The Complete Guide to

LANDSCAPE PROJECTS
Updated 2nd Edition

Stonework, Plantings, Water Features, Carpentry, Fences

Contents
Introduction

LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Design Principles
Landscaping Styles
Landscaping by Yard Size

GREENSCAPES & GARDENS

Clearing Brush
Tree Removal
Pruning Trees
Planting Trees
Planting Windbreaks
Planting Annuals
Planting Perennials
Creating a New Garden Bed
Concrete Curb Edging
Mulching Beds
Rain Garden
Xeriscape
Zen Garden

PATHWAYS
Designing Paths & Walkways
Loose Rock Landscape Path
Steppingstone Landscape Path
Cast Concrete Steppers
Arroyo
Classic Garden Bridge

STONE WALLS
 Designing Stone Walls
Stone Wall Solution
Stone Terrace Accent Wall
Interlocking Block Retaining Wall
Dry-stack Garden Wall
Mortared Garden Wall
Repairing Stone Walls

FENCES
Designing Fences: Slope
Setting Posts
Picket Fence
Post & Board Fence
Split Rail Fence
Wood Composite Fence
Vinyl Panel Fence
Ornamental Metal Fence
Bamboo Fence

WATER FEATURES
Designing Water Features
Hard-Shell Pond & Fountain
Small Gazing Pond
Waterfall & Pond

ENTERTAINMENT PROJECTS FOR LANDSCAPES

Backyard Fireplace
Backyard Fire Pit
Outdoor Brick Oven
Arbor Retreat

Metric Conversions

Resources

Photo Credits
Index
Introduction

L andscape is a fairly broad

word that, quite frankly,
most homeowners don’t use very
often. We don’t throw landscape
barbecues on summer holidays.
We don’t fire up the riding lawn
tractor and mow the landscape on
Saturday mornings. In fact, if you
ask most homeowners to show
you the landscape, they’ll
probably direct you down the
road to the nature preserve or
disappear inside to find their
favorite coffee table book from
the horticultural society. So why
is this book, which is intended for
homeowners who love DIY, called Landscape Projects? Why not
Backyard Projects or Yard & Garden Projects or Cool Things to Do
with Your Lawn?

The answer is largely one of convenience. Yard and lawn and

garden are all terms we use routinely to refer to our surroundings, but
no single one of them fully captures the totality of our outdoor living
spaces. Landscapes include plantings, turf grass, old trees, and new
shrubs. But they also include patios, fences, decks, and garden walls.
Yours may feature a vegetable garden, statuary, a doghouse or two, or
even a couple of old Fords on blocks. In short, if it is part of the visual
environment outside the doors and windows of your home, it’s part of
your landscape. And, in practical terms, this means that your goal of
creating an awesome yard and garden is truly a matter of good
landscaping.
In Complete Guide to Landscape Projects you’ll find a wealth of
projects that draw from just about every imaginable yard and garden
element you can think of (with the possible exception of old Fords on
blocks). Border and accent plantings, lawn care, building patios and
pathways, creating arbors, sunscreens, and windscreens are all
covered. So are some more unusual projects, such as making fire pits
or wood-fired ovens. Along with the clear step-by-step instructions
and photos you’ll find for these and dozens of other projects, you’ll
also get just the right guidance you need to make decisions about
which projects make sense for you. The result will be an outdoor
living space that meets the practical needs of your family and looks
exactly as wonderful as you’d like it to. And who knows—with some
planning and careful work, you might be so pleased with the outcome
that you really do invite your friends to stop over for a little landscape
picnic.
Landscape Design

A home landscape is an
outdoor living area that is
developed element by element. It
is a space that should be as well
designed as any room in your
house. As such, the act of
landscaping your yard is to
purposefully create your own
environment, and often the key to
this is to select a theme that
follows certain principles. The
theme can be wild or formal,
subtle or bold. It isn’t critical that you follow your themes
dogmatically, but from a design viewpoint you’ll be glad you chose
one.

In this chapter:
• Design Principles
• Landscaping Styles
• Landscaping by Yard Size
Design Principles

T he principles of landscape design center around five basic

elements: line, form, mass, texture, and color. The first three are the
backbone. The last two are the skin and clothes that add visual
richness and depth. Like everything else in a landscape design, lines
should be intentional; curving lines are less formal, and guide the eye,
providing a sense of motion and action. Straight lines and angles are a
more formal approach. They are a great way to succinctly organize the
landscape or replicate lines in the home’s architecture or natural lines
in the topography.
A mix of plant shapes, heights, and forms adds visual interest to
any landscape. Most often, you’ll use natural shapes to complement or
contrast one another. You can, however, use repetitive plantings to
create a pleasing rhythm within the landscape. Texture and color
should be threads you run through the design, deliberately placed to
complement or contrast other colors or textures.
That all may sound a bit fancy and academic, but it’s not. It boils
down to this—you build a successful landscape one piece at a time.
Your theme guides your decisions, including path style, plants,
surfaces, and all the other choices you make for the landscape. Theme
even determines the best accents to finish your design—from water
features to statuary, structures such as arbors and gates, and ornaments
such as gazing balls or sundials. You’ll see a few of these principles
and ideas shown clearly on the following few pages.
Be up front. It’s easy to forget the front yard when planning your landscape, but
that’s a mistake. The varied beds bracketing the front door of this house feature a
profusion of flowers and shrubs. The planting is composed so that the mass
increases closer to the house. This guides the eye up from the lawn, to the
structure of the house, and provides a lovely, soft visual transition from the flat to
the vertical.
Add night-lights. The landscape at night can be every bit as much a draw as it is
during the day. Proper lighting is key, both for safety and to illuminate the charm
of your design. The pool in this yard is incredibly alluring lit from within, while the
fire pit is a fascinating focal point that fairly screams, “Sit and relax.” Notice the
open-grid design of the outdoor floor—it’s a great treatment to blur the distinction
between plant life and hardscape.

Make your fences fancy. Fences can be far more than simple privacy barriers. You
can use fencing to partition off interior areas, as a way to create small, intimate
areas within the larger landscape plan. You can also use fencing as it is in this
yard, as a design element in and of itself. The simple, repetitive vertical lines of
this fence create a continuity that ties together different areas in a rambling
landscape. Think carefully about the style of any fence you build—it may be the
perfect opportunity to accent your landscape.
Divide your space. Creating separate outdoor “rooms” is a wonderful technique for
designing around a large open expanse, such as a lawn. Here, a hedge and trellis
arbor offer a visual boundary that creates a sense of mystery of what lies on the
other side. The best landscape designs draw a visitor through the landscape, and
that’s exactly what’s happening here. The homeowner has used the open area of
the lawn to frame an interesting focal point—a wheelbarrow planter.
Double-down on romance. This is the traditional tiered “pineapple” fountain that
suits many different styles of landscape or garden. The wide basin makes this a
good choice for a bird garden because it doubles as a birdbath. The look is not
ideal for informal gardens such as a country or cottage style, but it fits right in
almost everywhere else. One of the great things about fountains like these is that
you can use them as hidden-away surprise visuals, or as focal points in their own
right, placed in the middle of a lawn, garden bed, or courtyard.
Introduce a water element. Water features are some of the most fascinating
landscape elements. The koi pond in this large, wild landscape is accented with
classic Eastern statuary. It’s an informal, stylish look that is perfectly suited to the
naturalistic surroundings, and livestock always bring color and fun into your
landscape.
Mix materials to build visual interest. Effective, livable landscaping often entails
creating different areas—different outdoor rooms—for different purposes. One side
of this large yard has been dedicated to a sitting area defined by an open-spaced,
square-cut stone patio with pebble infill. Bordered by groundcover and ornamental
grasses, this area is as close to zero maintenance as you can get, and is also a
drought-tolerant design.
Direct traffic. Use arbors, pergolas, archways, or gates as invitations, leading
people where you want them to go in the landscape. Wood is an obvious choice
for these types of structures because the material blends in well with the plant life
in a lush landscape. A simple vine has been trained on this pergola with trellis side
panels, softening the lines of the structure and further melding it into the
surrounding landscape.
Try terracing. Slopes can be a big challenge for the home landscaper. There are
lots of ways to deal with a slope, but one of the best and longest lasting
techniques is to terrace the slope. This front yard features stacked timber retaining
walls to create terraces filled with evergreens. It’s a well-defined, easy solution
that could successfully be applied to many different sloped sites. The solution is
also fairly inexpensive—never a bad thing in a landscape design.
Freeform is fun. There are an amazing variety of pathway styles to choose from
for your landscape. The steppingstones used in this setting are a simple-to-install
option that can be arranged to accommodate just about any layout, such as
following the shape of the lawn here. Steppingstones are excellent when used in
or across an expanse of lawn, because mowing over them is a cinch. The look is
informal, though, and you should be sure that it matches the design style you’re
trying to set.
Make room for art. Landscape sculpture can be the perfect way to put your
fingertips on a design. Sculpture should be carefully chosen not only to suit the
style of your landscape, but also to ensure that it survives the elements and ages
well. A single sculpture is often more effective than a group of scattered collection
throughout a garden or landscape. The abstract metal piece here perfectly
complements the informal bed of trees and ornamental grasses in which it’s
placed. It will fit in just as well as it ages and acquires a lovely patina of rust.
Create an outdoor floor. Hardscaping—the use of hard surfaces in landscaping—
offers great potential to get creative. Not only can you choose from a wealth of
paving styles and materials, you can mix and match for dynamic effect. This
mortar-set includes a formal linear field of bricks in various sizes and shapes, a
thin border of flat black sliced pebbles, and an outer border of small, irregular
stone pieces. It’s enough to steal attention from any garden scene.
Landscaping Styles

