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Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Garden Diary: Adapting to reality


I'm pleased with the off-center symmetry of the evolving garden, and the interplay of the rectangles, quite pleased, actually. The axis runs off the center of the glass doors (that gold hardware has to go!), and will terminate at the back of the garden, in some way I have yet to determine--though I'm still haunted by Ross Hamilton's Italian ruin idea. (That piece of fence in front of the pool is construction detritus.)

I wish the pool were only 18 inches deep, as well as a foot shorter and two feet narrower, but I have to adapt to this oversized 4- by 9-foot monster (maybe I could make a hot tub ... just kidding). This pool poses a tripping hazard and could be dangerous, so I'll need to give attention to perimeter protection. I'm not sure how I'll do that, but part of the solution will be to add bluestone coping all around as a visual cue. Possibly some planting, pots on the coping, lighting at night ...


First change dictated by the unexpected spatial relationships? I'll have four trees, not six, in the graveled area, near the four corners. The long narrow pool I had planned would have allowed space for a third set of trees in the middle of the garden. But trees around this pool, as built, might narrow the passage sufficiently to cause visitors to walk unconsciously toward the pool, and possible injury. I also left 10 feet of open garden planting area in the back, substantially shortening the paved length of the garden. Best keep this area as open as possible, and direct foot traffic with square stepping stones or judiciously placed planting. Think boxwood and bergenia for starters.

I'm not displeased with this. I can work with it. And should I want koi (I don't), I can have them.

The next image demonstrates why I need a tree canopy, and fast. This is a very exposed site now that the 80-foot mulberry is gone (thanks to hurricane Irene).


I will need screening on both the left and right of the extension to break up the mass of the structure and to provide some privacy to anyone sitting in the bluestone area just outside the glass doors.

I think you can see here that multistemmed trunks, roughly in the four corners of the gravel rectangle, would be almost perfect, so I'm taking Michael's and Les' suggestions for Stewartia or Chionanthus retusus seriously. I'm also open to Billy Martin's Medlars, which I think would be a truly unique solution. Of course, my old favorite Sunburst honey locust (Peter Holt likes them too) remains if all else fails.


You can make out the view into the garden through the doors below even though they remain covered in protective plastic wrapping.


The buildings beyond, again, give you ample evidence of the need for quick cover (instant tree canopy). While this is a historic district, and the fronts of most houses are beautifully maintained with their original brownstone detail from the latter half of the nineteenth century, no one pays much attention to the backs!


And here an even better view of the back facades to be obscured across the block ...


A view from above, though much of the garden is cut off by the parapet of the extension roof ... Useful visual information for those not familiar with the structure of Brooklyn back yards (this is where the privy was when most of these houses were built; plumbing was a rarity in the early days). By the way, Spike Lee grew up in one of the houses off to the right.


The bluestone and gravel look quite blue late in the afternoon shadows, but the actual color is gray. I'm paying attention to these details in selecting the color to stain the fence.


A more true impression of the color of the gravel ... at least until we get a heavy rain.


The budget for all of this? Maddeningly, less than the cost of removing the fallen 80-foot mulberry!

38 comments:

  1. That looks really good. I do see what you mean about the size of the pool and the effect on the person circulation within the gravel. It's right to worry about that. Is it a solution to plant the four in the corners but just outside the gravel ??
    Single trunk would work as well. Especially if you pruned for a mop top. Gleditsia ? Kerry

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  2. James,
    Things are coming along very nicely. I think your pool will work out just fine. Thanks for documenting the process so well. It is the perfect gardener's antidote to New England in February.

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  3. Kerry, I think planting outside the bounds of teh gravel would put the trees too near the fence, and limit the view of the tree 'corridor' from inside the house. Single trunks would work better in those positions, but only time will tell what trees I get. I intend to make lots of nursery visits this spring! I like mop top. I like pollarding.

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  4. Michael, yes, this project gives me plenty to occupy my mind, not that I need much between selecting and buying tiles, toilets, sinks, doorknobs, paint, etc. We've fortunately had warm weather with little rain and hardly any snow. If the big snow storm comes, the garden sleeps for a few weeks, and I may turn to garden philosophy.

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  5. I can see why you'd want some tall green stuff growing sort of instantly. What about a huge wire 3-D grid covered in creepers? ( I told you I needed re-programming ).

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    1. Faisal, yes, give me tall green stuff instantly. Reprogram my garden.

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  6. Hi james,

    I am totally on board with your original vision of the gleditsias, but let sourcing not be the reason you don't get to choose medlar...

    http://www.raintreenursery.com/Unusual_Edibles/Medlar/

    I don't know medlars, but I do know quince. (Are they that closely related? Every search I do for medlar eventually yields info on quince.) Quince are actually rather fast growers though they stay pretty small. The flowers are beautiful. Falling fruit might be a concern. I'm not sure if it is possible to develop a high canopy as most of the quince I've seen have been pruned small to facilitate harvest. The do begin to branch fairly low as do apples and such. But again, maybe it is not right to compare medlars to quince...

