| Alley Garden Rehab: Plan, Costs and Products |
| Meet the architects and find out the gardening challenge plan. |
From "Garden Sense"
episode DGAR-313 |
|
|
Meet husband and wife architects Deanna Heil and Jim Guthrie and their three children. Together with their co-condominium owner and friend, Diane Roach, they bought and rehabbed a large historic home. But they've put most of their money into the exterior and interior of the house, not the landscaping.Here's a little history on the building. For years, a landlord owned the building whose tenants were unsavory characters; the building was a scourge to the neighborhood. After it burned three years ago, they bought it. They've spent thousands of dollars turning it into a two-family contemporary condominium, which has been featured in print and television. The backyard, located on an alley, is somewhat typical—the view isn't that attractive. It's really bare except for sod and a patio on one side. The friends have enlisted the help of DIY Garden Sense to create privacy and hide the alley and unsightly trashcans. But they want the privacy to come in the form of plants, not a fence. They hope the project creates a barrier for the children and provides shade. They would like to see some shade trees and some easy-care perennials.
Gardening Challenge
Before--Front
| 
Before--Yard
|
Required Project TimelineThe alley landscape project took one day to complete. Project Details The DIY Garden Sense plan was designed to provide privacy from the alley and unsightly trashcans in the form of plant materials instead of a wall. Winterthur' Viburnum was chosen to offer privacy and will not only provide a hedge but will also create a barrier for the children. Specimen trees including 'Greenspire' Littleleaf Linden were chosen to provide shade but also add interest to the landscape. The plan also offers both homeowners a backbone for the remaining landscaping that they would like to finish. Finally, plants such as asters and chrysanthemum were chosen to add color for the fall season. The homeowners will have to be a bit patient since the shrubs and trees that we installed, which do grow quickly, will take a few years to grow to really create the privacy and shade they desire. Planting Tips for Small Spaces - Choose plants that grow tall rather than wide.
- Pay careful attention to the eventual height of the trees and shrubs you buy at the nursery. With power and phone lines in an alley, you don't want anything that will grow too tall.
- Buy sturdy, abuse-tolerant plants that can withstand the heavy traffic of garbage trucks and vehicles like salt trucks on snowy days. Back alley gardens are not the place for delicate selections.
|
Gardening by Zip Code
If you're looking to start a gardening project but don't know your gardening zone—visit the National Gardening Associations's USDA Hardiness Zone Finder. Enter your Zip Code to identify the proper zone.
|
| 
)
)
)
)