S ome yards are blank canvasses waiting to be painted. Your house

may be a basic structure that doesn’t urge you in any particular design
direction, and the local plant life and terrain may not be particularly
distinctive. In this case, the door is wide open for you to choose a
landscape style that reflects your tastes, suits the layout of your yard,
and nurtures the way you want to live in your outdoor room.
In other cases, the local environment and surroundings may
provide very strong indicators of an appropriate landscape style.
You’d be wise to listen to these cues. For instance, if your home is
located in a desert region of a southwestern state, you’ll probably
want to develop your landscape design around certain plants and
features common to the area, including succulents, water-conserving
hardscape and groundcovers, and shade structures. A cottage garden
would simply not fit and would always look like a sore thumb—just
as a desert landscape would look wrong attached to a New England
home.
The location of your home may allow for multiple design
possibilities. A coastal home that isn’t on the water, for example,
could look great with a sand-strewn seaside landscape, a
Mediterranean villa look, a cottage garden style, or even a formal
design.
Start by looking at plants and outdoor structures in your area. Look
beyond other yards to parks and botanical gardens that often present
many different styles of landscaping. When you’ve narrowed in on a
sense of the style that most appeals to you and would be most
appropriate for your home and yard, begin refining your ideas by
checking out the images on the following pages.
Echo your environment. It is often best if the landscape style takes its cues from
the surrounding geography and climate. This is especially true when the
environment and terrain are distinctive as with a seaside home, or the high
chaparral shown here. The design of this large yard takes advantage of the
bordering wide-open plain and mountain views by leaving the property undefined
by a fence or row of trees. The native terrain is allowed to blend into the yard, and
along with terraced patios, native plants are used sparsely, in keeping with the
practical realities of the drought-prone region. An antique horse-drawn wagon is
used as yard sculpture to reinforce the open-plains feel of the yard.
Landscaping Style: Modern Scenic

Repeat. Repeat. The trim, straight lines and spare aesthetic of a modern home
begs for the same treatment in its landscape. The designer of this front yard has
obliged, using simple, repetitive plantings featuring regimented rows of spiky
foliage plants with plenty of space left between the plants. The beds are formed of
the same geometric shapes that dominate the walkway and the house itself. The
modern look has a bonus feature of a water-conserving, low-maintenance
landscape.
Less may be more. Modern architecture is all about linear perspective and minimal
ornamentation. Marrying a landscape to a modern house can be challenging, but
not if you throw out the conventional wisdom of what a landscape should be.
Here, a curving bed provides a modicum of visual relief from the hard lines that
define both yard and house. The bed is planted with drought-tolerant, hot-weather
species that require little in the way of upkeep. A lawn of hot-climate grass will go
brown when dormant in the hottest part of the summer, but cut short it will still
have a clean, sharp look in keeping with the rest of the design. When it comes to
modern-style landscapes, less is often more.
Landscaping Style: Wooded Retreat

Show off your shade. Hardscaping such as the patio and garden wall shown here
is the ideal way to define social and recreational areas within a wooded yard. The
trees are left standing and undisturbed, and the use of natural stone fits right into
the surroundings. Shade-loving annuals are excellent choices to bring seasonal
color into the dappled landscape.
Keep it natural. Landscaping a wooded yard sometimes means bending to the will
of the environment. The trick in working with a wooded landscape design is to
balance the wholly natural appeal of a copse of trees with the variation the eye
expects in a designed landscape.
Landscaping Style: The Formal Garden

Combine classic patterns. Distinctive architecture often sets a tone that the
landscape can follow. Stone walls offer a stately look that is complemented by an
entryway and side yard paved with a sophisticated brick pattern. A simple fence
with latticework top panel and carriage lights provides a fitting boundary, while
beds lined with trimmed ball-shaped shrubs and a three-tier fountain add a
dignified polish to this design.
Prune a shrub or tree to add formality. Formal landscapes are defined by
particular elements. Repetitive features such as the planters in this yard—and
cultivated shapes like the topiary that occupy those planters—are both strong
indicators of formal landscape style. Straight lines are another, established here in
the weathered decking. If you’re after a formal aesthetic, consider features such as
these to define the look.
Landscaping Style: Magical Cottage Garden

You can’t go wrong with roses. Cottage gardens are all about tumbles of
flowering plants cascading across the landscape—especially roses. It’s a joyously
untidy, unconstrained look that seems haphazard and overgrown. In reality,
cottage gardens require a good amount of maintenance to keep all the blooming
plants healthy. You may fall in love with the romantic look, but unless you have a
green thumb, think twice about trying to replicate this style in your own yard.
Train your plants well. A cottage-garden landscape style is best suited to small
yards, and buildings that reinforce the style, such as Victorians, stone buildings,
and of course, cottages. Training climbing plants—both roses and blooming vines—
is a key part of the look. Lawn surfaces should be kept to a minimum and bordered
by sprawling plants and blooming shrubs.
Landscaping Style: Grass-Covered Outdoor Room

Think theatrically. A big expanse of lawn is like a stage on which you can
compose elements. Beds, trees, and other features can be unified into a coherent
landscape design by wrapping lawn around them or vice versa. It’s the thread that
holds the look together. A peninsula patio such as the one in this yard becomes a
platform for the audience—a place to not only unwind, but to enjoy the interplay
of elements amid a sea of green.
Curved borders soften lines. The front yard lawn is a traditional landscaping
element for the American home. But there’s simply no need or excuse to settle for
a boring green rectangle unaccompanied by any other signs of life. As this image
clearly demonstrates, a variety of plantings creates a unique interplay between the
solid green, flat surface and a mixture of plant colors and shapes. This front yard
incorporates small trees, a trio of tall arbor vitae standing like guardians before
the house, and a beautiful shrub bed with a scattering of mixed colors. Trees in
containers add even more of an interest to the lawn’s smooth, unvarying surface.
Landscaping Style: Zen Scene

Seek tranquility. Designers of Japanese gardens create drama from natural forms
in the landscape. Typical of the style, slab steps seem to float up out of the earth
in this garden, and a small evergreen has been manicured into tree form with
cloud-shaped greenery. The idea behind each element is subtlety and restraint and
a truly organic feel, as if nature itself had decided to lay a path or trim a tree.
Get centered. Decorative sculptures are often a part of Japanese-style landscapes.
The design rarely incorporates more than one, and the sculpture is usually a
culturally significant representation. This mini pagoda sculpture is typical,
although seated Buddha sculptures are frequently used as well. The sculpture is
usually nested among dense plantings and less often used as a centerpiece for a
raked stone or sand bed.
Landscaping Style: The Country Retreat

Choose rustic furnishings. A pole arbor and matching bench provide a restful
retreat in the middle of a foliage-dense country-style setting. Structures like
arbors, trellises, planters, and fences are great ways to announce a style amid
plantings that could cross over between several different looks. This structure with
its overhead vine exclaims “country” through and through.

Capture chaos. Detailed screens, a pergola, and decking bring order to this
landscape where the plants do not. They climb through fences and up posts, and
create an irregular border. This is a great way to use contrast to your advantage—
attractive, ornate, and orderly structures offset by unruly plantings to provide
stunning surroundings.
Landscaping by Yard Size

Y ard size affects landscape design in several ways. A large tree or

significant water feature such as a reflecting pool may simply
overwhelm a smaller yard. The styles you can choose will also be
affected by yard size.
A small yard looks best when it incorporates one or two focal
features, supported with plantings and surrounding background
elements. Look for space-appropriate versions of popular structures
and fixtures. Instead of a large centerpiece fountain, a wall fountain
may be more in keeping with your yard size.
A medium-size yard has more possibilities. Some are given over to
swimming pools, with the surrounding landscape design and plantings
serving to make the pool look as natural as possible. A medium-size
yard also allows you more flexibility in creating landscape mystery—
a pathway winding out of sight into some concealed “secret garden”
or restful refuge where you can hide away for a few contemplative
moments.
A large yard is brimming with design potential. Large landscapes
are often designed with sweeping open vistas serving the same role as
empty “negative” space does in painting—to give rhythm and pacing
to the overall design. Whether these spaces are hardscaped or grass,
they usually entail less maintenance than a full-blown garden. Large
yards also present the chance to include several different and distinct
areas, such as a rose garden, lawn for recreation, and a pond. Use a
pathway to unify disparate areas.
No matter how big your yard is, never let the size make you give
up on good landscape design. Use a little creativity and the ideas
shown here to find a beautiful solution for your yard, no matter what
size it is.
Celebrate diversity. Just because a yard is small doesn’t mean it can’t be diverse.
And just because it’s a front yard doesn’t mean it has to follow some stereotypical
formula for a lawn, spread out in front of foundation plantings. The designer of
this front yard added a wedge-shaped bed with containers and a variety of plants.
The shape itself adds a lot of visual interest, while a stone wall in front of the
house creates the perception of visual depth.
Landscape Size: Small

Pack it in. Small-yard landscaping is all about maximizing potential. This eclectic
design fits a lot into a tiny space. The centerpiece is a decorative brick seating
circle with a path featuring bricks laid in a different direction. The design includes
two shaped shrubs, a lovely detailed gate and fence, perennials and shade-loving
groundcovers, and even a tomato plant in the middle of the front bed. The design
leaves no lack of visual interest no matter where you’re looking.
Build upward. Pergolas are wonderful structures for all yards, but they are an
especially handy option if you’re designing a small or medium-size landscape.
Pergola designs are usually scalable, so that they can be altered to suit available
dimensions. They clearly define a central area in the landscape (usually used for
relaxation, socializing or both). They not only shade that area, allowing pleasantly
mottled sunlight to come through, they can also support all manner of climbing
plants—allowing you to go vertical with your garden greenery where space is at a
premium.
Landscape Size: Medium

