There's plenty of room on this side to add a garden; the first thing, however, is the creation of a garden path. With the neighboring path already in place, it's a simple matter to extend it onto this property. Then the design fun really begins!
First Jessie and her assistants bring in a load of sand and smooth it over the area (figure A). The sand will give the pavers a secure foundation and also raise them up to a level height. They extend the pavers to the front and wrap the path around the drop fence (figure B).
Expert tip: (Steve Gerischer, landscape designer) I like using concrete pavers: they're inexpensive, they're easy to use, they give you instant structure -- and if you don't like the results, you can always take them out.To create a focal point, a tall urn with clean lines (figure C) is placed on a small mound of sand in front of the drop fence. Jessie sets a ceramic tray on top of the urn, then adds a bonsai, raising its level with the addition of a couple of inches of gravel in the tray so the tree "floats" in front of the red sun (figure D). The dominance of stone forms over floral displays sets Arian gardens apart from their Western counterparts. It's said that the presence of stone is meant to contrast with the impermanence of worldly existence. Whether you agree with that philosophy or not, rocks and boulders undoubtedly add a great deal of texture to any landscape, so they're the next addition to this garden area. When you're working with stones of the size used in this project, you may need more than one helper: some of these boulders can be extremely heavy! Jessie is using three large rocks to interact with the focal point in order to accent it without detracting from it (figure E). The use of odd numbers is said to bring good luck.
Time spent: 13 hours.
RESOURCES :
Ace Hardware Supplies
To locate the nearest Ace Hardware to your home, click here.
Ace Hardware
2200 Kensington Ct.
Oak Brook, IL 60523-2100
Toll-free: 866-290-5334
Website: www.acehardware.com
California Redwood Association
Website: www.calredwood.org
Asian Ceramics
Website: www.asian-ceramics.com
Asian Ceramics Inc.
Website: www.asian-ceramics.com
Plants from Monrovia Horticultural Craftsmen
Monrovia Horticultural Craftsmen
Website: www.monrovia.com
DeWalt power tools
DeWalt
Website: www.dewalt.com/us/core/
Soil amendments by Kellogg Garden Products
Kellogg Garden Products
Website: www.kellogggarden.com
Landscaping Services by D&J Landscaping
D & J Landscaping
E-mail: DJLandscaping@sbcglobal.net
Catalin elm bonsai
San Gabriel Nursery & Florist
Website: www.sgnursery.com
Mexican river rock, pea gravel & sand
Sunburst Decorative Rock
Website: www.newsite.com
GUESTS :
Steve Gerischer
Landscape designer
E-mail: sglarkspur@aol.com
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