Download - Mountain garden design for mgv2016
Mountain Garden DesignKathy Zimmerman
Transylvania County Master Gardener Volunteer,Garden Designer, Wildwood Design
2016
Development in the mountains introduces …
•
• Slopes– Steep– Lost vegetation
& roots – Bare, exposed,
poor soil• Alterations in
natural water flow• Increased
impervious surfaces
What is landscape design?A. After you buy a plant, decide
where best to place it in your yard
B. Analyze the appearance of your yard, then decide what plants would look good
C. Study the environmental and aesthetic aspects of your yard, then decide what plants will both look good and best thrive
After you buy a plant, d
...
Analyze the ap
pearance ..
Study the envir
onmenta..
Which leads us to …
• Landscape Design - a process by which we determine our goals, analyze our environment, and identify what will grow well, and how best to use our space and resources …. versus …
• Plant Driven “Design” – which often starts with impulse buying and is done without planning, without understanding our environment, and is too often unsuccessful
Steps in Landscape Design
• Determine Program (Requirements)• Site Analysis• Concept Plan• Illustrative Design• Planting Design
Graphical Diagramming
• Diagramming enables designer to– investigate approaches– communicate organization, circulation, spatial
relationships, structure and enclosure • Diagrams work with
– Concepts – ideas, processes, events– Objects – Physical elements varying in scale
Step One: Determine Requirements – the “Program”
• Identify wants and needs• How you want to use the space • Personal interests, favorite colors, styles • Access requirements• Context of neighborhoodOutput: List of items to be included in the
plan or considered for inclusion
Example of Program• Create an inviting entrance area to the front
of the house. The design will incorporate the existing ‘Forest Pansy’ Redbud tree and add 4-season interest.
• Provide for an intimate outside dining area with easy access to kitchen. The space should accommodate small gatherings (4-6 people).
• Include a woodland path that can be accessed from the back yard patio as well as from the front walkway. Be sure to include several native azaleas and other native plant material.
• The design should provide an informal, natural look in keeping with the mountain site.
Next Step: Site Analysis• Perform a Site
Inventory – – Draw the house and
yard to scale– Draw in all
permanent or semi-permanent fixtures & plants based on measurements
– This is your base plan or map
Site Analysis Resources
• Tape Measures (30’ metal, 100’ plastic)
• Graph Paper (1/8” or 1/4”)• Ruler • Tracing paper• Compass
• Plat/Survey• GIS printout (see
handouts for website)• Photos
– Take pictures • helps you see things
you might have overlooked
• take pictures from inside looking out
• good reminder as you go through the design process
Analysis• Add notes & diagrams to show attributes and
problems with site– show the existing plants and note the condition of
each plant• Which plants have outlived their role?• What plants could be moved or pruned to revitalize them?• What plants have been shaded out by mature trees and
shrubs?– note environmental conditions (aspect to the sun, soil
condition, shade, wetness, poor growth, frequent pruning, etc.)
– Note aesthetic or visual problems (windows blocked, bad view, need for privacy, etc.)