Divide but unify. You can make a medium-size landscape seem more expansive by
breaking it into irregular shapes—something the eye always finds intriguing. The
thread that holds this yard design together is a broad strip of brick edging. A long
flower garden creates a stunning visual point of separation between the house and
lush lawn surface.
Get a little negative. “Empty” space, like the arc of grass in this landscape, is an
important element in medium landscapes. Not only is a space like this adaptable
to many different activities, from cloud-gazing to a game of tag, it also serves the
same role as negative or white space does in art; it is a visual pause that provides
perspective for the more decorative elements of the raised beds and shrub border
in the distance, and small plantings around the patio in the foreground.
Landscape Size: Large

Turn a negative into a positive. A large, steep yard may seem like a difficult site
on which to design a compelling landscape. A little creative landscaping and some
lumberjacking, however, can bring a slope to life. This home stands atop a small
hill and the grass slope that ran down to a viewing deck below was hardly an
inspired visual. The designer used the slope as a canvas on which to place an
amazing assortment of shrubs, trees, and flowering plants. Looking up, the slope is
viewed almost as a vertical surface, giving the plantings maximum exposure and
visibility. A broad stone staircase and landings look less intimidating surrounded by
plantings.
Greenscapes & Gardens

T ypically, yard renovation

begins with taking a hard
look at what you have in your
yard and then clearing away the
old to make way for the new. To
that end, we walk you through
clearing land, including the basics
on how to remove the nuisance
trees, invasive plants, and thorny
brush that stand in the way.
Sometimes, clearing amounts
to one tall task: taking down a
tree. Perhaps removing the tree will open up a sightline and allow
sunlight to brighten a gloomy corner of your yard. If the job qualifies
as DIY, we show you how to fell a tree correctly. If your trees and
shrubs just need judicious pruning to restore their ornamental shape,
we’ll show you how to do that too.
Once the subtraction is complete in your yard, it’s time for
addition. Planting trees is rewarding and benefits your property by
providing shade, increasing property value and curb appeal, and
blocking wind. You’ll learn how to plant a balled-and-burlapped tree
and how to create a windbreak.
Finally, we explain how to plant and care for annuals and
perennials. You’ll find out how to create landscaping and garden beds,
how to use edging, and more. And to help you conserve water, we
show you how to practice waterwise gardening.

In this chapter:
• Clearing Brush
• Tree Removal
• Pruning Trees
• Planting Trees
• Planting Windbreaks
• Planting Annuals
• Planting Perennials
• Creating a New Garden Bed
• Concrete Curb Edging
• Mulching Beds
• Rain Garden
• Xeriscape
• Zen Garden
Clearing Brush

N uisance trees, invasive plants, and thorny groundcovers latch on

to your land and form a vegetative barrier, greatly limiting the
usefulness of a space. Before you can even think of the patio plan or
garden plot you wish to place in that space, you’ll need to clear the
way. If the area is a sea of thorny brush or entirely wooded, you’ll
probably want to hire an excavator, logger, or someone with heavy-
duty bulldozing equipment to manage the job. But on suburban plots,
brush can usually be cleared without the need for major machinery.
Dress for protection when taking on a brush-clearing job. You
never know what mysteries and challenges reside on your property
behind the masses of branches and bramble. Wear boots, long pants,
gloves, long sleeves, and eye protection. Follow a logical workflow
when clearing brush—generally, clean out the tripping hazards first so
you can access the bigger targets more safely.
Cutting and removal tools used for brush clearing should be scaled for the job
you’re asking them to do. Simple hand tools can handle much of the work, but for
bigger jobs having the right power tools is a tremendous worksaver. Tools shown
here include: electric lopper (cordless) (A); loppers (B); bow saw (C); garden (bow)
rake (D); chainsaw (cordless) (E).
 TOOLS & MATERIALS
Pruners
Loppers
Bow saw
Weed cutter
Nonselective herbicide (optional)
Landscape fabric (optional)
Safety glasses
Gloves
Long sleeves and pants
 How to Clear Brush

Begin by using a tree pruner to cut woody brush that has a diameter of less than
1 1/2". Cut the brush and/or small trees as close to the ground as possible, dragging
brush out of the way and into a pile as you clear.
Next, clear out larger plants—brush and trees with a diameter of about 1 1/2" to 3
1/2". Use a bow saw or chain saw to cut through the growth, and place the debris
in a pile. Trees larger than 4" diameter should be left to grow or removed under
the supervision of a professional.
Use a heavy-duty string trimmer or a swing-blade style weed cutter to cut
tangled shoots, weeds, and remaining underbrush from the area.
Clear the cut debris and dispose of it immediately. Curbside pickup of yardwaste
usually requires that sticks or branches be tied up into bundles no more than 3 ft.
long. If you plan to install a hardscape surface, make sure the brush does not grow
back by using a nonselective herbicide to kill off remaining shoots or laying
landscape fabric.
Tree Removal

R emoving trees is often a necessary part of shaping a landscape.

Diseased or dead trees need to be removed before they become a
nuisance and to maintain the appearance of your landscape. Or, you
may simply need to clear the area for any of a variety of reasons,
including making a construction site, allowing sunshine to a planting
bed, or opening up a sightline.
If you need to remove a mature tree from your yard, the best option
is to have a licensed tree contractor cut it down and remove the debris.
If you are ambitious and careful, small trees with a trunk diameter of
less than 6 inches can present an opportunity for DIY treecutting. The
first step in removing a tree is determining where you want it to fall.
This area is called the felling path; you’ll also need to plan for two
retreat paths. Retreat paths allow you to avoid a tree falling in the
wrong direction. To guide the tree along a felling path, a series of cuts
are made in the trunk. The first cut, called a notch, is made by
removing a triangle-shaped section on the side of the tree facing the
felling path. A felling cut is then made on the opposite side, forming a
wide hinge that guides the fall of the tree.
Always follow manufacturer’s safety precautions when operating a
chainsaw. The following sequence outlines the steps professionals use
to fell a tree and cut it into sections. Always wear protective clothing,
including gloves, hardhat, safety glasses, and hearing protection when
felling or trimming trees. And make certain no children or pets are in
the area.
 TOOLS & MATERIALS
Chainsaw
Hardhat
Safety glasses
Ear protection
Wedge
Hand maul
 How to Fell a Tree

Remove limbs below head level. Start at the bottom of the branch, making a
shallow up-cut. Then cut down from the top until the branch falls.

NOTE: Hire a tree service to cut down and remove trees with a trunk diameter
of more than 6".
Use a chain saw to make a notch cut one-third of the way through the tree,
approximately at waist level. Do not cut to the center of the trunk. Make a straight
felling cut about 2" above the base of the notch cut, on the opposite side of the
trunk. Leave a 3"-thick “hinge” at the center.
Drive a wedge into the felling cut. Push the tree toward the felling path to start
its fall, and move into a retreat path to avoid possible injury.
Standing on the opposite side of the trunk from the branch, remove each
branch by cutting from the top of the saw, until the branch separates from the
tree. Adopt a balanced stance, grasp the handles firmly with both hands, and be
cautious with the saw.
To cut the trunk into sections, cut down two-thirds of the way and roll the trunk
over. Finish the cut from the top, cutting down until the section breaks away.
Pruning Trees

P runing trees and shrubs can inspire new growth and prolong the
life of the plant. It may surprise you that the entire plant benefits
when you remove select portions. Regular pruning also discourages
disease and improves the plant’s overall appearance.
Timing and technique when pruning will, quite literally, mold the
future of the shrub or tree. The trick to properly pruning trees and
shrubs is to remember that less is more. Instances that warrant pruning
include: pinching off the ends of plants (to maintain a bushy look);
restoring an ornamental’s shape with clean-up cuts; and removing
rubbing tree branches, where abrasion is an open wound for disease to
enter.
Light, corrective pruning means removing less than 10 percent of
the tree or shrub canopy. This can be performed at any time during the
year. However, when making more severe cuts, such as heading back,
thinning, or rejuvenating, prune when plants are under the least
amount of stress. That way, trees and shrubs will have time to heal
successfully before the flowering and growing season. The best time
to perform heavy pruning/trimming on most woody plants, flower
trees, and shrubs is during late winter and early spring.
Regular pruning of trees and shrubs not only keeps the plants looking neat and
tidy, it makes them healthier.
 SHRUB PRUNING
Use a combination of these pruning methods to control shrub
growth.
Pinching: The terminal of the shoot is the
tip of the stem (green portion before it
becomes woody). When you remove the
terminal, the bud is lost, allowing lateral
buds to grow. Pinching reduces the length of
a shoot and promotes side (filler) growth.
Pinch off especially long shoots from inside
the shrub canopy.
Heading back: Increase the density of a shrub by cutting terminal
shoots back to a healthy branch or bud. Cut inward or outward
growing shoots to manipulate the shape. Choose your growth
direction, then remove buds accordingly. The top bud should be
located on the side of the branch that faces the direction you want
it to grow. For example, an inward-facing bud will develop into a
branch that reaches into the canopy. If you allow two opposite-
facing buds to grow, the result is a weak, Y-shaped branch.
Thinning: This involves cutting branches
off the parent stem, so target the oldest,
tallest stems first. (You’ll need to reach into
the shrub canopy to accomplish this
successfully.) Prune branches that are one-
third the diameter of the parent stem. To
visualize where to cut, imagine the Y
junction, where a lateral branch meets the
parent stem. Practice moderation when thinning.
Rejuvenating: Remove the oldest branches by leaving little but a
stub near the ground. Young branches can also be cut back, as
well as thin stems.
Shearing: Swipe a hedge trimmer over the top of a shrub to
remove the terminal of most shoots; this will give you a formal
topiary look. Shear throughout the summer to maintain the shape.
Keep in mind, shearing is more aesthetic than beneficial: it forces
growth on the exterior of the plant, which blocks light and oxygen
from the center. You’re left with a shell of a shrub—leaves on the
outside, naked branches on the inside.
 HEDGE TRIMMERS
An electric or gas-powered hedge trimmer isn’t just easier to use,
it offers much greater control than pruning shears for shaping
hedges during the pruning process.
 TREE PRUNING
Always prune tree branches by cutting just outside the tree collar.
You’ll notice a circular closure around the wound as the tree
begins to heal.
Thinning: These cuts reduce the tree canopy and allow wind to
pass through branches. Thinning is a safety measure if you are
concerned that a storm will damage a tree and surrounding
property. Remove dead, broken, weak, and diseased branches. Cut
them back to their point of origin or to laterals that are at least
one-third the diameter of the branch you are removing. Be sure to
remove less than 25 percent of foliage at one time. It’s best to thin
trees in the winter, when they are dormant.
Heading back: Reduce the size of your tree this way by cutting
back lateral branches and then heading tips of laterals.
Reduction cut: Most common in younger trees, these cuts
remove an offshoot branch back to a thicker branch attached to
the tree trunk. Pictured below is a cut to remove a perpendicular
branch.
 How to Prune a Tree

