Landscaping For Dummies

Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 3 Icons Used in This Book 3 Beyond This Book 4 Where to Go from Here 4 Part 1: Getting Started with Landscaping 5 Chapter 1: Designing Your Landscape: The Birth of Your Design 7 Starting with Dreams — Create Your Wish List 8 Gathering good ideas 9 Drawing within the Lines: Living with Practical Issues 12 Making sure you know where your property lines are 12 Verifying whether you need permits 13 Considering children and pets’ safety 13 Addressing water issues 14 Designating storage areas 15 Site Analysis — Understanding What You Have 16 Drawing your site analysis 17 Knowing how much of your yard you can use 19 Walking through the space 21 Focusing on privacy 22 Knowing when you’ll use your landscape 23 Designing a Low-Maintenance Landscape 24 Chapter 2: Thinking like a Designer 25 Achieving Unity, Blessed Unity, in Your Landscaping Design 26 Focusing on Repetition in Your Design 27 Playing with Color 28 Getting Some Rhythm 29 Adding Décor to Your Design: How Many Pink Flamingos Are Enough? 30 Paying Attention to Hardscape 31 Keeping an Eye on the Details 32 The Goldilocks Theory: Choosing Plants That Fit 32 Layering Plants to Add Interest 33 Chapter 3: Forming a Working Plan: Getting Serious about Your Design 35 Knowing What’s Already There — Making a Base Map 36 Ensuring you have the supplies to draw 36 Drawing your own base map 36 Overlaying Your Ideas 38 Putting Your Ideas on the Ground 41 Big deals: Designating space for large elements 42 Filling in the rest 42 Creating a Final Plan 43 Making a Shopping List 44 Step 1: List plants and determine their cost 46 Step 2: List and calculate the supplies 46 Step 3: Get hardscape estimates 47 Step 4: Make an itemized checklist 48 Step 5: Consider tools you may need to buy 48 Step 6: Take a breath 48 Getting Ready 50 Cutting your project into bite-sized pieces 50 Taking action before you break ground 51 Preparing your property 52 Doing It Yourself or Calling in the Big Guns 52 Part 2: Building Hardscape into Your Yard 55 Chapter 4: Taming Your Site 57 Focusing on Construction Basics 58 Looking at site challenges 58 Ramping up — a checklist 58 Understanding wood and its alternatives 60 Identifying tools and supplies 62 Keeping safety front and center 63 Grading Your Property 64 Laying Out Straight Lines and Shapes 65 Stringing lines — The hub and tack method 66 Stringing out the rest of a shape 66 Working with Slopes 68 Understanding challenges unique to installing retaining walls 68 Positioning a retaining wall 70 Installing a retaining wall 70 Chapter 5: Dealing with Water 75 Routing Water and Improving Drainage 75 Focusing on surface drainage 76 Installing subsurface drainage 77 Returning water to the land — rain gardens 78 Recognizing the Different Options of Watering Systems 80 Watering cans 81 Rain barrels 81 Hoses of all kinds 82 Irrigation systems 83 Chapter 6: All Things Fences, Walls, and Gates 87 Fabricating Fences 88 Knowing what to consider before beginning 88 Choosing fence materials 89 Building a basic fence 91 Working with Walls 101 Building a stacked stone wall 102 Building a mortared stone wall 103 Building a brick wall 104 Building a concrete block wall 107 Going for Gates 108 Chapter 7: Creating Paths and Walkways 111 Getting Started 111 Considering design and use 112 Deciding on materials and dimensions 112 Building Paths 113 Creating a gravel or crushed stone path 113 Making a walkway with bricks or pavers 114 Installing a concrete walk 116 Building a flagstone path 118 Stepping in Style 120 Calculating step dimensions 121 Planning your steps 122 Building steps 123 Installing a ramp 124 Chapter 8: Constructing Decks 127 Understanding a Deck’s Components 128 Starting with Building a Deck 129 Developing a good deck plan 129 Choosing decking material 131 Getting the Site Ready 131 Preparing to attach the ledger board 132 Installing the ledger board 133 Prepping footings and piers 134 Completing footings and piers 135 Installing posts and beams 136 Installing the joists 137 Laying decking boards 138 Adding deck stairs 139 Adding deck railings 141 Finishing Your Deck 143 Sides and undersides 143 Protective finishes 144 Chapter 9: Building Patios 145 Selecting Materials 146 Recognizing factors