• Remember … “Everything depends on everything else …” D. Bir
Identify Functional Goals
• Buffer – screen visual, noise, provide privacy• Enclosure – separate distinct use areas• Entertainment• Recreation• Directing views • Directing circulation• Erosion control/drainage issues• Climate control – shade, air filtration• Increase wildlife habitats
Step Three: Develop a Concept Plan
• Blend needs and function with ideas and creativity
• Try to create a “sense of place” - The character of the garden that will be developed …
– Start with an overarching idea for the design - makes it more enriching and helps move the design along
– May be based on the setting – natural, historical, …– May be based upon a theme – color, memorial, …– Always helps to have this sense in order to bring unity and
personalization to the landscape
Concept Diagram
Bubble diagrams help to organize the space and provide a way to let ideas flow
•Use trace paper over the site plan•Develop a pattern relating the house to structure and views; helps keep proportion so everything hangs together
Section & Perspective Drawings•Rough section drawings will help offer a dimensional view – can use photos with trace paper to try out ideas
Now think Design & Plants …
• Now it’s time to flesh out the concept, taking it from the general to the specific with stepwise refinement
• Address the program and resolve the problems identified during site analysis
• Follow design principles for a satisfactory new garden design
Design Elements in a Small Garden
• Balance/Symmetry• Proportion/Scale• Unity
– Contrast/Texture/Color– Focalization– Repetition/Rhythm/Transition
Symmetry Provides Balance
- Identical images on either side of axis- Gives sense of order, serenity & formality
Asymmetry Can Still Have Balance
-Blending of different elements with visual weight equal across image - For example, 1 large object balanced by several smaller or can achieve this visually through texture and materials that reflect subordination or dominence
Scale and Proportion
• Important in small space• Scale in a garden relates
human form to the objects
• Proportion relates to size relationships of parts within a whole – the objects within the composition
From Notanothergardeningblog.wordpress.com
• This will help you organize the space
• Helps achieve intimacy and maintain scale
Think in Terms of Outside “Rooms”
Unity• Synthesizing of elements
into a harmonious whole• Unifying concept• Repetition of elements,
color, shape, line• Unity – bringing order and
harmony to composition so that it all fits together
Variety • Contrast – brings visual relief to a composition
• Tension - opposing elements provide drama
• Differences provides interest and meaning within a unified context
• Shape• Texture• Color• Weight• Lines & curves
How to we create a balance between Variety and Unity?
• Choose a theme or sense of place to tie it all together
• Select plants and materials that create repetition, rhythm and transition
• Place plants so that there is a focal point
Focal Points
• Emphasis/Focalization – draws the eye, moves you forward – can be influenced by size, color, location, lighting
Focal Points
• One per “room” or at least one per season per room
• Weeping plants good to use because of contrast – wouldn’t want multiple
Repetition
• Strong unifying element• Might be with skeleton of evergreens• Mass of same plant• Repeating color or texture
Rhythm & Transition
• Rhythm - Reinforcing concept such as stepping stones, row of columns or tree trunks, repeated plant, or form
• Transition – relates contrasting elements, softens contrasting materials through linear elements, paths, walls, edges, etc.
Asymmetry, Balance,
Focalization,Unity,Line,
Repetition,Transition,Enclosure, Proportion,
Scale, Contrast
Identify Functional Goals
Buffer – screen visual, noise, provide privacy Enclosure – separate distinct use areas Entertainment Recreation Directing views Directing circulation Erosion control/drainage issues Climate control – shade, air filtration Increase wildlife habitats
Where Does the Water Go in My Yard?
• To solve stormwater problems in your yard, begin by observing your yard during a rainfall event.
• Notice where water is flowing from, and where it is going.
Conservation
Open Drainage
Rain Gardens
Amended Soils
Rain Barrel
Permeable Pavement
• How can I keep the water … on my property?
Low Impact Development Techniques
Possible Solutions
• Rainwater Harvesting• Permeable Materials• French Drains• Swales & Level Spreaders• Dry Streams• Slope Management• Rain Gardens
Rain garden principles• Place between
stormwater source and destination (between house and stream, low spots in yard, or street)
• Soil and plants filter pollutant from water
• Infiltration slows water to decrease flooding
Step Five: Planting Design
• Choose Plants that Fit the Design – Consider style and overall effect; designate
focal points– Consider time element – both seasonal
change and ultimate size of plants– Consider shape, texture, color, contrast,
repetition, rhythm, etc.
