 8 or 9 Sureno peppers (a prolific and compact variety of Serrano pepper). Four are in pots and the rest in the driveway bed. They all thrived, so now I wonder what I can do with all the peppers!

 Fuchsia 'Army Nurse' is a strong performer in the garden:

 Fuchsia 'Sunshine' is a sweet little fuchsia plant. I love the color:

New patio area with circular paving pattern

We had pavers installed in an area next to walkway to front porch. This area will now feature plants in containers. It has drip irrigation set up, so they will be easy care.

We are happy with the installation and look forward to trying different arrangements of plants and garden art on the porch and this new area.

Pumpkins and Gourds in my garden

Here are a couple photos of the pumpkins I grew, mostly for the grandkids to watch. This is my second year growing pumpkins, so I am still learning. I can't figure out why some plants produce a great pumpkin and others do not. My approach is to plant several plants and look forward to a couple nice pumpkins.

This year I also grew the miniature pumpkins from seed. Just a few plants made it from the plants I started indoors, but enough to produce a few of the 'Jack Be Little' pumpkins. I also had a few plants from the plants started from the small ornamental gourd seeds. They produced a lot of a variety of ornamental gourds. These were planted in the raised beds along the driveway. This is south-facing with lots of reflected heat and drip irrigation.

Contrast Form, Texture, and Pattern in Landscape Design

Here is an article I wrote for the Washington Garden and Design, the magazine for the Washington State Federation of Garden Clubs.

Contrast Form, Texture, and Pattern in Landscape Design

Contrast is a useful principle to apply in landscape design. Creating a garden with contrasting elements for eye-catching design. Form, texture, patterns are important elements to consider.

Some different plant forms are round, columnar, spreading, spiky, and low-growing. Many other forms and shapes can provide effective contrast.

Plant texture is the surface quality. While leaf texture is a primary consideration, other parts of a plant offer textures too, such as bark, flowers, and seed pods. Plant texture may be smooth, rippled, rough, shiny, dull, and bumpy.

Pattern may be introduced into the landscape with leaf forms and hardscape. The photo of the Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Red Dragon’ and Fuchsia magellanica macrostemma shows different patterns in leaf shape.

The container planting pictured below demonstrates a pleasing variety in texture and pattern with the Dracaena and Jacobaea maritima (Dusty Miller).

Various hardscape techniques can be used to add pattern, such as the floor of the garden structure pictured below.

The photo below, taken at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, illustrates different plant forms and textures. The Gunnera manicata provides a much different shape than the rounded compact Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' (Golden Japanese Forest Grass). The Gunnera’s rough texture is also a foil to the rippling cascades of fine golden grass blades.

A pocket garden that demonstrates variations of texture, pattern, and form is pictured below. Plants include Hosta “Gold Standard”, two varieties of Astilbe, Osmunda regalis (Royal Fern), Matteuccia struthiopteris (Ostrich fern), and Athyrium niponicum (Japanese Painted Fern). The foliage of ferns and Astilbe introduce pattern into this garden bed.

To incorporate contrast in the landscape, you might select three plants that create a pleasing combination. Consider repeating this combination in your landscape area for a harmonious effect. Odd numbers are most effective, as a viewer will subconsciously make a division between even numbers of plants. Repetition can provide rhythm by drawing the viewer’s eye through the landscape. Other plants, hardscape, and garden art can be added to enhance the garden.

One final consideration is leaf size. Strive to include one plant with large leaves for every two plants. Large simple leaves will give the garden visitor’s eyes a place to rest. Variegated, lobed, or serrated leaves may detract from the pleasing effect of large leaves. Many large-leafed plants thrive in shade or part shade. It may be challenging to find big-leaf plants for the sunny garden bed. Consider tropical plants like Canna or Musa basjoo (Hardy Banana). Another option is a large-leafed edible, such as Rheum rhabarbarum (rhubarb) or Cucurbita (squash, gourds, and pumpkins).

Fall is an appropriate time to assess your landscape. Soil and weather conditions are great for planting, so you can make immediate improvements to your landscape design.

Garden photos taken June 5

Posting a few photos I took on June 5:

 Coppertina Ninebark - Physocarpus opulifolius 'Mindia' (Coppertina). The pink flowers will be replaced with red seed heads that keep the plant interesting.

New Peonies

I added two peonies (Paeonia lactiflora): "Festiva Maxima' and 'Karl Rosenfeld'. I took out two large Fuchsia 'Pat's Dream' in my tropical bed, making room for more oriental lilies (mostly the large white Casablanca) and peonies. I am waiting for a couple Itoh peonies to be ready for sale at the wholesale nursery, so I can add these without too much expense.
This photo shows new growth on the some of my lilies and peonies (finally):

Spring - barely here: new Clematis

I bought 6 new Clematis at my favorite wholesale nursery (T&L Nursery). I planted 3 of them and am trying to figure out where to plant others! Clematis texensis 'Princess Diana' had tulip shaped magenta flowers and Clematis 'Rooguchi' has bell-shaped purple flowers. I planted them on my arbor along with Clematis 'Romantika'.

I also bought some blue, violet, and white double varieties ('Blue Light', 'Duchess of Edinburgh', 'Multi Blue', and 'Vyvyan Pennell'). I will write about them later.

This photo shows the new growth on Clematis 'Jackmanii' and 'Jackmanii Superba'. They will get about 20' tall.