03. High Level Plan

First steps for a first time gardener.

I hesitate to make a lot of changes until I have seen the existing landscape through all four seasons, but there are a few items that just cannot wait.

Rule #1: Wait and observe

Especially as someone new to gardening, the wait and see approach is probably wise. We moved in late spring, when much of the yard was in full bloom, lush and green. During our first winter (now), I was pleasantly surprised at how much greenery remained even in the middle winter.

Rule #1 is great, except that it contradicts my Rule #2.

Rule #2: The best time to plant a tree is yesterday

Ruh-roh. What should I do? Some things were obvious, so I focused on those. Here is my initial list of what stays, what goes, and what must be added.

Our High Level Landscape Plan

What stays:

the existing mature landscaping immediately next to the main house and pool are overcrowded and overgrown, but otherwise wonderful. There are several Japanese maples, numerous rhododendrons, and a giant tulip tree that we love. The plan for these is to prune and maintain.

As a general rule, any existing magnificent, healthy evergreen trees and maples will stay, and we are trying to be cautious with their roots. The same goes for the giant laurel hedge that is currently disheveled and bare ever since I removed the blackberry vines — it now needs to be nursed back to health.

Another obvious area to remain is the entire south east corner of the house. Just by clearing a small path and fallen tree branches, we now have a wonderful woodland garden with very little effort. Over time I would like to add some woodland garden appropriate plants and big rocks, but that can wait.

What goes:

Blackberries (my nemesis)! Dead or dying trees. We already had a professional arborist remove a dead madrona, and we have our eyes on a couple more, mostly large alders, that should come down with professional help. We have also started to selectively remove or transplant smaller trees and shrubs that are either too close to the house, the pool or each other. After my war with the blackberries I have decided that all prickly plants also have to go; this includes blackberries, stinging nettle, and prickly holly.

What gets added:

My number one priority is privacy. Removing the wild blackberries had one unintentional consequence: the neighbors. The overgrown bushes created an impenetrable screen effectively blocking out any undesired views. The yard used to feel like the edge of a wild forest. The challenge is finding something that grows relatively fast and dense, but takes up less real estate.

For next steps I am busy buying and planting privacy hedges! Hope to post progress photos of those soon.