Right Plant, Right Place
• Consider environmental factors– Sun exposure– Moisture– Soil condition, pH, texture– Space to grow to ultimate expected size• If working with existing plants - identify those that
need to be removed, moved or renewal pruned
Learn from the Natural Landscape
• Orientation– North – shade, part shade
Rhododendron, Sourwood, Christmas Fern
– South – full sun, unless tree shadedBarren/Grasses, Weeds/Wildflowers; Shaded/Mountain Laurel
Putting Plants Together(John Brookes)
• Specials – specimen trees, focal points• Skeletons – bones of garden, evergreens • Decorative – flowering shrubs, vines, ornamental
grasses• Pretties – herbaceous perennials, seasonal interest• InFills- bulbs, annuals, splash of color & interest• Work in triangles – mass, smaller, single for natural
planting
Elements to Consider for Plant Selection & Placement
• Color• Texture• Scent• Sound• Touch• Light• Form
• Contrast• Pattern• Perspective• Motion• Circulation• Change• Aspect
Planting Layout Tips
• Watch out for spreaders!• Plant in masses – odd numbers usually work best• Group plants by their water requirements and
place those that need more water closest to the source
• When planting natives, look to what grows together in plant communities – they will be most successful together
• Avoid monoculture – variety helps avoid plant disease
“Natural” Garden Design• Imitate nature • Plant masses or drifts of one kind of plant, gradually yielding
to another, with interspersion at borders
Hillside Layout Tips
• Break up the water with rock & plants• Alter the slope with terraces, berms, walls• Plant in masses • Plant closer together than you might on
level land• Plant a variety - different layers help to
slow down the water
Appropriate Plants for the Mountain Garden
– Use natives where possible – they are tolerant of the climate variability of your site and you won’t spread competing species to naturalized areas; remove invasives!
– Consider environmental factors• Sun/shade• Soil • Wetness
Partial Shade – North Slope
Flame Azalea
Native Rhododendron
Mountain Hydrangea
Sourwood
Christmas Fern
Part Sun - Shrubs
St. John’s Wort
Summersweet Clethra
Virginia Sweetspire
High-bush Blueberry
Mountain Laurel
Part Shade Groundcover – No Mow Lawn
Fescue blend – Hard, Creeping Red, Chewings
Low Maintenance
Not good for wet site
Can plant with wildflowers
Meadow Plants – Full SunLittle Bluestem, Switchgrass, Muhley Grass
Wildflowers – Liatris, Echinacea, Asters, Coreopsis, Goldenrod, etc.
Hillside Planting Tips
• For very steep slopes, use jute staked down and cut holes/plant through it
• Plant from the top down so you don’t tread on those newly planted
• Place lower maintenance plants at top of slope, higher maintenance plants at bottom
Hillside Watering Tips
• Plant with dam or water well to retain water (roof shingles have been suggested)
• Water in cycles to avoid runoff – check what is absorbed – give a couple hours rest – then repeat in cycles
• Drip hose placed at top of hill, lets water run down hill
Traditional Groundcovers• Juniper – ok if full sun and good drainage• Ivy – Invasive!• Vinca – less, but still Invasive!• Cotoneaster – Collects leaves and gets Lacebug• Ajuga – Spreads too easily • Liriope – ok for a non-native• Pachysandra – the non-native is ok, but try the
native• Winter Creeper – this is an Invasive!
Shaded Area Groundcovers - NativesChristmas Fern
New York Fern
Sedges
Dwarf Crested Iris
Woodland Phlox
Creeping Geranium
Native Pachysandra
Native Ferns
Christmas Fern, New York Fern, Lady Fern, Cinnamon Fern, Goldie’s Fern, Marginal Wood Fern, Fancy Fern, Log Fern,
The “Dirty Dozen” …of Invasive Plants
• Some of which are sold in the landscape trade• Some that you might have in your garden• Some that you love from your childhood• All for which there are good alternatives!
English Ivy• Hedera helix• Evergreen vine that can grow
to 100 feet in length• Can invade woodlands, fields
and other upland areas• It can grow both along the
ground, where it can displace native understory species, and in the tree canopy, often covering branches and slowly killing trees
• Native to Europe and was introduced into America by early settlers for ornamental purposes
Instead of English Ivy
Native Pachysandra, Virginia Creeper, Native Ferns, Partridgeberry, Sedges, Foam Flower, Creeping Phlox, Woodland Geranium
Non-native Honeysuckles• Lonicera fragrantissima, L. japonica, L.
maaki, L. morrowii• Evergreen to semi-evergreen vine that can
be found either trailing or climbing to heights of over 80 feet (or shrub varieties)
• Vine invades a variety of habitats including forest floors and canopies, roadsides, wetlands, and disturbed areas. It can girdle small saplings by twining around them and can form dense mats in the canopies of trees, shading everything below
• Shrubs readily invade open woodlands, old fields and other disturbed sites and can spread rapidly due to the seeds being dispersed by birds and mammals
• Shrubs introduced in the 1700’s and vine in early 1800’s. Honeysuckle have been planted widely throughout the United States as an ornamental, for erosion control, and for wildlife habitat.