to evaluate 146 Considering your choices 147 Calculating how much material you’ll need 149 Building the Base 150 Installing the Surface 151 Installing brick, pavers, or flagstones 151 Installing a concrete slab patio 154 Chapter 10: Enhancing Your Landscape 159 Adding a Raised Bed to Your Landscape 160 Recognizing the details 160 Building the raised bed 161 Making a Built-in Bench 162 An elegant, low bench 163 Masonry benches 165 Building (or Buying) a Planter 165 Going with a wooden planter 165 Going with a masonry planter 166 Considering Hot Ideas 166 Installing a chimenea or fire pit 167 Installing an outdoor brick or stone oven 169 Planning a cooking center 169 Installing Lighting 170 Illuminating your landscape 171 Incorporating decorative lighting 172 Adding Wooden Support Structures 173 Growing up: Trellises 173 Putting arbors in their place 174 Installing a pergola or overhead 174 Utilizing a Shed 175 Storage sheds 176 She sheds 177 Potting sheds 177 Pondering Water Features 177 Part 3: The Planting o’ the Green 179 Chapter 11: Barking Up the Right Tree 181 Choosing the Perfect Tree 182 Considering important details before making the purchase 183 Finding a healthy tree at the nursery 184 Making the case for native trees 185 Discovering Some Favorite Trees 186 Naming our shade tree faves 186 Listing our favorite flowering trees 188 Tagging top trees for small spaces 190 Planting some fruit trees 192 Looking at evergreen trees 193 Steering clear of these trees 194 Demystifying Tree Planting 196 Shopping for trees — pro tips 196 Planting a tree in five easy steps 197 Chapter 12: Bulking Up with Shrubs and Vines 199 Finding Out about Shrubs 199 Looking at design considerations 200 Making the case for native shrubs 201 Discovering Some Favorite Shrubs 203 Considering Characteristics 212 Colorful shrubs 212 Drought-tolerant shrubs 212 Evergreen shrubs 213 Fruiting shrubs 214 Shopping: Finding High-Quality Shrubs 214 Planting Shrubs and Hedges 215 Getting new shrubs into the ground 215 Betting on hedges 216 Using Vines in Your Landscape 218 Selecting a vine with a spot in mind 218 Choosing a vine with a purpose in mind 219 Selecting some fine vines 220 Considering some annual vines 221 Shopping for Vines 222 Planting Vines 222 Providing sturdy support 222 Pruning and training your vines 223 Chapter 13: Adding Color and Texture This Season with Annuals 225 Knowing What An Annual Is 226 Cool dudes 227 When it’s hot, they’re hot 229 Understanding Your Options When Buying and Planting Annuals 232 Transplanting your annual seedlings 233 Creating splashy flowerbeds 236 Foodscaping: Vegetables are the new annuals 237 Chapter 14: Striving For Long-Lasting Beauty with Perennials and Bulbs 239 Creating a Perennial Border 240 Listing Perennials by Season 241 Spring bloomers 242 Summer stars 243 Autumn stalwarts 245 The best long-bloomers 246 Growing native perennials 247 Discovering ornamental grasses 247 Shopping For Perennials 248 Buying locally 248 Purchasing through a mail-order supplier 249 Planting and Pampering Your Perennials 250 Packing Beauty into Bulbs 250 Discovering Some Great Bulbs 252 Buying and Taking Care of Your Bulbs 255 Planting bulbs 255 Giving your bulbs some TLC 257 Fertilizing bulbs 258 Chapter 15: Including Succulents and Containers for More Color and Texture 259 Including Super Succulents 259 Eyeing the many plusses that make succulents so easy to love 260 Discovering favorite low-growing succulents 260 Creating fun and fabulous vignettes 262 Displaying in containers 263 Shopping and planting tips 264 Caring for succulents 266 Examining the Containerized Landscape 267 Tapping into the joys of container gardening 267 Picking pots 268 Potting plants in containers 269 Working with thrillers, fillers, and spillers 271 Caring for potted plants 272 Chapter 16: Covering Lots of Ground 273 Getting a Fresh Start: Clearing the Way 274 Calling Groundcovers to the Rescue 276 Top groundcover choices for sun 277 Top groundcover choices for shade 278 Top groundcover choices for slopes 280 Top groundcover choices for wet areas 280 Top choices between paving stones 281 Shrubby plants to cover the ground 282 Planting groundcovers 283 Considering How Much Lawn You Need 285 Recognizing what having a lawn means 285 Choosing a