Start by undercutting from beneath the limb with your bow saw or chain saw.
Finish the cut from above. This keeps the bark from tearing when the limb breaks
loose.
Trim the stub from the limb so it’s flush with the branch collar.
Planting Trees

T rees and shrubs are structural elements that provide many

benefits to any property. Aside from adding structural interest to
a landscape, they work hard to provide shade, block wind, and form
walls and ceilings of outdoor living areas. Whether your landscape is
a blank canvas or you plan to add trees and shrubs to enhance what’s
already there, you’ll want to take great care when selecting what type
of tree you plant, and how you plant it.
A substantially sized tree might be your greatest investment in
plant stock, which is more reason to be sure you give that tree a
healthy start by planting it correctly. Timing and transportation are the
first issues you’ll consider. The best time to plant is in spring or fall,
when the soil is usually at maximum moistness and the temperature is
moderate enough to allow roots to establish. When you choose a tree
or shrub, protect the branches, foliage, and roots from wind and sun
damage during transport. When loading and unloading, lift by the
container or rootball, not the trunk. You may decide to pay a nursery
to deliver specimens if they are too large for you to manage, or if you
are concerned about damaging them en route to your property.
Trees and shrubs are packaged three different ways for sale: with a bare root,
container-grown, and balled-and-burlapped. Bare root specimens (left) are the
most wallet-friendly, but you must plant them during the dormant season, before
growing begins. Container-grown plants (center) are smaller and take years to
achieve maturity, but you can plant them any time—preferably during spring or
fall. Balled-and-burlapped specimens (right) are mature and immediately fill out a
landscape. They are also the most expensive.
 TOOLS & MATERIALS
Shovel
Garden hose
Utility knife
Long stake
Tree
Peat moss
 How to Plant a Balled-and-Burlapped Tree

Use a garden hose to mark the outline for a hole that is at least two or three
times the diameter of the rootball. If you are planting trees with shallow,
spreading roots (such as most evergreens) rather than a deep taproot, make the
hole wider. Dig no deeper than the height of the rootball.
Amend some of the removed soil with hydrated peat moss and return the mixture
to build up the sides of the hole, creating a medium that is easy for surface roots
to establish in. If necessary (meaning, you dug too deep) add and compact soil at
the bottom of the hole so the top of the rootball will be slightly above grade when
placed.
Place the tree in the hole so the top of rootball is slightly above grade and the
branches are oriented in a pleasing manner. Cut back the twine and burlap from
around the trunk and let it fall back into the hole. Burlap may be left in the hole—
it will degrade quickly. Non-degradable rootball wrappings should be removed.
Backfill amended soil around the rootball until the soil mixture crowns the hole
slightly. Compress the soil lightly with your hands. Create a shallow well around
the edge of the fresh soil to help prevent water from running off. Water deeply
initially and continue watering very frequently for several weeks. Staking the tree
is wise, but make sure the stake is not damaging the roots.
Planting Windbreaks

W ind saps heat from homes, forces snow into burdensome drifts,
and can damage more tender plants in a landscape. To protect
your outdoor living space, build an aesthetically pleasing wall—a
“green” wall of tress and shrubs—that will cut the wind and keep
those energy bills down. Windbreaks are commonly used in rural
areas where sweeping acres of land are a runway for wind gusts. But
even those on small, suburban lots will benefit from strategically
placing plants to block the wind.
Essentially, windbreaks are plantings or screens that slow, direct,
and block wind from protected areas. Natural windbreaks are
comprised of shrubs, conifers, and deciduous trees. The keys to a
successful windbreak are: height, width, density, and orientation.
Height and width come with age. Density depends on the number of
rows, type of foliage, and gaps. Ideally, a windbreak should be 60 to
80 percent dense. (No windbreak is 100 percent dense.) Orientation
involves placing rows of plants at right angles to the wind. A rule of
thumb is to plant a windbreak that is ten times longer than its greatest
height. And keep in mind that wind changes direction, so you may
need a multiple-leg windbreak.
A stand of fast-growing trees, like these aspens, will create an effective
windbreak for your property just a few years after saplings are planted.
 WINDBREAK BENEFITS
Windbreaks deliver multiple benefits to your property.
Energy conservation: reduce energy costs from 20 to 40 percent.
Snow control: single rows of shrubs function as snow fences.
Privacy: block a roadside view and protect animals from
exposure to passers-by.
Noise control: muffle the sound of traffic if your pasture or home
is near a road.
Aesthetic appeal: improve your landscape and increase the value
of your property.
Erosion control: prevent dust from blowing; roots work against
erosion.
 TOOLS & MATERIALS
Shovel
Garden hose
Utility knife
Trees
Soil amendments (as needed)
 How to Plant a Windbreak

Before you pick up a shovel, draw a plan of your windbreak, taking into
consideration the direction of the wind and location of nearby structures.
Windbreaks can be straight lines of trees or curved formations. They may be
several rows thick, or just a single row. If you only have room for one row, choose
lush evergreens for the best density. Make a plan.
Once you decide on the best alignment of trees and shrubs, stake out reference
lines for the rows. For a three-row windbreak, the inside row should be at least 75
ft. from buildings or structures, with the outside row 100 to 150 ft. away. Within
this 25 to 75 ft. area, plant rows 16 to 20 ft. apart for shrubs and conifers and no
closer than 14 ft. for deciduous trees. Within rows, space trees so their foliage can
mature and eventually improve the density.
Dig holes for tree rootballs to the recommended depth (see page 37). Your plan
should arrange short trees or shrubs upwind and taller trees downwind. If your
windbreak borders your home, choose attractive plants for the inside row and
buffer them with evergreens or dense shrubs in the second row. If you only have
room for two rows of plants, be sure to stagger the specimens so there are no
gaps.
Plant the trees in the formation created in your plan. Follow the tree and shrub
planting techniques on page 37. Here, a row of dwarf fruit trees is being planted in
front of a row of denser, taller evergreens (Techny Arborvitae).
Planting Annuals

A n annual is any plant that completes its life cycle in one growing
season. The term “annual” is usually used to refer to long-
blooming flowering plants, many of which hail from tropical areas.
These flowers have the ability to bring instant gratification anywhere
they are placed—from your doorstep to the mailbox at the end of the
driveway. They are often used as exclamation points in a landscape.
Annuals come in almost any color imaginable, and most of their
impact comes from their showy flowers. But this group of plants also
offers a wide range of leaf colors, growth habits, and textures. You
can use them in mixed plantings for a bouquet effect or in mass
groupings where you want a large area of a single color. They make
great container plants and are good anywhere you want an instant
show. You will often see annuals named as part of a “series.” Annuals
that are part of a series all have similar growth characteristics but tend
to have different flower colors.
Like vegetables, annuals can be classified as cool-season or warm-
season plants based on their tolerance of cool air and soil
temperatures. Cool-season annuals, which include pansies,
snapdragons, and calendulas, do better in mild temperatures and can
quickly deteriorate in hot weather. Warm-season annuals such as
marigolds, zinnias, and impatiens grow and flower best in warm
weather and do not tolerate any frost.
Planting a full bed of colorful annuals takes a bit of effort every spring, but the
blossoms will delight you for most of the growing season. Interspersing the annual
flowers with shrubs or even perennials gives a nice contrast and sense of
composition.
 BUYING ANNUALS

