Calgary Garden Coach

plant for fall texture

Now's a great time to evaluate the garden for texture.  Few things are left blooming, but if the garden is designed with contrasts in plant shape, texture and foliage colour in mind, then things should still look interesting!  Here's a corner of my front yard with only sedum 'Autumn Joy' left in bloom. 

do as I say, not as I do

This may be the first picture I've actually taken of the whole front yard!  That's because the right side is done (except for a few minor changes, there are always a few minor changes), but I haven't done anything to the left side at all yet (not even bothered to mow the lawn).

Today I planted a red-leafed rose and 3 cute little nest spruce shrubs on the left.  Did I remove the grass?  No.  Did I prepare the area at all?  No.  Would I recommend this to anyone who is planning to get rid of a little lawn?  No.

What can I say. You do what you have to do when you have 3 little kids and most of your gardening gets done in half-hour bursts before they wake up every morning.  Instead of removing the grass (I have discussed ways of doing this before), I just dug generous holes for each shrub, amended the soil within the holes, and planted.  My plan is to smother the grass starting next spring, then turn the soil, amend with compost, and hopefully by the end of next summer most of the rest of the left lawn will be garden.

I know, it looks like crap.  It helps when you envision a work-in-progress as what it will look in 2 or 3 years, rather than right now.  The neighbours probably think it looks terrible, and maybe my friends and family do too!  But I can picture how the mature shrubs will be large enough to touch each other, how the evergreens will divide the space between the sun-loving plants close to the sidewalk and the shade-loving plants close to the house, how the repeition of key plants on either side of the walkway will bring unity to the whole yard, yadda yadda yadda.  I know it's gonna look great, everyone else will just have to wait and see!!

I'm a Healthy Yard

I seem to be collecting ladybug signs this year, without intending to!  That's OK, I think they look great.

I got the round one from taking part in the City of Calgary's Healthy Yards program.  You get lots of sustainable gardening information (which I didn't really need), a compost bin and a rain barrel (what I really wanted) all for free, just for signing up and promising to compost, use your rainbarrel, and not to use pesticides in your yard for 2 years.  Since I do all those things anyway, it was a great deal!  I highly recommend this program.

how long does it take to smother grass?

2 months in spring, apparently.

This is the spot where 5 cubic yards of compost was delivered this spring!  It was delivered April 14 and I didn't get around to finishing moving it until June 15.  A month and a half later and the grass is only just starting to grow back!  (Normally I wouldn't have left it so long but I was busy with a big renovation/replanting project in the backyard.)

The neighbours might not be too impressed but I don't really mind the bare spot because this area is destined to be garden in a year or two anyway.  The only problem is, where am I going to have my compost delivered in the future...?

view winning gardens this week-end

If you're looking for some inspiration or just enjoy walking through beautiful gardens, the winning gardens in the Calgary Horticultural Society's garden competition are on display this week-end.  Passports can be purchased here.

Considering this part of my front garden (closest to the sidewalk) was put in spring 2007, I think it's doing pretty well!  I am hoping to enter the competition myself in a few years. 

 The part closer to the house is older, gets more shade, and there are a few minor things I want to change.  However, I am not showing you the whole picture!! 

Aha.  The real truth.  It's only half done!  Here's the longterm plan:

fall 2008: start planting shrubs on the left-hand side of the front yard

spring 2008: finish planting shrubs and perennials close to sidewalk

2009 remove spruce to the immediate left of the front steps (too close to house)

2010: making seating area and plant shade garden where spruce used to be

2010 or 2011: enter garden competition

Yikes.  Things take a long time when you do it yourself, on a budget!  But that's part of the fun.  And why, you may ask, am I waiting so long before I take that *&^$^%& spruce tree down?  Because there are 2 more in the backyard I want to take down first!!  (And before anyone jumps on me for not being a tree lover, let me say that after these are removed, there will still be 4 large spruce trees in my front yard and 5 large ones in the back.  More spruce than anyone could ever want!!)

this garden is ladybug friendly!

I finally got around to digging the Sierra Club pesticide-free sign out of the garage and proudly displaying it near the sidewalk.  (You never know, maybe those people down the street who drown their lawn with weed & feed every spring will rethink their practices!)