    I've purchased from Raintree and it is a well respected resource around here. The trees shipped are usually almost whips, though, and would need a couple of years to establish any size. Or maybe they sell more mature trees through special arrangement.

    Emily

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    1. Emily,
      Thanks for giving your opinion about the Gleditsias. I'm glad to hear at least some people like the concept. I'm vacillating because I like the other alternatives for various reasons, though I think my need for fast cover may make the easier-to-get, and less expensive Gleditsias the choice I go with. I see Raintree offers several different Medlars, so I'll probably call and see what they have. I also haven't yet checked Forest Farm in Oregon, which has a huge variety of trees. Of course, it costs a fortune to ship trees across the country! Quince I remember fondly from my childhood in the south--those beautiful blossoms and the hard, hard fruit.

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  7. James it looks a really nice space. You could always 'in fill' the pool a bit if unhappy with the depth, but apart from that it looks well proportioned to me. The paving and gravel really are blue/ grey in certain light. Am I seeing your initial colour tests on the fence?

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    1. Rob, I wanted something totally different from my loose, blowsy, swaying naturalistic garden in the woods and I think I'm getting it. At least in hard structure. A lot will depend on how the planting develops, and I'm hanging loose on that ... waiting for inspiration? Yes, that's an initial color test on the fence. Only one of the colors there might work, but I think I'll try some more.

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  8. I see you are trying out the first fence colours. The new pond does look rather deep, especially seen from above. Maybe a layer of rounded boulders, to match the paving slabs and gravel - which would raise the water level and add another texture below the water? Or deliberate planters, which say - so far and no further!

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    1. Diana, once the pond is full I don't think anyone will even be aware of how deep it is. Though I like the thought of keeping it open and clear, I probably can't resist doing some aquatic planting. That alone will help to visually set if off. I fear large rocks in the bottom will become a maintenance nightmare.

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  9. James,

    Love seeing this garden coming into being. The geometry is lovely and I'm really taken with your planting concept.

    Thomas

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    1. Thanks much, Thomas. I'm getting distracted with all the competing ideas (which trees, etc.) and construction concerns (what color grout, what doorknobs???). So it's good to be reminded of the original concept.

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  10. You've made a lot of progress. It really does look good. I like the proportions of the pond looking through the back doors. Maybe you could put raised pots (on concrete blocks or overturned milk cartons or the like) with tall water plants like lotus or papyrus inside each of the 4 corners to help create a visual barrier against tripping? I do like the idea of Glenditsias, but could sweetbay magnolias be an alternative? They grow rather quickly. (You are very generous to give us all the pleasure of giving advice and opinions.)

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    1. I agree the planting in the water could help create a visual barrier. Interesting idea--the sweetbay magnolias. They aren't expensive, are native, and are easy to find. Nice multiple trunks too. But they wouldn't contribute much in the way of color. On the other hand, I like the glaucous bloom on their leaves. I've never tried to prune one into a high canopy. Wonder how that would work? Something to think about. I guess I have to let these ideas flow. This is certainly a suggestion worth considering.

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    2. James, This is just a little joke as you continue to test out ideas for your fence:

      http://www.fencefabric.com/our-products-design-options.html

      But who knows. . . .?

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    3. Here is a much more useful link on charcoal fences:

      http://www.susancohangardens.com/blog/black-and-tan-a-dramatic-winter-palette

      (You need not publish this.) Cheers!

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  11. Excellent rectangles, Golden James! Wow. I must admit to being very excited about this project - thanks so much for sharing it all with the winter-starved garden dorks of the world, James. This is very good stuff.

    And yes - my vote is to hold to the Gleditsia and not let the plant-blinded gardeners sway you away from the original design inspiration. Ha ha ho ho.

    Gleditsia and buxus...yes and yes. Simple and perfect - let's not complicate things.

    At risk of revealing myself to be inappropriately keen and a little pushy, I've made myself a very very very quick Indesign sketch of what I'm picturing as we speak. For what it's worth:

    http://www.sendspace.com/file/l77a9v

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    1. Peter, thanks for again reinforcing the original concept. Gleditsia and buxus--I even like the sound of it. I asked for suggestions and I'm certainly getting them. Indecisive I am. I'm reminded of how I used to write papers in college. I'd immerse myself, reading everything I could find on a subject, then when the time came, the paper almost wrote itself. I'm hoping to have an epiphany some time in the next two months, followed by a birth. I haven't seen your sketch yet. Sendspace keeps trying to install programs that want to change my home page and I don't know what else!