When purchasing annuals at a garden center, look for healthy

seedlings that have not overgrown their growing containers. Don’t
buy them too early. These young plants require daily watering and
regular fertilizing, and the garden center or nursery is much better
able to give this regular care than you are at home. Plants like
these bluebells purchased in a 3-or 4-inch pot will look beautiful
almost immediately; for a more economical project, buy smaller
seedlings in flats of six or more plants.
Growing Annuals
Most annuals prefer well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter.
Add a 2-to 4-inch layer of compost and mix it into the top 8-to 12-
inches of soil the first year, adding a 1-to 2-inch layer of compost
before planting in subsequent years. You can cover the bed with
organic mulch, such as shredded bark, pine straw, or cocoa bean hulls,
to reduce moisture evaporation and suppress weed growth. Just make
sure the mulch doesn’t overwhelm the small plants and adds to their
beauty rather than detracting from it.
Some larger-seeded annuals are easy to start from direct seeding.
These include cosmos, marigold, morning glory, nasturtium,
sunflower, and zinnia. Smaller-seeded annuals such as petunia,
impatiens, and lobelia are more difficult to sow and require longer
growing times before they flower. They need to be started indoors or
purchased as plants in spring in order to get flowers by midsummer.
Most warm-season annuals should be seeded indoors 6 to 8 weeks
before the last spring frost, but some require 10 to 12 weeks or more.
Tender annuals should not be planted outdoors until all danger of
spring frost has passed. Even if they are not injured by low
temperatures, they will not grow well until the soil warms. Cool-
season annuals will tolerate lower temperatures, but even they don’t
like a hard frost. They can usually be planted outdoors about a week
or two before the last expected spring frost date.
Plants started inside or purchased from a garden center need to be
hardened off before planting them outdoors. Move the plants outside
to a sheltered spot for a few hours, taking them back inside at night.
Increase the outside time a little each day. After about a week, the
plants should be tough enough to plant outdoors.
 ANNUALS THAT AREN’T ANNUAL
There are some plants that are called “annuals” even though they
technically live more than one year. Biennials, those plants that
complete their life cycle in 2 years, are usually grouped with
annuals. Hollyhocks and Canterbury bells, both technically
biennials, will bloom their first year if set out early enough.
Tender perennials such as geraniums and verbenas are also
usually treated as annuals, even though they will survive from
year to year in mild-winter climates. Because they are quick to
bloom like true annuals, they are usually grown for one season
and thrown out at the end. Lantana is an example of a woody
shrub that is often grown as an annual in cold climates.
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is a biennial, meaning it doesn’t flower until its
second summer after seeding. But it is often grouped with annuals in
references and at nurseries.
Tips for Planting Annuals

To remove annual seedlings, gently pop the young plants from their cell-packs by
squeezing the bottoms and pushing up. Do not grab plants by their tender stems or
leaves.
Plants growing in peat pots can be planted pot and all, but remove the upper
edges of peat pots so that the pot will not act as a wick, pulling water away from
the roots.
When planting annuals, plant at the same depth they were growing in the
containers. If your growing medium is properly prepared, it will be loose enough
that you can easily dig shallow planting holes with your fingers. For gallon pots,
use a trowel, spade, or cultivator.
Pinch off any flowers or buds so the plant can focus its energy on getting its
roots established rather than flowering, then water well.
Care of Annuals
Weeding. Weeding is probably the biggest maintenance chore with
annuals; these plants do not compete well with weeds. Keep garden
beds weed free by pulling regularly or covering the soil with organic
mulch. Remember to keep the mulch away from the plants’ stems.
Watering. Most annuals need at least 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water per
week from rain or irrigation. More may be needed during very hot
weather and as the plants get larger. Water thoroughly and deeply to
promote strong root growth. Allow the soil surface to dry before
watering again. Soaker hoses and drip irrigation that apply water
directly to the soil are best. Overhead irrigation destroys delicate
blooms and can contribute to many fungi and molds. Watering is best
when completed in the morning hours, so foliage has a chance to dry
before cooler evening temperatures set in.
Feeding. Annuals put a lot of energy into blooming and require
regular applications of nutrients. An easy way to provide annuals with
the nutrients they need is to use a slow-release, or time-released,
fertilizer at planting time. One application will slowly release
nutrients with every watering. Although these fertilizers cost more
than other types, they are usually worth the investment to save
yourself from having to apply biweekly liquid fertilizer applications.
The newer annuals require high soil fertility to do their best. Apply a
slow-release fertilizer at planting time, mixing it in with the soil, and
plan to follow up with biweekly applications of a water-soluble
fertilizer.
Grooming. Because they are only around for a few months, most
annuals don’t require a lot of grooming. Some of the taller types may
need staking or support systems of some type. Staking is best done at
planting time to avoid damaging roots. Some annuals benefit from
pinching to promote bushiness. This list includes petunias and
chrysanthemums. In general, pinching any plant that has become too
leggy or too tall will make it bushier and more compact. One
grooming task almost all annuals will benefit from is deadheading.
 DEADHEADING
Deadheading is the process of removing spent flowers from
annual plants to help stimulate prolonged and repeated blooming.
Although tedious and completely optional, it is a good idea for a
number of reasons. Removing spent flowers encourages rebloom,
eliminates seed production and self-seeding, and makes your
garden and landscape look a lot nicer. Cut back to the next set of
leaves to encourage new buds to open.

Pruning can invigorate some species. Petunias can be cut back in

midsummer to within a few inches of the ground, fertilized and heavily
watered, and they will be full and attractive again in just a few weeks.
Planting Perennials

A plant that is perennial will survive more than one year, and
technically can include trees, shrubs, grasses, bulbs, and even
some vegetables. In gardening, the term “perennial” is usually used to
describe herbaceous flowering plants that are grown specifically for
their ornamental beauty. Typical perennials include daylilies, hostas,
delphiniums, and yarrow.
Unlike annuals, perennials do not bloom throughout the growing
season. Their bloom period can range anywhere from a week to a
month or more. Many people shy away from perennials because of
their higher initial cost. The extensive choices can also be
overwhelming. But the fact that perennials live on from year to year
provides several advantages. You will save the labor, time, and
expense involved in replanting every year. Your garden will have
continuity and a framework to work within. But the most appealing
thing about using perennials is the astonishing array of colors, shapes,
sizes, and textures available.
The tops of herbaceous perennials often die in the fall, but the roots
survive the winter and send up new growth during the spring. Some
herbaceous perennials grow a rosette of foliage (small leaves that
grow along the base of the plant, similar to what biennials grow) after
the stems die off.
For home landscaping, the term perennial is typically used to mean flowering
plants that return anew every growing season after dying back at the end of the
previous growing period.

Perennials can be divided into evergreen and deciduous. Perennials

that keep their foliage all year-round are evergreen perennials.
Deciduous perennials lose their foliage during the fall or winter and
produce new top growth in spring.
produce new top growth in spring.

Perennials are a very diverse and versatile group of plants. There are perennials
that will thrive in every soil type, from full sun to full shade. This sunny border
includes daylilies, chrysanthemums, and coneflowers.
Creating a Perennial Border
As versatile as perennials are, the spot where they really shine is in a
perennial border. A perennial border is a wonderful way to bring
beauty to your landscape and enjoy these fascinating plants
throughout the year. The goal with a perennial border is to create a
garden with interest from early spring through fall, and even into the
winter. A border is usually more interesting if it contains a wide
variety of heights, colors, and textures, but some beautiful borders can
be created with all one-color plants or with a target peak bloom time,
such as spring.
The trick to designing a beautiful perennial border is to select
plants that bloom at different times so you have something blooming
throughout the growing season. This may take you a few seasons to
master, but it is quite gratifying when it all comes together. Select a
mix of early, mid-, and late bloomers that match your soil and sunlight
conditions.

With a little planning, your perennial border can have something going on from
early spring through fall, as in this garden, which includes coneflower, rudbeckia,
astilbe, and violas.

Comprising common but beautiful perennial plants, the border garden seen here
frames the relaxing lawn nicely. Included in the garden are iris, hosta, daylily, and
daisy.
Planting Perennials
Most perennials are best planted in spring so they have an entire
growing season to develop roots and become established before they
have to face winter. Rainfall is also usually more abundant in spring.
But container-grown plants can be planted almost any time during the
growing season, as long as you can provide them with adequate
moisture. If you plant in the heat of summer, you may need to provide
some type of shading until the plants become established. Fall
planting should be finished at least 6 weeks before hard-freezing
weather occurs. Early spring is a good time to plant perennials in
colder climates.
Plant spacing depends on each individual species and how long
you want to wait for your garden to fill in, but generally about 12
inches is good for most herbaceous perennial plants. Obviously the
more plants you can afford the sooner your garden will be more
attractive and the fewer weed problems you will have. However,
planting too densely can be a waste of money and effort.
Good soil preparation is extremely important for perennials, since
they may be in place for many years. Dig the bed to a depth of 8 to 10
inches and work in at least 2 inches of organic matter before planting.
A cottage garden is a charming way to incorporate perennials into a landscape. It
typically has a looser, more relaxed style and usually includes a lot of old-
fashioned and fragrant flowers. It is a good style for people who like to have a lot
of different plants.

Select a variety of perennials with varying bloom times, flower colors, and plant
heights, as well as a few plants with interesting foliage to fill in.
 How to Plant Perennials

Before removing plants from their containers, place them in the prepared garden
to see how they will look together. Experiment with different groupings until you
find an arrangement that pleases you.
Dig a hole about twice as wide as each container and deep enough so the plant
is just a little higher than it was in the container, to allow for soil settling. Dig
holes one at a time to make it easier to maintain the arrangement.
Gently remove the plant from its container and pull apart any circling roots. Fill
in with soil and tamp it around the plant.
Water the entire garden thoroughly to settle the soil around the roots. Make sure
the plants get plenty of water until they are established.

TIP: Create a shallow well ringing around the base of the stem to trap water so it
doesn’t run off as quickly.
Creating a New Garden Bed

C hances are there is already something growing where you want to

install your new garden. And chances are it’s not desirable
vegetation. As tempting as it is, do not just jump right in and start
planting, figuring it will be easy to just pull the weeds as you go.
Proper site preparation is the key to success. Take the time to get rid
of existing vegetation and improve the soil before you start putting
plants in the ground. This preparation will pay significant dividends.