Multiflora Rose
• Rosa multiflora• Multi-stemmed thorny,
perennial shrub that grows up to 15 feet tall
• Forms impenetrable thickets in pastures, fields and forest edges. It restricts human, livestock and wildlife movement and displaces native vegetation.
• Native to Asia and was first introduced to America in 1866 as rootstock for ornamental roses. During the mid 1900s it was widely planted as a “living fence” for livestock control and it has also been used for erosion control.
Mimosa• Albizia julibrissin• Mimosa invades any type of
disturbed habitat. It is commonly found in old fields, stream banks, and roadsides.
• Once established, mimosa is difficult to remove due to the long lived seeds and its ability to re-sprout vigorously. Said to be one of biggest invasive problems in the Smokies!
• Native to Asia and was first introduced into the U.S. in 1745 and has been used as an ornamental.
Princess Tree• Paulownia tomentosa• Deciduous tree, growing up to
60 feet in height and 2 feet in diameter. Princess tree is easily recognized by its opposite, fuzzy, large (6 to 12 inches long), heart-shaped leaves and showy, erect, pale-violet flowers
• Invades roadsides, stream banks, forest edges, and other disturbed areas, but has the ability to invade a wide variety of places.
• Native to eastern Asia and was first introduced into America in the early 1800s for ornamental purposes and as a potential export for carving wood
Instead of Mimosa or Princess Tree …
Serviceberry, River Birch, Redbud, Sweetbay Magnolia, Sourwood, Dogwood
Burning Bush• Euonymous alata• Deciduous shrub, up to 20 feet in
height, which invades forests throughout the eastern United States
• Can invade a variety of disturbed habitats including forest edges, old fields, and roadsides. The seeds are readily dispersed by birds, allowing for many long dispersal events. Once established, it can form dense thickets that displace native vegetation
• Native to northeastern Asia and was first introduced into America in the 1860s for ornamental purposes. It currently continues to be sold and planted as a ornamental or roadside hedge.
Japanese Spirea• Spirea japonica• Small, deciduous shrub (up to 6
feet tall) that invades a variety of habitats throughout the eastern United States
• Japanese spiraea invades a variety of habitats including fields, forests, stream banks, and many disturbed areas. Once established, it can form dense stands which displace native vegetation and close open areas
• Native to eastern Asia and was first introduced into the United States around 1879 as an ornamental.
Barberry• Berberis japonica• Small deciduous shrub from 2 to 8
feet tall• Japanese barberry invades a
variety of habitats from shaded woodlands to open fields and wetlands.
• It is very shade-tolerant and can form dense stands which shade out and displace native species. The berries are readily eaten and dispersed by birds, allowed Japanese barberry to spread rapidly
• Native to Asia and was first introduced into America in 1864 as an ornamental. It is still widely planted for landscaping and hedges.
Instead of Spirea or Barberry …
Summersweet, Virginia Sweetspire, St John’s Wort, Fothergilla or masses of native perennials
Wisteria• Wisteria sinensis and Wisteria
floribunda• Deciduous woody vine capable of
growing to 70 feet long• Invasions often occur around
previous plantings. Chinese and Japanese wisteria can displace native vegetation and kill trees and shrubs by girdling them.
• They have the ability to change the structure of a forest by killing trees and altering the light availability to the forest floor.