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  12. Question: How did all the mulberry debris leave the property? The pictures do not show an alley. Helicopter? Yule logs? Really thorough termites?

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    1. Les, the tree left piece by piece, after being carved up with chain saws, carried through the house on a hand truck. I thought it would never end. It took a crew of 5 or 6 men about 5 days. And cost many thousands of dollars, not a penny of which was covered by insurance. It turns out we weren't even legally responsible for removing most of it. Since it was an "act of God," the home owners on which it fell were legally liable for the cost or removal. But one tries to be a good neighbor!

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  13. Oh yeah! I'm a little biased at making a great space(s) in smaller properties, but this seems to be right-on-track. Looking forward to seeing what this turns into. Wishing I had just 1 day/week to be out in my garden, so please enjoy for me.

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    1. I'm lucky too. This mild winter has allowed our construction project to move close to completion. And I expected not to be able to even start the garden until April. Now I'm way ahead.

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  14. Birth of your garden continues to fascinate. And as much as I love fringe trees, I'm wondering if they'd suit your narrow space. Smallish tree with broad, dense canopy might be too much and gobble up all your "air space." Would certainly screen out views but not sure you want a "Fanghorn Forest" effect. The green box, golden gleditisia with bluestone paving has a very nice sound but aren't they brittle trees prone to breakage...decisions, decisions...

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  15. Denise, I have been thinking this "sharing" is enormous self-indulgence on my part, and have been happily surprised others seem to be interested and willing to offer suggestions, even to invest (emotionally, no offers for financial assistance!) to a degree in my final decisions. I've read nothing about the Gleditsia being particularly brittle, and the three I have in the Federal Twist garden have no such problem in spite of quite open exposure. The biggest drawback for me is that it's an overused, rather common tree in the city. Hey, but if it fills the need ... On the other hand, my botanizing side is extremely interested in some evocative exotics such as Medlar, Stewartia, Parrotia (which I've found but they are only 2 feet high), Chionanthus. Yes, decisions, decisions...

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  16. Now I understand why you liked the black and tan...

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    1. Yes, yours was a timely post for me. I visited Sherwin Williams today to get samples.

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  17. James,
    I am so enjoying your process as this garden space unfolds. What a great gift to be able to have such opposing spaces both at Federal Twist and in the city. I am also interested in how you view these two gardens differently in terms of your experience of them, with the Brooklyn garden being mostly viewed from the house rather than walked through. Granted, the space is much smaller but I appreciate how you're interested in making it a singular space, that is, essentially a singular view with the feeling of zen tranquility. Certainly a more important requirement in the bustle of the city.
    Ailsa

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    1. Ailsa,
      I'm fortunate indeed. As to how I'll experience the different gardens, I'll let you know. At this point, I can only speculate. For me it's the process that's important. 'Process' isn't really the right word, it's too overused and tainted by our cultural usages. I mean it's something like life, living, a companion of sorts. Thanks for your interest and for commenting.

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  18. Hi James its a great space that you have the pleasure of working with. I definitively think though because of the depth of the pool though you will have to make it safe for adult and child alike. One way would be to have a galvanised mesh installed a few inches below the water line. Effectively it wouldn't be seen from above and with the right choice of pond plantings would be great. Though with the depth of the pond i think you may have to fill it in with rouble/stone at least 1/4 way for water lilies to reach the surface. i look forward to seeing the finished result. Karl

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    1. Thanks for the suggestions about dealing with the depth of the pool. I'll have to be dealing with that come spring.

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  19. i'm sorry James but this whole thing just seems to me to be an excercise in complete 'designed' boredom.

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    1. I don't take your comments or advice lightly, Billy, so I'll be thinking about your words. I only ask that you give it a chance. It's hardly more than an outline right now. I think once I can get out there and do something, it will become 'mine' in a way it isn't now, all the planning, concepts, and present speculations aside. It's just an anonymous space until I start planting.

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  20. While running through some blogs I came across your. Want to tell you I like what you are doing to the yard. If I move back to the city, I would try some of your ideas. Here on the shores of Lake Michigan I have lots of open space so it is very different. Many of the postings I do include photos of the lake which to me is a very important part of the gardens. NIce. Jack

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    1. Thanks, Jack. Actually, I have a garden similar to your, out in the country.

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  21. Hi Jim,

    Things seem to be really shaping up. As you said, the garden will take on more of "you" as you get your plants in, but it's a pleasure to see the pure hardscape and to have that reference once your space is filled. Thanks for sharing!
    Michael

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    1. Thanks, Michael. I believe I'll be trying out stain samples no. 6 and 7 next week! Slow process ... but spring is a long way off.

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