TOOLS & MATERIALS

Garden hose
Spade
Newspapers or cardboard (optional)
Spray herbicide (optional)
Soil amendments
Landscape edging
Landscape spikes
Maul
Garden rake
Mulch
 How to Create a New Garden Bed

Use a sun-warmed garden hose to lay out your proposed garden, following the
topography of the site. Most gardens look best with gentle curves rather than
straight lines.
TIP: Smother the existing vegetation in the garden bed area with about 6" of
organic mulch such as straw, shredded bark, or compost. Mow closely in the
spring, then cover the area with a thick layer of newspaper or cardboard and
then add the organic mulch. Keep the newspaper and mulch in place all
summer. Replenish the mulch in fall, and by the next spring your garden
should be ready for planting. This method works best on lawn areas rather
than areas with lots of deep-rooted perennial weeds.
Remove existing vegetation. There are several ways to get rid of existing
vegetation. Which way you choose depends on how much time you have and how
you feel about using herbicides. The most natural way to create a new garden bed
is to dig it up manually. Just be sure to get rid of all the existing plant roots. Even
tiny pieces of tough perennial-weed roots can grow into big bad weeds in no time.
A major disadvantage with this method is that you lose substantial amounts of
topsoil. To avoid this, if you have the time, you can simply turn the sod over and
allow it to decay on site. This will take at least one growing season.
Once the existing vegetation is dead or removed, turn the soil by hand or with a
tiller, and add soil amendments. Do not use a tiller without killing all existing
vegetation first—it may look like you’ve created a bare planting area, but all you’ve
done is ground the roots into smaller pieces that will sprout into more plants than
you started with. Even after multiple tillings spaced weeks apart, you’ll be haunted
by these root pieces.
Install landscape edging to keep lawn grasses from invading your garden. The best
option is to install a barrier of some type. When it comes to barriers, it’s worth
paying more for a quality material. Metal edging buried 4" or more into the soil
effectively keeps turf from sneaking in. If you go with black plastic edging, use
contractor grade to avoid having to replace it in a few years.
Cover the new garden with mulch. Mulching your new garden will not only help
keep the weeds from settling in, it will also help maintain soil moisture and
prevent the soil from washing away until you can get the plants established. Cover
the entire prepared garden bed with 2" to 3" of an organic mulch such as shredded
bark, pine bark nuggets, cocoa bean hulls, or shredded leaves. Avoid using grass
clippings; they tend to mat down and become smelly.
Concrete Curb Edging

P oured concrete edging is perfect for curves and custom shapes,

especially when you want a continuous border at a consistent
height. Keeping the edging low to the ground (about 1 inch above
grade) makes it work well as a mowing strip, in addition to a patio or
walkway border. Use fiber-reinforced concrete mix, and cut control
joints into the edging to help control cracking.
 TOOLS & MATERIALS
Rope or garden hose
Excavation tools
Mason’s string
Hand tamp
Maul
Circular saw
Drill
Concrete mixing tools
Margin trowel
Wood concrete float
Concrete edger
1 × 1 wood stakes
1/4" hardboard
1" wood screws
Fiber-reinforced concrete
Acrylic concrete sealer
Eye and ear protection
Work gloves
Concrete edging draws a sleek, smooth line between surfaces in your yard and is
especially effective for curving paths and walkways.
 How to Install Concrete Curb Edging

Lay out the contours of the edging using a rope or garden hose. For straight runs,
use stakes and mason’s string to mark the layout. Make the curb at least 5" wide.
Dig a trench between the layout lines 8" wide (or 3" wider than the finished curb
width) at a depth that allows for a 4"-thick (minimum) curb at the desired height
above grade. Compact the soil to form a flat, solid base.
Stake along the edges of the trench, using 1" × 1" × 12" wood stakes. Drive a
stake every 18" along each side edge.
Build the form sides by fastening 4"-wide strips of 1/4" hardboard to the insides of
the stakes using 1" wood screws. Bend the strips to follow the desired contours.
Add spacers inside the form to maintain a consistent width. Cut the spacers from
1 × 1 to fit snugly inside the form. Set the spacers along the bottom edges of the
form at 3-ft. intervals.
Fill the form with concrete mixed to a firm, workable consistency. Use a margin
trowel to spread and consolidate the concrete.
Tool the concrete: once the bleed water disappears, smooth the surface with a
wood float. Using a margin trowel, cut 1"-deep control joints across the width of
the curb at 3-ft. intervals. Tool the side edges of the curb with an edger. Allow to
cure. Seal the concrete, as directed, with an acrylic concrete sealer, and let it cure
for 3 to 5 days before removing the form.
Mulching Beds

M ulch is the dressing on a landscape bed, but its benefits run

deeper than surface appeal. Mulch protects plant and tree roots,
prevents soil erosion, discourages weed growth, and helps the ground
retain moisture. You can purchase a variety of mulches for different
purposes. Synthetic mulches and stones are long-lasting, colorful, and
resist erosion. They’ll never break down. Organic mulches, such as
compost and wood chips, enrich soil and double as “dressing” and
healthy soil amendments.
No matter what type of mulch you choose, application technique is
critical. If you spread it too thick it may become matted down and can
trap too much moisture. Too thin, it can wash away to reveal bare
spots. If it is unevenly applied, it will appear spotty.
Consider timing before you apply mulch. The best time to mulch is
mid-to late-spring, after the ground warms up. If you apply mulch too
soon, the ground will take longer to warm up and your plants will
suffer for it. You may add more mulch during the summer to retain
water, and in the winter to insulate soil. (As weather warms, lift some
of the mulch to allow new growth to sprout.) Spring is prime
mulching time.
Mulch comes in many varieties, but most is made from shredded wood and bark.
Because it is an organic material, it breaks down and requires regular refreshing.
 MULCHES
Organic:
• Compost
• Lawn clippings (free of chemicals)
• Leaves
• Wood chips or shavings
• Bark
• Manure
Synthetic and Stone:
• Recycled rubber mulch
• Stone or brick
• Landscape fabric
 How to Landscape with Mulch

Remove weeds from the bed and water plants thoroughly before applying mulch.
For ornamental planting beds it often is a good idea to lay strips of landscape
fabric over the soil before mulching.
OPTION: Help contain the mulch in a confined area by installing flexible
landscape edging.
Working in sections, scoop a pile of material from the load (wheelbarrow or bag)
and place the piles around the landscape bed.
Spread mulch material to a uniform 1" thickness to start. Do not allow mulch to
touch tree trunks or stems of woody ornamentals. Compost can double as mulch
and a soil amendment that provides soil with nutrients. If you don’t make your
own compost, you can purchase all-natural products such as Sweet Peet.
Rain Garden

A rain garden collects and filters water runoff, which prevents

flooding and protects the environment from pollutants carried by
urban stormwater. Rain gardens provide a valuable habitat for birds
and wildlife, and these purposeful landscape features also enhance the
appearance of your yard. In fact, when a rain garden is installed and
planted properly, it looks like any other landscape bed on a property.
(There are no ponds or puddles involved.) The difference is, a rain
garden can allow about 30 percent more water to soak into the ground
than a conventional lawn.
Though a rain garden may seem like a small environmental
contribution toward a mammoth effort to clean up our water supply
and preserve aquifers, collectively they can produce significant
community benefits. For instance, if homeowners in a subdivision
each decide to build a rain garden, the neighborhood could avoid
installing an unsightly retention pond to collect stormwater runoff. So
you see, the little steps you take at home can make a big difference.
Most of the work of building a rain garden is planning and digging.
If you recruit some helpers for the manual labor, you can easily
accomplish this project in a weekend. As for the planning, give
yourself good time to establish a well-thought-out design that
considers the variables mentioned here. And as always, before
breaking ground, you should contact your local utility company or
digging hotline to be sure your site is safe.
 TOOLS & MATERIALS
Shovels
Rakes
Trowels
Carpenter’s level
Small backhoe (optional)
Tape measure
Wood stakes, at least 2 ft. long
String
6 ft. 2 × 4 board (optional)
 BEFORE YOU DIG
Determine the best place for your rain garden by answering the
following questions:
• Where does water stand after a heavy rain?
• What is the water source? (drainpipe, runoff from a patio or
other flat surface, etc.)
• What direction does water move on your property?
• Where could water potentially enter and exit a rain garden?
• Where could a rain garden be placed to catch water from its
source before it flows to the lowest point on the property?
• Do you need more than one rain garden?
Preparing the Land
Soil is a key factor in the success of your rain garden because it acts
as a sponge to soak up water that would otherwise run off and
contribute to flooding, or cause puddling in a landscape. Soil is either
sandy, silty, or clay based, so check your yard to determine what
category describes your property. Sandy soil is ideal for drainage,
while clay soils are sticky and clumpy. Water doesn’t easily penetrate
thick, compacted clay soils, so these soils need to be amended to
aerate the soil body and give it a porous texture that’s more
welcoming to water runoff. Silty soils are smooth but not sticky and
absorb water relatively well, though they also require amending.
Really, no soil is perfect, so you can plan on boosting its rain garden
potential with soil amendments. The ideal soil amendment is
comprised of: washed sharp sand (50 percent); double-shredded
hardwood mulch (15 percent); topsoil (30 percent); and peat moss (5
percent). Compost can be substituted for peat moss.
While planning your rain garden, give careful consideration to its
position, depth, and shape. Build it at least 10 feet from the house, and
not directly over a septic system. Avoid wet patches where infiltration
is low. Shoot for areas with full or partial sun that will help dry up the
land, and stay away from large trees. The flatter the ground, the better.
Ideally, the slope should be less than a 12 percent grade.
Residential rain gardens can range from 100 to 300 square feet in
size, and they can be much smaller, though you will have less of an
opportunity to embellish the garden with a variety of plants. Rain
gardens function well when shaped like a crescent, kidney, or
teardrop. The slope of the area where you’re installing the rain garden
will determine how deep you need to dig. Ideally, dig 4 to 8 inches
deep. If the garden is too shallow, you’ll need more square footage to
capture the water runoff, or risk overflow. If the garden is too deep,
water may collect and look like a pond. That’s not the goal.
 Finally, as you consider the ideal spot for your rain garden—and
you may find that you need more than one—think about areas of your
yard that you want to enhance with landscaping. Rain gardens are
aesthetically pleasing, and you’ll want to enjoy all the hard work you
put into preparing the land and planting annuals and perennials.
 How to Build a Rain Garden

Choose a site, size, and shape for the rain garden, following the design standards
outlined on the previous two pages. Use rope or a hose to outline the rain garden
excavation area. Avoid trees and be sure to stay at least 10 ft. away from
permanent structures. Try to choose one of the recommended shapes: crescent,
kidney, or teardrop.
Dig around the perimeter of the rain garden and then excavate the central area
to a depth of 4" to 8". Heap excavated soil around the garden edges to create a
berm on the three sides that are not at the entry point. This allows the rain garden
to hold water in during a storm.
Dig and fill sections of the rain garden that are lower, working to create a level
foundation. Tamp the top of the berm so it will stand up to water flow. The berm
eventually can be planted with grasses or covered with mulch.
Level the center of the rain garden and check with a long board with a
carpenter’s level on top. Fill in low areas with soil and dig out high areas. Move the
board to different places to check the entire garden for level.

