DIY Network

Site Assessment and Preparation Site Assessment and Preparation From "Weekend Gardening" episode WKG-306

In this episode of Weekend Gardening, boost your home’s curb appeal with a shrub border that is easy to maintain and is eye catching too. Host Maureen Gilmer shows you how to choose shrubs that are right for your yard. You can create cascading waves of color that will last from season to season. Life on the edge has never looked so good!

advertisement

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F

If you’re like a lot of people, when you drive by a home you size up the front lawn. Many homeowners make the mistake of bordering their lawn with super wide shrubs that are not only dull, but detract from the lawn and house as a whole (figure A). In this episode, Maureen will use a variety of high impact flowering shrubs that are well suited for the northeastern region of the United States (figure B). When she is finished, this front yard will be the envy of the neighborhood.

This project will take about 16 hours over the course of a weekend. It's rated a level 3, for intermediate gardeners.

The best place to start is with computer software that allows you to download a digital picture of the area, then click and drag images until you've created the perfect area -- before you even lift that first shovelful of dirt (figure C)! Be sure to get all of your supplies together in advance so you'll be ready to start work bright and early on Saturday morning.

Tools and Supplies
Standard gardening tools
Plant material
Azalea mix

Plant Material (Northeastern Region)
Butterfly bush
Daylilies
Black knight
Azalea
Nandinas
Roses
Hydrangeas
Maiden grass

Steps

1. First, Maureen and her team rake the debris in the border’s spot and clean up the site. There are a few weeds that Maureen needs to pull up. She explains why it's important to take your time during the weed-pulling process: pulling slowly will usually remove the weed's root (figure D), which means it won't have to be pulled again next season. For weeds with roots that spread out beneath the soil, there is no centralized root; this means the soil must be loosened before the weed and its entire root structure can be successfully removed (figure E).

2. Once the site is cleaned up and leveled, she spray paints where the shrubs will go (figure F). The tallest shrubs will be in the back, while the medium-sized shrubs will sit in front of the taller ones. The large space in front will be the home to all the low lying shrubs.

Time Spent: 2 hours

RESOURCES :

Mulch
Whitney Farms
Website: www.whitneyfarms.com

Plants
Monrovia Horticultural Craftsmen
Website: www.monrovia.com

Maureen Gilmer, Horticulturalist & Author
Website: www.moplants.com

Suggested books/design software:
Gaining Ground by Maureen Gilmer
The Budget Gardener by Maureen Gilmer
Maureen Gilmer's Garden Maker Software

GUESTS :

Frank McDonough
Horticulturalist
Roger's Gardens
2301 San Joaquin Hills Road
Corona del Mar, CA 92625
Phone: 949-640-5800
Website: www.rogersgardens.com

Kate Karam
Garden Designer
Los Angeles, CA
E-mail: gardensla@aol.com