lower-maintenance, lower-impact lawn 286 Putting In a New Lawn 287 Choosing grass types 287 Seeding your lawn 289 Installing sod 291 Watering efficiently 292 Buffering the borders 293 Part 4: Outside Factors You Can and Can’t Control 295 Chapter 17: Maintaining Your Landscape 297 Bettering Your Soil 297 Cultivating living soil 299 Putting your soil to the test 302 Adjusting soil pH 302 Incorporating amendments 303 Gardening with no-till methods 305 Composting 101: Making Black Gold 306 Step 1: Locate a suitable spot 307 Step 2: Get a bin 307 Step 3: Set up your compost pile 307 Step 4: Start making deposits 308 Step 5: Layer 308 Step 6: Stir it up 308 Step 7: Harvest from below 308 Feeding Your Plants — Which Type of Fertilizer to Use? 309 Finding out what they need 309 Figuring out the finer points of fertilizer 310 Deciding which choice is best: Going natural 313 Giving Your Plants a Trim — Pruning 101 314 Editing Your Landscape 315 Improving rather than replacing a plant 315 Knowing when take out a plant 316 Taking out a plant 317 Calling in a professional 317 Chapter 18: Dealing with Critters, Weeds, and Other Common Problems 319 Discovering Natural Pest Control 320 Avoid using pesticides 320 Know thy enemy 321 Be aware of the enemies of your enemy 321 Combat with care 322 Coping with Small Rodents 323 Dealing with Doe, a Deer 326 Choosing plants to deter deer 326 Trying home remedies 326 Considering anti-deer products 327 Fencing them out 327 Grappling with Weeds 328 Avoiding the biggest mistake 328 Patrolling, inspecting, and suspecting 329 Considering alternatives to spraying — Try natural weed control 330 Considering other ways to fight weeds 331 Handling Disease Problems 331 Preventing common diseases 331 Taking care of sick plants 332 Chapter 19: Coping with Mother Nature and Weather 333 Peeking at Zone Maps 333 Surviving Hot Summers 335 Surviving Cold Winters 336 Maximizing winter hardiness for plants 337 Identifying and mitigating winter plant injuries 337 Being proactive with other winter-protection tactics 340 Gardening in a Warmer World 341 Firescaping 342 Anticipating and recovering from flooding 343 Preparing for new plant choices and challenges 344 Part 5: Time to Add Flair to Your Landscape 345 Chapter 20: Contemplating Plans for Special Situations 347 Planting for Privacy 347 Deciduous plants for screening 349 Evergreen plants for screening 349 Adding a Low-Water Garden 349 Trees that require less water 350 Shrubby plants that require less water 350 Drought-tolerant flowers 351 Getting Ready for a Dip — around a Pool 352 Designing a Hillside Rock Garden 353 Small trees for a rock garden 354 Dwarf shrubs for a rock garden 354 Small perennials for a rock garden 355 Considering Shade When Gardening 355 Shade-loving plants 356 Chapter 21: Considering Theme Landscapes 363 Attracting and Nurturing Wild Creatures 364 Providing a Garden Space for Kids 366 Putting in a Kitchen Garden 367 Incorporating an Herb Garden 369 Establishing a Meadow Garden 370 Composing a Cottage Garden 372 Finding Your Meditation Area with a Retreat Garden 373 Making an Enchanting Evening Garden 374 Part 6: The Part of Tens 377 Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Make Your Surroundings Unique 379 Work on Your Front Yard 380 Reflect the Architecture of Your Home 380 Go Native 381 Coordinate with Neighbors 381 Design a Secret Garden 382 Bring the Inside Out 382 Have Fun with Accessories 383 Pick a Color Theme and Go For It! 383 Mix Ornamentals and Edibles 383 Add the Element of Sound 384 Chapter 23: Tens Ways to a Greener Landscape 385 Plant Trees for Shade 385 Compost 386 Wean from Garden Pesticides and Herbicides 386 Use Solar Lighting 387 Conserve Water 387 Match Plant Choices to Climate and Soil 387 Welcome/Tolerate Wildlife 388 Reduce or Eliminate Your Lawn 388 Use Tools That Don’t Require Fossil Fuel 388 Stay Away from Sphagnum Moss 389 Appendix A: Landscaping Resources 391 Reading for Ideas and Knowledge 391 Finding Specific Help 392 Exploring Learning Opportunities 393 Classes, lectures, presentations 393 Going to school for landscaping 394 Blogs, podcasts, websites 394 Viewing Other Gardens and Landscapes 395 Garden tours, near and far 396 Flower and garden shows 396 Appendix B: English-Metric Conversion Tables 397 Index 399