NOTE: If the terrain demands, a slope of up to 12 percent is okay. Then, rake

the soil smooth.
Plant specimens that are native to your region and have a well-established root
system. Contact a local university extension or nursery to learn which plants can
survive in a saturated environment (inside the rain garden). Group together
bunches of three to seven plants of like variety for visual impact. Mix plants of
different heights, shapes, and textures to give the garden dimension. Mix sedges,
rushes, and native grasses with flowering varieties. The plants and soil cleanse
stormwater that runs into the garden, leaving pure water to soak slowly back into
the earth.
Apply double-shredded mulch over the bed, avoiding crowns of new transplants.
Mulching is not necessary after the second growing season. Complement the
design with natural stone, a garden bench with a path leading to it, or an
ornamental fence or garden wall. Water a newly established rain garden during
drought times—as a general rule, plants need 1" of water per week. After plants
are established, you should not have to water the garden. Maintenance
requirements include minor weeding and cutting back dead or unruly plant
material annually.
Xeriscape

X eriscaping, in a nutshell, is waterwise gardening. It is a form of

landscaping using drought-tolerant plants and grasses. How a
property is designed, planted, and maintained can drastically reduce
water usage if xeriscape is put into practice. Some think that
xeriscaping will become a new standard in gardening as water
becomes a more precious commodity and as homeowners’ concern for
the environment elevates.
Several misconceptions about xeriscaping still exist. Many people
associate it with desert cactus and dirt, sparsely placed succulents and
rocks. They are convinced that turf is a four-letter word and grass is
far too thirsty for xeriscaping. This is not true. You can certainly
include grass in a xeriscape plan, but the key is to incorporate turf
where it makes the most sense: children’s play areas or front yards
protected from foot traffic. Also, your choice of plants expands far
beyond prickly cactus. The plant list, depending on where you live, is
long and varied.
Xeriscaping is associated with sand, cacti, and arid climates, but the basic idea of
planting flora that withstands dry conditions and makes few demands on water
resources is a valid goal in any area.

TOOLS & MATERIALS

Basic tools
Fill
The Seven Principles of Xeriscape
Keep in mind these foundational principles of xeriscape as you plan a
landscape design. First begin by finding out what the annual rainfall is
in your area. What time of year does it usually rain? Answering these
questions will help guide plant selection. Now look at the mirco-
environment: your property. Where are there spots of sun and shade?
Are there places where water naturally collects and the ground is
boggy? What about dry spots where plant life can’t survive? Where
are trees, structures (your home), patios, walkways, and play areas
placed? Sketch your property and figure these variables into your
xeriscape design.
Also, carefully study these seven principles and work them into
your plan.

1. Water conservation: Group plants with similar watering needs together for
the most efficient water use. Incorporate larger plantings that provide natural
heating and cooling opportunities for adjacent buildings. If erosion is a
problem, build terraces to control water runoff. Before making any decision,
ask yourself: how will this impact water consumption?

2. Soil improvement: By increasing organic matter in your soil and keeping it

well aerated, you provide a hardy growing environment for plants, reducing
the need for excess watering. Aim for soil that drains well and maintains
moisture effectively. Find out your soil pH level by sending a sample away to
a university extension or purchasing a home kit. This way, you can properly
amend soil that is too acidic or alkaline.

3. Limited turf areas: Grass isn’t a no-no, but planting green acres with no
purpose is a waste. The typical American lawn is not water-friendly—just
think how many people struggle to keep their lawns green during hot
summers. If you choose turf, ask a nursery for water-saving species adapted to
your area.
4. Appropriate plants: Native plants take less work and less water to thrive. In
general, drought-resistant plants have leaves that are small, thick, glossy,
silver-gray, or fuzzy. These attributes help plants retain water. As a rule, hot,
dry areas with south and west exposure like drought-tolerant plants; while
north-and east-facing slopes and walls provide moisture for plants that need a
drink more regularly. Always consider a plant’s water requirements and place
those with similar needs together.

5. Mulch: Soil maintains moisture more effectively when its surface is covered
with mulch such as leaves, coarse compost, pine needles, wood chips, bark, or
gravel. Mulch will prevent weed growth and reduce watering needs when it is
spread 3 inches thick.

6. Smart irrigation: If you must irrigate, use soaker hoses or drip irrigation (see
page 43). These systems deposit water directly at plants’ roots, minimizing
runoff and waste. The best time to water is early morning.

7. Maintenance: Sorry, there’s no such thing as a no-maintenance lawn. But

you can drastically cut your outdoor labor hours with xeriscape. Just stick to
these principles and consider these additional tips: 1) plant windbreaks to keep
soil from drying out (see page 38); 2) if possible, install mature plants that
require less water than young ones; 3) try “cycle” irrigation where you water
to the point of seeing runoff, then pause so the soil can soak up the moisture
before beginning to water again.
RANGE OF AVERAGE ANNUAL MINIMUM TEMPERATURES FOR EACH ZONE

Zone 1 Below -50°F

Zone 2 -50°F to -40°F
Zone 3 -40°F to -30°F
Zone 4 -30°F to -20°F
Zone 5 -20°F to -10°F
Zone 6 -10°F to 0°F
Zone 7 0°F to 10°F
Zone 8 10°F to 20°F
Zone 9 20°F to 30°F
Zone 10 30°F to 40°F
Zone 11 40°F to 50°F
 How to Xeriscape Your Yard

Plan the landscape with minimal turf, grouping together plants with similar
water requirements. Refer to the Seven Principles of Xeriscape as you sketch (see
page 59). Always consider your region’s climate and your property’s microclimate:
rainfall, sunny areas, shady spots, wind exposure, slopes (causing run-off), and
high foot-traffic zones.
Divide your xeriscape landscape plan into three zones. The oasis is closest to a
large structure (your home) and can benefit from rain runoff and shade. The
transition areas is a buffer between the oasis and arid zones. Arid zones are
farthest away from structures and get the most sunlight. These conditions will
dictate the native plants you choose.
Plant in receding layers by installing focal-point plants closest to the home (or
any other structure), choosing species that are native to the area. As you get
farther away from the home, plant more subtle varieties that are more drought
tolerant.
As you plant beds, be sure to group together plants that require more water so
you can efficiently water these spaces.
Incorporate groundcover on slopes, narrow strips that are difficult to irrigate and
mow, and shady areas where turf does not thrive. Install hardscape such as
walkways, patios, and steppingstone paths in high foot-traffic zones.
Mulch will help retain moisture, reduce erosion, and serves as a pesticide-free
weed control. Use it to protect plant beds and fill in areas where turf will not
grow.
Plant turf sparingly in areas that are easy to maintain and will not require extra
watering. Choose low-water-use grasses adapted for your region. These may
include Kentucky Bluegrass, Zoysia, St. Augustine, and Buffalo grass.
OPTION: Install a drip irrigation system to water plants efficiently.
Zen Garden

W hat’s commonly called a Zen garden in the West is actually a

Japanese dry garden, with little historical connection to Zen
Buddhism. The form typically consists of sparse, carefully positioned
stones in a meticulously raked bed of coarse sand or fine gravel.
Japanese dry gardens can be immensely satisfying. Proponents find
the uncluttered space calming and the act of raking out waterlike
ripples in the gravel soothing and perhaps even healing. The fact that
they are low maintenance and drought resistant is another advantage.
Site your garden on flat or barely sloped ground away from messy
trees and shrubs (and cats), as gravel and sand are eventually spoiled
by the accumulation of organic matter. There are many materials you
can use as the rakable medium for the garden. Generally, lighter-
colored, very coarse sand is preferred—it needs to be small enough to
be raked into rills yet large enough that the rake lines don’t settle out
immediately. Crushed granite is a viable medium. Another option that
is used occasionally is turkey grit, a fine gravel available from farm
supply outlets. In this project, we show you how to edge your garden
with cast pavers set on edge, although you may prefer to use natural
stone blocks or even smooth stones in a range of 4 to 6 inches.
A Zen garden is a small rock garden, typically featuring a few large specimen
stones inset into a bed of gravel. It gets its name from the meditative benefits of
raking the gravel.
 TOOLS & MATERIALS
Stakes
Mason’s string
Garden hose
Landscape marking paint
Straight 2 × 4
Level
Measuring tape
Compactable gravel
Excavating tools
Crushed granite (light colored)
Hand maul
Manual tamper
Landscape fabric
Fieldstone steppers
Specimen stones
Border stones
Eye protection and work gloves
 How to Make a Zen Garden