• Natives of Japan and China, first introduced into America around 1830 for ornamental purposes
Instead of Chinese or Japanese Wisteria
Crossvine, Coral Honeysuckle, American Wisteria, Carolina Jessamine
Bradford Pear• Pyrus calleryana• Ornamental deciduous tree with
some non-sterile cultivars that have escaped and are invading natural areas throughout the eastern United States
• The “Bradford” variety of pear, which produced sterile fruits, has been widely planted throughout America since the early 1900s, but recent cultivars, bred to reduce the tendency of the tree to split in snow or high winds, have produced viable seeds and escaped to invade disturbed areas.
Tree of Heaven• Ailanthus altissima• Rapidly growing small tree but can
reach up to 80 feet in height and 6 feet in diameter
• It is extremely tolerant of poor soil conditions and has been known to grow even in cement cracks.
• It cannot grow in shaded conditions but thrives in disturbed forests or edges. Dense clonal thickets displace native species and can rapidly take over fields and meadows.
• Native to Asia, was first introduced into America in 1748 by a Pennsylvania gardener. It was widely planted in cities because of its ability to grow in poor conditions
Japanese Silver Grass• Miscanthus sinensis• a tall (up to 10 feet), densely-
bunched grass that invades forest edges, old fields, and other disturbed areas throughout the United States
• It escapes from ornamental plantings where it forms large clumps along disturbed areas displacing native vegetation.
• The grass is also extremely flammable and increases fire risks of invaded areas.
• Native to Asia and was introduced into the United States for ornamental purposes.
Privet• Ligustrum lucidum, L.
japonicum and L. sinense• Thick, semi-evergreen shrub
to 30 feet in height• It commonly forms dense
thickets in the fields or in the understory of forests.
• It shades and out competes many native species and, once established, is very difficult to remove.
• Introduced into the United States in the early 1800s. It is commonly used as an ornamental shrub and for hedgerows
Some other plants of concern …
• Periwinkle (Vinca major, minor)• Japanese Stilt Grass
(Microstegium vimineum)• Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus
orbiculata)
• Butterfly Bush (Buddleia – straight species)
• Spreading Euonymous (Euonymus fortunei)
• Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina)
Rehabilitation and Restoration
• Replace invasive plants you have removed with non-invasive, and if possible, native plants, in order to:– Control erosion– Fill space so invasives don’t return
Replacement Plant Material• Know your plants’ identities and habits • Buy nursery-propagated plant material and know
the identity of the plants you install• Learn about native plants and match them with
site conditions• Use plants that occur together in natural habitats• Beware of the “Trojan Horse” – if it sounds too
good to be true, it probably is
New Plant Selection• Choose drought-resistant plants to lower your
maintenance costs• Choose plants with ultimate size in mind – consider the
many dwarf evergreens • Consider selection for seasonal interest and color – not
just spring and summer flower, and fall color, but berries, interesting bark, seed heads, etc.
• Use natives where possible – they are more drought resistant and you won’t spread competing species to naturalized areas; remove invasives!
• If deer are a problem – your selection will be limited!
In Summary
• A successful garden design relies on getting a good handle on your requirements and performing a thorough site analysis
• Garden design is an iterative process – it relies on principles of all good design
• Planting design relies on these principles as well – most importantly keep it simple and use the right plant/right place
Design Principles Review• Garden and planting design relies on principles of all good
design:– Keep the garden elements in Balance– Keep Scale and Proportion in mind; think rooms, each
with an appropriately sized Focal Point– Keep it simple – look for Unifying elements such as
Repetition, Rhythm and Transition– Provide Contrast through color, texture and all season
interest
Some questions to ask about your garden …
• Is there a strong focal point, or is everything about equal in weight?– If the latter, consider adding a specimen plant,
a beautiful outdoor sculpture, or a showy container planting
• Is the garden too busy with color or texture?– Move plants around to create more unity, or
add a few repeating plants
More questions …
• Is there adequate contrast?– Maybe adding perennials would bring more
depth through varying textures• Are the plants in proportion to the house?
Are the plants a livable scale?– If you have overgrown plants, consider
removing them and replace them with varieties that won’t overwhelm
Enjoy your garden …
Give fools their gold, and knaves their power; let fortune’s bubbles rise and fall. Who sows a field, or trains a flower, or plants a tree,is more than all …”John Greenleaf Whittier