The Whistling Gardener

by Steve Smith

Steve Smith is owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville, located at 3915 Sunnyside Blvd., and a respected local expert on all things horticultural. You can reach Steve at 425-334-2002 or by e-mail at info@sunnysidenursery.net.

On Saturday, March 14 at 10:30 a.m. I will be joining forces with Paul Taylor, landscape contractor and owner of Consolidated Landscape and Maintenance in Marysville, to present a free hour-long lecture on Getting Started with your Landscape. This class is designed to help the gardening novice who doesn't have a clue where to begin in organizing their yard. If this sounds like you, then you better make plans to attend. Due to the large turnouts for classes lately I would recommend that you call up and reserve a spot or you may be standing for an hour.

Over the years of running this nursery I have answered so many questions about what to plant where, how to deal with drainage issues, how to make things grow in this God-awful dirt we call glacial till, where to find bulk soils and composts and who to call for grading work or building walls or installing decks or patios that I could probably write a book about it. (Hey, now there's a novel concept...no pun intended). I have seen the "deer in the headlights" stare from young couples that have moved into their first home and are feeling totally overwhelmed. And as a former landscape contractor myself, I have helped lots of people work through the process of developing a design and installing it. In the end it can be a fun and rewarding process.

Ironically, when designing your landscape, the very last thing you should consider is the plants. They are just one more medium you will be using to accomplish the architectural goals of your design. But let's face it. It's the plants that get us excited. And this is where most homeowners get off on the wrong track. They want to go buy the plants first and then go home and try and figure out how they can fit them into their design. The proper way to create a beautiful yard is as follows:

First you need to draw up a plot plan. In a perfect world you would do this all to scale and the measurements would be fairly accurate. The plan would include the location of the house on the property and any other important features like utility poles, special trees, water meters and anything else that will need to be considered when developing the plan.

The second step is to do a "needs assessment." This is where you write down all the things you want to cram into your landscape that relate to how you will be using the space.

Then you do an analysis and blend together your needs with your site. You locate the public access area, service area and family activities areas. You consider traffic patterns and vehicular access. You look at the movement of the sun across your yard so you can find the sunniest place to locate the veggie garden or fruit trees. You observe the neighbor's old rusted-out pickup and make a note to find a way to screen it out, or conversely you discover you have a view of the Sound or Mr. Rainier and make another note to frame and preserve this view. This is all the left-brained part of design, and you will note there is still no mention of plants.

At this point you get some tracing paper and a soft number 2 pencil, perhaps a glass of wine, lay it over your plot plan and start playing with different configurations. You draw in the beds, locate the paths and follow basic design principles, remembering to keep things simple. Your style could be formal with balanced symmetry or casual with a more asymmetrical look. It all depends on what looks good with your house and what makes you comfortable.

Finally, once you have articulated all the space, you get to figure out what plants you need to make your design come alive. Maybe you need a low groundcover for a shady bed, or a medium-tall hedge to cover that old pickup or a flowering tree to anchor the front yard. Perhaps it's something to grow on the east side of the house that will take morning sun and afternoon shade, or a tough, drought-tolerant spreader for a west facing bank. The point here is that you are looking for a plant that will perform a function and you will probably have several choices. Resist planting one of this and one of that. Plant in drifts of three or more of the same plant. This repetition will build cohesiveness and hold the design together. Space plants out to allow for growth, and for God's sake, read the bloody labels so you will know how big they will get.

Once your design is done, then you can proceed with the actual construction and planting, and this is where this class will be most helpful. We will explain the sequence of events, the pitfalls and mistakes to avoid, and the tricks of the trade that make it all easier. When we are done you should have the confidence to go back home and start your project without anxiety and stress. Well, at least you should have less stress.

Steve Smith is owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and you can reach him and register for the class at 425-334-2002 or online at info@sunnysidenursery.net