The Hudgens Family:
Their Plan, Cost & Products |
| The Hudgenses' Plan & Details |
From "Garden Sense"
episode DGAR-101 |
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The HudgensesJennifer and James Hudgens both work full-time, and they're also busy raising a young daughter, Jessica. Read on to discover the look and features the Hudgens have in mind for their dramatic backyard makeover....
The Hudgens Family ...
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... and their beautifully transformed backyard!
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Since the couple spends a lot of time entertaining friends, they'd like to turn their shady backyard into an area where they can better enjoy frequent cookouts. They'd love to add some color under the mature trees on their property, but are unsure how to select varieties that will thrive in the shade. James, who loves to cook, would like the plantings to include some culinary herbs. The couple's last request (an important one!): find a perfect spot to show off the beautiful mosaic table Jennifer's father made for her. In fact, she and James think creating a garden around the table would be the perfect plan!Project Overview The planting plan for the Hudgenses' yard was built to accommodate several objectives:
- Create an outdoor room for entertaining friends--and for showcasing Jennifer's cherished table.
- Choose plant varieties that will grow well in the shade.
- Choose low-maintenance plant varieties; James and Jennifer are busy parents, both with full-time jobs.
- Include herb varieties in the planting plan (since James loves to cook). Though most of the planting area is covered by shade, there is a small sunny space where herbs will be able to grow successfully.
Required Project Time: This project took the Gardening Sense crew about nine hours. In addition to Walter and the Hudgenses, there were four helpers. The work involved could easily be split over several days. Project Costs and Advice In the Hudgenses' case, no weed-prevention fabric was used before the laying the stone--that's because nothing's been growing there. But for those worried about weeds, the best option is lay down a layer of weed-block fabric beneath the stone. Its porous weave will allow water to drain through easily. - We spent more than a thousand dollars on plants. That's because there was a large area to fill in. You can save money by buying smaller shrubs.
- The wood arbor cost $99. You can find cheaper plastic ones. But we like the appearance of wood.
- Four tons of stone ran $120. Tip: Don't just have it dumped in your driveway--pay a little extra and have the delivery guys stick around and unload it.
- By the end of the day, we used 20 plant varieties in Hardiness Zone 6.
Sensible Gardening Products Below, find a complete list of the tools and garden supplies used in our project by Walter and the DIY team--plus, items given to the homeowners to help care for their new landscape: - Ames Edger/Trimmer
(www.ames.com) - Burpee Garden Gloves
(www.burpee.com) - Fafard Soil and Soil Conditioner
- Fiskars Comfort Grip Floral Snip
- Fiskars Bypass Pruner
- Fiskars Leak Proof Hose
- Fiskars Trowel
- Fiskars Uproot
(All Fiskars products available at www.fiskars.com) - Greenlight SuperBloom
- Ortho Whirlybird
- Scotts All-Purpose Flower and Vegetable Fertilizer
(www.scotts.com) - TroyBilt Tiller
(www.troybilt.com)
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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.
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RESOURCES :
A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants
American Horticultural Society
Dorling Kindersley Publishing Inc.
ISBN 0-7566-0616-0
Website: www.dk.com
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