Smart & Sustainable, Green Garden Design, Coaching & Seasonal Maintenance


Monday, May 28, 2012

Lawn-Free Garden Tour

Episode 2: "What-To-Grow-Instead-Of-A-Lawn

Last month I went on a garden tour that highlighted gardens that were river-friendly and water-wise. The tour (and park exhibit) were sponsored by a community-based group that called themselves the, Elk Grove Greener Gardens Project!



Here are some of the gardens I liked the best.

I like 3 things about this first garden. One: the dry stream bed is nicely done, curvy with some partially blocked areas. Two, the courtyard walls (although you can't see it so much here) were rounded to accomodate a tree ... so much better than a rectangle! Three: the contrasting foliage. I believe the gray-blue is a lavender, with Golden Breath of Heaven, Coleonema 'Sunset Gold', behind it. This is an important point to remember when choosing landscape materials. You can take a garden from bland to beautiful with contrast, and one of the best ways to achieve it is with foliage. Designer, Roberta Walker, did a lovely job!



Same home ... with better view of the courtyard and showing more of the "come-alive" effect of having contrasting foliage  (here, Snow-in-Summer, Cerastium tomentosum, is the star of the show with it's white mounding flowers and gray leaves). Imagine this space with a plain green lawn. Imagine it with all green shrubs. Isn't this better?



A young neighbor boy was happy to assist on tour day. Courtyards are a great trend in landscapes today ... they make use of your front "acreage" and bring life to the neighborhood.




This home also has a nice stream bed and while not a courtyard, this home also has a porch area that the homeowners enjoy. When you have an interesting front yard that invites wildlife, it's more fun to sit outside.



This homeowner loves color, and filled her yard with it. Not all of her plants are drought tolerant, but with the absence of a lawn, there's ample water to maintain these and still be under her "water budget" (a term the water providers use when calculating the combined water needs of a desirable water-wise landscape).



I got to peak at her back yard, too! Yep, more color!



One of my favorite elements of the day, this divider made of wood and copper pipe. A stylish space divider that tied in with the plantings ...


 ... a nearby Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar, Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca pendula',



and, the Blue Fescue, Festuca ovina glauca. 



Thanks to my admiration of his front yard, I was invited to take a look at his back yard. More turquoise - too charming, wouldn't you agree?


My final favorite was this garden. I like the retaining walls, but was especially fascinated with their incorporation of a rain garden behind same walls! 



A close-up of the dry-stacked wall, with a variety of water-wise plants: Lamb's Ear (Stachys byzantina), Shore Juniper (Juniperus conferta), Creeping Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis prostratus) and Bearberry, (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi).



And, hiding behind that wall, a water-retaining area that will absorb the run-off which will percolate into the soil and recharge our ground water system.



It was a fun day, and as these tours tend to go, you gradually get to know other garden enthusiasts!!!



Whether you need garden design, coaching, seasonal maintenance or planting, Geno's Garden can help! Call me at (916) 764-5243, or email hansonja@aol.com.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Pin of the Day: Beautiful No-Mow Yards

Episode 1: "What-To-Grow-Instead-Of-A-Lawn"


It's a hot trend, on many a homeowner's wish list, but it's not entirely easy to go "lawn-free",  especially if you have to remove Bermuda grass! And, then there's the question of what will you replace it with? One option for our Sacramento gardens is native grasses. Deep-rooted, they require less water, and, best of all, they need rarely see the mower! Click thru on this picture for a great review of the book .



Note: this photo is from my "Favorite Gardening Books" Pinterest Board. If you haven't discovered Pinterest, check it out! I love it. A place for all the wonderful pictures, recipes and how-to's I find on the web and a place to share some of my own. If you want an invite to join (at this stage, an invite is what you need), let me know and I'll shoot you one.

... and, later in the week, join me for a
Thursday, May 24th, 2012 from 10 - 2, Lunch Included 

Whether you need garden design, coaching, seasonal maintenance or planting, Geno's Garden can help! Call me at (916) 764-5243, or email hansonja@aol.com.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Pin of the Day: a DIY Circular Brick Patio

Last week I had a nice visit with a homeowner who showed me pictures of charming patios and walkways and the garden elements that she loved, and this photo was one of them! This circular patio is only 7' in diameter. Can't you think of a special place in your garden for a sweet spot like this?
Source: sunset.com via Jeannie on Pinterest

Note: this photo is from my "Gardening" Pinterest Board. The picture links to Sunset magazine article on how build one of these for yourself. If you haven't discovered Pinterest, check it out! I love it. A place for all the wonderful pictures, recipes and how-to's I find on the web and a place to share some of my own. If you want an invite to join (at this stage, an invite is what you need), let me know and I'll shoot you one.

Whether you need garden design, coaching, seasonal maintenance or planting, Geno's Garden can help! Call me at (916) 764-5243, or email hansonja@aol.com.

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Pin of the Day: OMG it's a Great-Tailed Gackle!

Birds are a part of our gardens ... along with the motion of the grasses, the bees going end up in their hunt for pollen, and sometimes, even, the neighbor's tape of "Does the Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight?" wafting its way over the fence (seriously). Most of the time I like the quiet sounds best, but if a Great-Tailed Gackle came to visit ... well that's another story. He'd probably wear out his welcome after a bit, but highly entertaining in small doses!

