Naturescaping Site Planning II

Gloria Jacobs

Objectives

• Low maintenance• Low water use• Improve run-off, water quality• Support beneficial insects and birds• Shade house and yard• Beautify property• Integrate backyard with greenspace• Increase privacy (backyard)• Integrate edibles (herbs & some vegetables)• Play space for grandchildren

Challenges

• Sunny, hot, dry front yard during summer, wet during winter, poor run-off

• Deep shade, moist, and poorly drained next to north exposure of house

• Gravel driveway strip (hot & dry)• Poor soil quality in center of backyard (site of former

in-ground pool)• Unattractive view of west and southwest corner of

property• Lack of privacy from road to the east• Sunny, hot deck on southside of deck

Front of houseNorth exposure

Deep shade, wet next to house.

Morning sun along east facing porch

Sunny, dry yard

Goals: increase street appeal, improve view from inside the house, minimal mowing, maintenance, watering

View from living room

Driveway stripGravel underneath pine bark and compost.

Russian sage, aster, yarrow

Plan to add soil, raise plants, add kitchen herbs, mint

Remove pine bark, replace with river rock to improve drainage.

Desire - hide cinderblock wall

Street edge of front lawn

Sunny and dry

Goal - xeriscaping

Increase border width, decrease

lawn,

Replace grass with ecolawn

Recently planted red oak (planted by city), manzanita, kinnickkinnick, tall oregon grape, penstemon, oregon stonecrop, mock orange, wild strawberry, lupine, yarrow (rosemary, tarragon, chamomile will be moved to herb bed) Preexisting hens & chicks, azalea, lavender, sandwort, daylily, peony, grape hyacinth, candytuft) What to add to increased border?

Driveway edge of lawnSunny and

dry

Drainage from

driveway

Goal - xeriscaping

Recently planted wild strawberry, avens, wooly thyme, elderberry, larkspur (died), coreopsis, aster. Preexisting azalea, lavender, sandwort, peony, grape hyacinth, alliums, two unknown evergreen flowering plants by mailbox)

Drainage ditch lined with river rock

Front door

Morning sun, deep shade next to house, moist

Goal: Street appeal

Current and new plants:

Sword fern, trillium, Jacobs ladder, meadowfoam, primrose (hybrid), hardy fushia, wooly thyme, red sorrel, azaleas (3), rhododendron (3), crocus

Northeast Corner of House

Morning sun, deep shade rest of day, dry

Goal: Street appeal

Disconnect downspout and route to raingarden

Current and new plants:

Sword fern, bunchberry, rosemary, daylily, blanketflower, hardy fushia,

Front Yard IslandSunny, dry

Goal: Street appeal, view from living room

Double size

Attract butterflies

Minimal watering

Current and new plants:Japanese maple (very old), daffodils, 2 hybrid columbines, dodecatheon, camas, blanket flowers, beach daisy, arrowleaf buckwheat, Oregon sunshine, arrowleaf balsamroot, blue-eyed grass, yellow-eyed grass, grass widow, CA poppy. Add plants (ceanothus?) to front of fence

East edge of yardSunny, dry in summer, wet in winter

Goal: Screening

Minimal watering - replace grass with ecolawn

Current and new plants:American Linden (planted by city), evergreen, ninebark, black hawthorn. Out of view sick arbor vitae behind

ever green shrubs Question: What to replace ever greens with?

West service alley to backyardWet in winter, poor drainage

Goal: not sure

Current plants: Grass, dying arbor vitae and minimally maintained yard next door with blackberry brambles (heavily sprayed last year) on other side of fence.

South exposure of family room

Afternoon sun, dry

Goal: vegetables (asparagas?), increase width of bed? Challenge: keep path clear to service alley, shed, and compost binQuestion: Move ceanothus to in front of northeast fence?

Current plants: Hybrid roses, ceanothus (1 year old), sunflowers, lilac (sentimental), Blackeyed Susan, kiwi vine (by lattice) for screening, arugula

Shed (southwest corner)

Afternoon shade, dry, wet in winterGoal: Frame shed and screen neighbor’s yard and house visible at corner of yard, begin hedgerowChallenge: keep path clear to service alley, shed, and compost bin, screen neighbor’s yard

Current plants:

Osoberry, Cascara, rhubarb, sunflower, western columbine, arbor vitae. Next to fence pacific wax myrtle, red osier

dogwood

South edge/Greenbelt

Morning sun, dappled in afternoon, shady in late afternoon. Moist to dryGoal: blend with green space, hide fence, provide habitat

Plants: Hybrid ninebark, snowberry, ferns, twinberry, nootka roses, other roses, bleeding heart, mint, douglas spirea, western columbine, lupine, wild strawberry, tall Oregon grape, salal, red current, elderberry, unknown volunteer plants, pansies, arbor vitae

Back lawn and view of SE corner

Lawn - moss, uneven grass growth, rubble under thin topsoil (former in-ground pool)Injured ornamental plum

Firepit between plum and maple, visible from deck

Goal - play space for grandchildren

East view and Southeast corner

Deep shade in corner during summer. Moist in winter, dry in summer. East fence is sunny and dry.

Goal: screening, view from deck, screening of path to greenway

Challenge: overgrown unknown vine (honeysuckle?, also some bittersweet)

Plants: Corner - Red current, coral bells, native bleeding heart, goatsbeard, lily, clethra, hardy fushia, elderberry. Fence - Mahonia, honeysuckle, jasmine, highbush cranberry, elderberry

South exposure of house and deck

Morning through afternoon sun, shady in late afternoon. DryChallenge: Deck is extremely hot during the dayGoal: Edible landscaping next to house and deck, shadePlants: Sunset maple (new), vine maple, evergreen huckleberries, strawberries, kitchen herbs, tomatoes, roses (old), rose of sharon

South side of house and vegetable garden

Noon and afternoon sun. DryGoal: Maintain roses, integrate edible landscaping, increase size of vegetable bed or add a second bed, ecolawn for grass pathPlants: Kale, chard, tomatoes, herbs, roses, rose of sharon, peas, blueberry