Lay out the garden location using stakes and string or hoses and then mark the
outline directly onto the ground with landscape paint.
Excavate the site and install any large specimen stones that require burial more
than 1/2 ft. below grade.
Dig a trench around the border for the border stones, and lay down landscape
fabric.
Pour a 3" thick layer of compactable gravel into the border trench and tamp
down with a post or a hand tamper.
Place border blocks into the trench and adjust them so the tops are even.
Test different configurations of rocks in the garden to find an arrangement you
like. If it’s a larger garden, strategically place a few flat rocks so you can reach the
entire garden with a rake without stepping in the raking medium.
Set the stones in position on individual beds of sand about 1" thick. Pour in
pebbles.
Rake the medium into pleasing patterns with a special rake (see next page).
 HOW TO MAKE A ZEN GARDEN RAKE
Once you have constructed
your Zen garden, you will use
two tools to interact with it:
your eyes and a good rake.
While any garden rake will
suffice for creating the swirling
and concentric rills that are
hallmarks of the Zen garden, a
special rake that’s dedicated to
the garden will enhance your
hands-on interaction.
Many Zen garden rakes are
constructed from bamboo. Bamboo is lightweight and readily
available, especially through Internet sites. While you can
certainly choose this material, you’re likely to find that the
lightness can actually work against it, causing you to exert more
strain to cut through the raking medium. A rake made from solid
wood has greater heft that lets it glide more smoothly through the
medium. The rake shown here is made using only the following
materials:
• 1 1/4"-dia. by 48" oak or pine dowel (handle)
• 1/2" by 36" oak or pine dowel (tines)
• 2" × 3" × 9 1/2" piece of red oak (head)
Start by sanding all of the stock smooth using sandpaper up to 150
grit in coarseness. Soften the edges of the 2 × 3 with the
sandpaper. Drill a 1 1/4" dia. hole in the head for the handle
(Figure 1). The hole should go all the way through the head at a
22 1/2° downward angle (half of a 45° angle), with the top of the
hole no closer than 3/4" to the top of the head. Use a backer board
when drilling to prevent blowout and splinters.

Figure 1

Next, drill 1/2"-dia. by 1"-deep seat holes for the tines in the
bottom edge of the blank. Locate centers of the two end holes 1"
from the ends. Measure in 2 1/2" from each end hole and mark
centers for the intermediate tines. Use masking tape to mark a
drilling depth of 1" on your drill bit and then drill perpendicular
holes at each centerline. Cut four 5"-long pieces of the 1/2"-dia.
oak doweling for the tines. Apply wood glue into the bottom of
each hole and insert the tines, setting them by gently tapping with
a wood mallet (Figure 2). Then, apply glue to the handle hole’s
sides and insert the handle so the end protrudes all the way
through. After the glue dries, drill a 1/2"-dia. hole down through
the top of the head and into the handle. Glue a 1/2" dowel into the
hole to reinforce the handle (this is called pinning).

Figure 2

Finally, use a back saw, gentleman’s saw, or Japanese flush-

cutting saw to trim the handle end and the handle pin flush with
the head (Figure 3). Sand to smooth the trimmed ends and remove
any dried glue. Finish with two or three light coats of wipe-on
polyurethane tinted for red oak.
Figure 3
 NATIVE PLANTS
Native plants are those species that grew naturally in an area
before the greatest influx of European settlement, about the mid-
1800s in most areas of North America. Native plants tend to lend
themselves to less formal gardens, but many of them can also be
used in formal settings as well.
There are many benefits to using native plants. For many
gardeners, the initial attraction comes from native plants’
reputation of being lower maintenance than a manicured lawn and
exotic shrubs. For the most part this is true—provided native
plants are given landscape situations that match their cultural
requirements. Because they have evolved and adapted to their
surroundings, native plants tend to be tolerant of tough conditions
such as drought and poor soil and are better adapted to local
climatic conditions and better able to resist any negative effects of
insects and diseases.
The less tangible—but possibly more important—side of using
native plants, is the connection you make with nature. Gardening
with natives instills an understanding of our natural world—its
cycles, changes, and history. By observing native plants
throughout the year, a gardener gains insight into seasonal
rhythms and life cycles. You will see an increase in birds,
butterflies, and pollinating insects, making your garden a livelier
place.
To find out what plants were native in your area, check out your
state’s Department of Natural Resources website, which often
includes a list of native plants or links where you can find them.
Your agricultural extension office can be helpful as well.
Native plants and natural gardens tend to be more informal and loosely
structured, but they can also work fine in smaller, more formal settings with
the right plant selection and planting techniques.
 BOULEVARD GARDENS
There are many good reasons to garden on the boulevard: that
narrow area between the municipal sidewalk and the street. In
denser urban areas the space offers additional gardening square
footage where it is often scarce. From an environmental
standpoint, a boulevard garden creates a buffer for the street and
sewer system, and the absence of clippings created by mowing a
traditional grass boulevard helps keep unnecessary organic matter
and lawn fertilizer out of the sewer system. Often, boulevards are
left to “go native” by planting prairie grasses and other hardy,
indigenous plants. More frequently these days, homeowners are
truing to these strip areas to plant edibles.
Before you plant a boulevard garden, you should check with your
municipality to see if there are restrictions you need to be aware
of—these are usually related to height and sightline issues, as well
as the need to maintain access from the street. Also, if you live in
areas where the streets are plowed in the winter, it’s likely that the
soil on your boulevard contains high levels of road salt. This may
limit your plant selection: inquire at your local garden center
about plants that are salt tolerant.
Tips for Boulevard Gardening
• Good soil drainage is key since you need the water to percolate
down rather than run off.
• Keep your soil line slightly below the sidewalk and curb heights
to make sure no soil washes away.
• It’s usually best to stick with low-growing clumping plants, but
wider boulevards can handle shrubs and even small trees.
• Make sure your plants don’t block people’s ability to see at
intersections.
 intersections.
• Stay away from prolific self-seeders; even a couple extra plants
can make this small space look weedy.

Boulevard strips, or tree lawns as they are sometimes called, are the narrow
areas between the sidewalk and the street. As prevalent as they are in urban
landscapes, boulevards are often neglected when it comes to gardening. This
is unfortunate since they are in plain view of anyone who visits or passes by
on the sidewalk.
Pathways

T hink of a pathway as a
natural narrator. It tells the
colorful story that draws people
into your outdoor space. Sure,
you can leave to chance the
discovery of all the beauty and
varied features of the backyard
you’ve worked so hard to create.
Or you can use a pathway to
gently lead visitors to your
annuals bed, prize roses, water
feature, arroyo and bridge, garden
bench, or gazebo.
The takeaway about the projects in this chapter—beyond that they
generate immense gratification and a quick transformation of your
outdoor area—is they are easy to pull off. They require negligible
maintenance, make your yard look established and stately, and they
protect your plants from those musing meanderers who might mangle
your marigolds. While these pathways projects are not difficult, they
do require a design and knowledge of materials, base drainage, and
borders. All in all, it’s a fun chapter with projects that promise to
make your outdoor space inspiring and moving (literally).

In this chapter:
• Designing Paths & Walkways
• Loose Rock Landscape Path
• Steppingstone Landscape Path
• Cast Concrete Steppers
• Arroyo
• Classic Garden Bridge
Designing Paths & Walkways

T he purpose of paths and walkways in the landscape is twofold: to

visually connect various “rooms” and features; and to map out
sensible, accessible, and comfortable walk routes from point A to
point B—that is, from patio to garden, from sidewalk to front porch.
A utilitarian approach is to lay a path for safety reasons, creating a
clear-cut pedestrian runway that is meant to purposefully usher people
to a destination. But many paths are much more than a means to an
end. Your path will communicate to visitors where to go and how to
get there. A less formal path will encourage a slower pace, forcing
exploration. Steppingstones artfully placed in a garden will merely
suggest a trail through a crowd of plant life. You’ll eventually find the
treasure at the end of the trail—prize roses, a gurgling fountain. The
pleasure is in the journey.
While designing a path and considering materials for these
projects, consider the experience you want people to have as they
navigate the walkway. Do you want to guide them quickly without
distraction, or do you hope they’ll discover a cozy sitting area along
the way? With your goals in mind, you can begin to sketch a road
map.
Think of a path as a mini highway system for your yard. You may
only require a single walkway that leads from a side garage door,
around the house, to the deck out back. Or, your landscape design
may include pockets of interest that you want people to discover: a
pond, gazebo, bench, garden, or children’s play area. In this case,
you’ll need some “side streets” or back roads. Your main artery will
probably serve as a safe route with the sheer purpose of clearing the
way for pedestrians. Pathways may branch off of this key walkway.
These are the scenic byways.
A pebble pathway contained by a loose-laid brick border provides just enough
tracking for people to safely meander through a woodland backyard.
Mixing materials can lead to very interesting and pleasing pathway designs,
provided it is done with some discretion and design savvy. The loose gravel and
flagstone pathway above has a distinct organic quality and a sense of relaxation
and flow. The smaller pathway (inset) cobbled together from sections of old
railroad ties, rocks and shells certainly is unique, but there is little to tie the
elements together visually. In addition, the irregular walking surface created by
the short, perpendicularly laid ties and the fairly large rocks does present a
tripping hazard. With pathways and steps, surprises are best avoided.
A steppingstone walkway allows grass “grout” to grow. A path is important for
guiding the eye, and foot traffic, through a landscape.
Color outside the lines. A straight line is a safe and efficient form for a pathway,
but adding a few jogs and bends adds great visual interest.