Note: this photo is from my "Things with Wings" Pinterest Board. It links to a wonderful site on bird identification, including how they sound, which is a huge part of the above bird's allure! If you haven't discovered Pinterest, check it out! I love it. A place for all the wonderful pictures, recipes and how-to's I find on the web and a place to share some of my own. If you want an invite to join (at this stage, an invite is what you need), let me know and I'll shoot you one.

Whether you need garden design, coaching, seasonal maintenance or planting, Geno's Garden can help! Call me at (916) 764-5243, or email hansonja@aol.com.

Monday, May 07, 2012

Pin of the Day: California Native Plants

California native plants - are you a fan? There's a lot to recommend. Native plants are pre-qualified garden visitors. They've already proven they can survive in your gardening environment. They also invite their friends ... the birds, bees and butterflies that love their berries, pollen and nectar.


Note: this photo is from my "California Native Gardens" Pinterest board.It links to a article on how be successful with your native gardening. If you haven't discovered Pinterest, check it out! I love it. A place for all the wonderful pictures, recipes and how-to's I find on the web and a place to share some of my own. If you want an invite to join (at this stage, an invite is what you need), let me know and I'll shoot you one.

Whether you need garden design, coaching, seasonal maintenance or planting, Geno's Garden can help! Call me at (916) 764-5243, or email hansonja@aol.com.

Friday, May 04, 2012

Pin of the Day: Flowers You Can Eat

I love this picture for the weathered wooden fence as much as for the sunny nasturtiums, but then, I always love gardens and spaces that make me feel like I'm in the country. Did you know you can eat these flowers? They're a bit peppery ... nice addition to a salad for both taste and visually. Also I hear they're good with a dab of cream cheese. Edibles mixed in with ornamentals is a hot trend ... not only flowering plants that can be used for teas or as an accent (like lemon verbena, pansies. borage and nasturtiums), but also bolder vegetables like artichokes and chard, fruits like blueberries and of course, citrus! Rosalind Creasy has been writing about this for the last 40 years (The Edible Mexican Garden, Edible French Garden, Edible Landscaping, etc.) but it's finally catching hold in a big way. My social media friend, Ivette Soler, has written a best seller that will give you all the info you need to be successful ... The Edible Front Yard.
nasturtiums
Note: this photo is from my "Edibles in the Garden" Pinterest board. If you haven't discovered Pinterest, check it out! I love it. A place for all the wonderful pictures, recipes and how-to's I find on the web and a place to share some of my own. If you want an invite to join (at this stage, an invite is what you need), let me know and I'll shoot you one.

Whether you need garden design, coaching, seasonal maintenance or planting, Geno's Garden can help! Call me at (916) 764-5243, or email hansonja@aol.com.

Thursday, May 03, 2012

Pin of the Day: a Mother's Day Hint

One of my most "re-pinned" photos on my Pinterest page (just means it was popular)  ... I showed these on this blog earlier, but some things deserve repeating, and, with Mother's Day coming up, you just might need a hint. These flagstone hearts make wonderful stepping stones or are pretty as an accent just as they are. The cost about $15 and are sold at Silverado Building Supply and Nursery in Sacramento.


Note: this photo is from my "Garden Art" Pinterest board. If you haven't discovered Pinterest, check it out! I love it. A place for all the wonderful pictures, recipes and how-to's I find on the web and a place to share some of my own. If you want an invite to join (at this stage, an invite is what you need), let me know and I'll shoot you one.
Whether you need garden design, coaching, seasonal maintenance or planting, Geno's Garden can help! Call me at (916) 764-5243, or email hansonja@aol.com.

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Pin of the Day: Rock Feet

These rocks are cute - exactly as they are! But, wouldn't they also be a delight embedded in a walkway. What a surprise that would be. (Surprise is a design element I personally think is important)

Source: tumblr.com via Jeannie on Pinterest


Note: this photo is from my "Garden DIY" Pinterest board. If you haven't discovered Pinterest, check it out! I love it. A place for all the wonderful pictures, recipes and how-to's I find on the web and a place to share some of my own. If you want an invite to join (at this stage, an invite is what you need), let me know and I'll shoot you one.
Whether you need garden design, coaching, seasonal maintenance or planting, Geno's Garden can help! Call me at (916) 764-5243, or email hansonja@aol.com.

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Pin of the Day: a Grape Tree

Isn't this a great idea? I'm really taken with it. I have a couple of grapes I purchased last year that need to be planted, too ... hmmm...

Note: this photo is from my "Gardening" Pinterest board.If you haven't discovered Pinterest, check it out! I love it. A place for all the wonderful pictures, recipes and how-to's I find on the web and a place to share some of my own. If you want an invite to join (at this stage, that's what you need), let me know and I'll shoot you one. The picture originally came from the book, "Garden Up! Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces" by my social media friends, Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet. (this book is not only inspiring but incredibly practical - most of us have rather small plots of land to call our own. "Garden Up" was written with us in mind!)