Laurie’s & Greg’s

house

3 apt house: one-basement apt. / one-1st floor apt. / one- 2nd & 3rd floor apt.

Site conditions: Multi tenant house

Not many access paths

to entrances/exits.

Evergreens in front

North-west corner and

along the East Side

2 Deciduous trees in

the front yard (North

side) providing some

shade to the yard but

not the house.

No privacy from street

or buffer from winter

wind.

North facing street

South facing backyard-high maintenance lawn

Site conditions continued…

Outside/extended area

–mostly open fields &

farms.

South/South west side

is mostly open, high

maintenance lawn.

The farm beyond the

backyard creates dust.

Side house

Backyard

Laurie and Greg will (most likely) move out in few years but intend to keep this house as a rental.

They desire:

A low maintenance but neat yard

To catch rainwater off roof

To have a social area for their

tenants to gather

To have raised bed vegetable

gardens for themselves/tenants

To have more privacy near the

hammock in the front yard.

Now Site design

Create an energy efficient, low maintenance landscape by creating more: PLANTING AREA, PATHS, & SOCIAL AREAS

Use grass ONLY as an accent

and in between large areas of:

plantings / paths / social space.

No more weed whacker!

Keep grass to

minimum!

To save time, energy,

money, and fossil fuels.

Use “no mow”

varieties like delta blue

or buffalo grass.

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Create an energy efficient, low maintenance landscape by creating more: PLANTING AREA PATHS, & SOCIAL AREAS

Create planting beds

around buildings and edges

of your yard using

woodchips, PERENNIAL,

hardy shrubs and small

trees.

Woodchip covered beds look

great even when simple and

sparse.

And you can add to your plantings over the

years for more complexity & diversity.

Less grass

More fun

Think about ….

A fire pit!!!!

Less grass More fun Think about ….

a Bocce court or play horse

shoes! FUN!

Less grass

More fun

Think about a….

A patio!!!

for eating outside

• picnic table

• pergola for shade

• grapes,

• Lanterns

• Christmas lights

Think about planting some nut trees around the edges to have

valuable harvests for years into the future with very little

work….also fruit trees, peaches, pears, persimmons, paw paw, and

cherries. Capture and store the sun!

Pathways are important

It defines space and gives tenant a safe place to walk, especially when it’s wet and muddy outside.

Underneath the stairs would

be a perfect place to place

gravel , wood chips, or stone

Less to mow but also it will

increase function think:

• bike rack

• Rain barrel

• Storage for Frisbees and

bocce balls

• Wood chips and beautiful

plantings that put a smile

on your face

Less to mow for years in the

future

when you place

• wood chips and

perennials near the

house.

• A gravel path leading to

the front of the house.

• Gravel underneath the

stairs and storage

container for the tenant.

Time is money

Think about…

Clump grasses

They don’t need to be

mowed and are:

• Low maintenance

• Provide year-round interest

• Many types are drought tolerant

• Move gently in the wind

• Glow when the sun is low.

• Fast-growing

• Attract wildlife

Bring beauty and color to

your landscape in the

winter.

Use a grass called

“Flame Grass”

It’s brilliant!

I lined your grey fence -East side

with a beautiful bush called the

Redosier Dogwood

Which has brilliant red stems all

winter long.

Winter-berry holly-red berries persist

through out the winter season

Blue Holly evergreen-keeps leaves and

berries

I also recommend the hardy

Elegant Black Tupelo tree

The trunk is dark while the

leaves in summer are glossy

green…in the fall they turn a

brilliant range of colors.

Create an energy efficient, low maintenance landscape by creating more: PLANTING AREA, PATHS, & SOCIAL AREAS

Separate your backyard

from the farm fields with a

blueberry hedge.

The hedge will filter dust,

provide privacy, and give

you and your chickens

blueberries!

Put your raised beds in the sunny

south lawn using pea gravel or wood

chips in between.

Create an energy efficient, low maintenance landscape by planting a row of dense evergreen shrubs by St. (North side)

Make your house dramatically warmer

in the winter by blocking

cold north winds.

Create a more private

setting.

Filter dust and dirt from

the surrounding farm

land.

Line the evergreen

shrubs infront of house

along road.

Create a energy efficient, low maintenance chicken area.

Catch Rainwater for your chickens.

Build top-enclosed safe

chicken areas so you

can leave them for a

couple days without

worry.

Make the coops mobile

so you can move them

over different patches of

yard. Connect them to

temporary chicken runs.

Create a energy efficient, low maintenance chicken area.

Grow Chicken food in your yard in a

weekly paddock system.

You can also add these grazing

screens in the paddock so they don’t

uproot plants and just eat the top

Chicken can feed themselves in the

summer saving you money.

In the winter, you can grow food to

store

Chickens also love compost!

Place your compost pile in with the

chickens.

Create a energy efficient, low maintenance chicken area.

I suggest planting a Dwarf Mulberry tree in the

chicken area.

They berries will drop all summer into the

paddock.

Mulberries are especially good because they

vitamins, carbs, and protein.

They also can be dried for winter storage.

Create a energy efficient, low maintenance chicken area.

kale,

dandelion

plantains (high in calcium)

chickweed

arrowroot

New Zealand spinach

brassicas (radishes, mustards),

alfalfa,

clovers- Strawberry

clover, Ladino Clover, White

Dutch Clover, Red Strawberry

Clover

purslane

black oats,

pumpkins,

Cucumber (seeds de-worm)

squash

Sunflowers,

amaranth,

chard,

cabbage

spinach, lettuce, broccoli

pigeon pea

Birds foot Broadleaf Trefoil,

Red Cowpeas

Strawberries

Radishes

Perennial cereals

grapes

peas

climbing spinach-

corn salad

lambs quarters

dock

alfalfa

flax

buckwheat

perennial rye

winter rye

forage chicory

winter wheat

Bergamot

Clary sage

Yarrow

borage (self-reseeds freely)

Feverfew

Wormwood

rue

Garlic (de-worm)

Plant vegetables that you can eat and store

Plant paddocks differently, give paddocks rest especially if you need to harvest something- leave left overs

for chickens. Include reseeding plants so it will save you money and time. Rotate annual crops each year.