Fall Landscaping, for Beauty and Profit

With the fall season fully upon us in the Bay Area, any landscaping projects that you haven’t already started will have to wait until spring, right?

Wrong. Landscape professionals say that autumn is the perfect time to plant bulbs and prepare your yard for the coming spring and summer. And if you’re thinking of selling your house in the coming months, you shouldn’t wait until spring to make sure the yard is in tip-top shape.

In fact, researchers at Virginia Tech found that upgrading a home’s landscape from “average” to “excellent” can raise its overall value by 10 to 12 percent.

A $150,000 home with no landscaping could fetch an additional $8,300 to $19,000 by adding a landscape with color and large plants, according toa report from the school’s Department of Horticulture. And the bonus increases exponentially for higher-priced homes.

“The most preferred landscape included a sophisticated design with large deciduous, evergreen, and annual color plants and colored hardscape,” according to the report. Adding different plant sizes to a front yard, for example, can boost curb appeal, as can mixing fruit trees and flowers for added color.

Design sophistication is the most important consideration, followed by plant size and diversity of plants.

“Survey results showed that relatively large landscape expenditures significantly increase perceived home value and will result in a higher selling price than homes with a minimal landscape,” the report noted. “The resulting increase in ‘curb appeal’ of the property may also help differentiate a home in a subdivision where house styles are similar and thereby attract potential buyers into a home.

“This advantage is especially important in a competitive housing market,” the report concluded — as if it had been written especially for Bay Area homebuyers and sellers.

Looking for more landscaping tips? Check out the website of the Professional Landcare Network, the national trade association for landscape professionals. It offers a full page of fall landscaping tips.

(Image: Flickr/Andrea_44)

Beautiful Noise: How to Create a Symphony in Your Garden

Our gardens can be our best teachers. We learn about ourselves and our world from them. Our only prerequisite for this course is our ability to open our senses to the wealth of sights, aromas, textures and sounds that gently engulf us.

Even as I write this ideabook, sitting in my garden, I’m conscious of the sounds that surround me. With the squirrel rustling leaves on the forest floor, the cardinal singing high overhead, the owl vocalizing deep in the woodland background and the waterfall adding its syncopated cadence to the mix, my garden is alive with sound.

Let’s look at how to add another dimension to your garden by introducing the element of sound. You will enjoy your own private symphony when you stop long enough to listen.

Miriam's River House Designs, LLC

Rethink your garden floor. There are things you can do, in addition to designing your garden to attract wildlife, to add the element of sound to your space — starting from the ground up. Your garden substrate goes a long way to set the mood. While concrete and stone are certainly utilitarian, other choices may be more tactile.

Gravel offers a wonderful auditory crunch when walked upon. Your footsteps embed in it while you walk across it. In this way you become one with your garden instead of gliding across the top of it. Additionally, gravel is inexpensive and readily available, and comes in a variety of colors. This is why I love to use it in the garden.

Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC

Have you ever been hiking in a forest and could hear the palpable silence? Consider mulch as an option for the more informal paths in your space. The experience of walking on a mulched path is quite different from that of walking on a concrete sidewalk or an asphalt driveway.

Shredded mulch is readily available, inexpensive and likely the by-product of industry. It may need to be replenished annually and can adhere to shoes, so it’s a better choice for outlying areas of your garden.

Garden Structures & More

Thoughtfully add some water. Water features have become an expected element in well-appointed gardens. Before you run to the nearest garden center and purchase the ceramic kit with a pump, add water and connect the power, consider what you want your water feature to do for your space. The water velocity, volume, length of drop and depth of the reservoir all will affect the sound of your feature.

The feature shown here is commonly referred to as a deer catcher, as historically the sound was employed to chase away deer. The sound created by this type of feature is more of a solitary, hollow and contemplative one. It would be most appropriate for a small courtyard garden or for a philosophical one.

See how to make your own tranquil garden fountain

Wagner Hodgson

This type of water feature is a series of spillways, or rills. The sound is similar to that of a chorus, as opposed to that of a soloist. Each spillway has a different tone, due to the width of the opening and the length of the drop. Adjustments in both may be incorporated into the design to achieve the desired effect. The wider the opening and the longer the drop, the deeper and fuller the resulting sound will be.

Jay Sifford Garden Design

A traditional waterfall allows for some fine-tuning after installation. By installing a ball valve on the outlet portion of your pump, you can adjust the water flow to provide the sound that pleases you. Never install the valve on the intake portion of your pump, as this can significantly shorten the life expectancy of your equipment.

The addition or subtraction of rocks at the base of your waterfall can significantly affect the quality of the sound it produces. Adding rocks will brighten the sound and create splash. For ease of maintenance, be sure that doing this will not cause your feature to lose water.

CYAN Horticulture

Design with plants that respond to the wind. Certain plants respond to wind to produce sound in a way that can be thoughtfully orchestrated. Consider planting grasses en masse in a sunny area of your garden that receives a consistent breeze.

Francis Landscapes

Bamboo is an excellent choice to introduce into your garden for the purpose of creating sound. Its dry leaves and hollow stems respond well to breezes. It grows well in sun to medium shade. Take precautions by installing a bamboo barrier to keep it from aggressively spreading.

www.KarlGercens.com

Add some wind chimes. Historically I’ve hated wind chimes, because the small ones from the dollar stores have a pitch that seems abrasive to my ears. The larger, more expensive wind chimes currently on the market have forced me to change my mind.

Chimes made by companies such as Corinthian Bells and Music of the Spheres have deeper, melodious tones that erase the stress of the day. Many of these can range up to 90 inches in length and have a wide range of resonance that resembles that of a pipe organ. Most are also tuned to specific keys and continue to vibrate long after they are struck. Be prepared to make an investment, as many of these chimes can run well over $500. I did, and I’ve never regretted it.

D-CRAIN Design and Construction

Many of the chimes manufacturers also produce bells that can be combined in various configurations to give you the sound you desire. A single bell can create a contemplative mood suited for a meditation garden, while multiple, compatible bells give off a vibe that is suited for the garden of the entertainer or extrovert. Experiment until you discover a configuration that works for both you and your space.

More: Get Your Garden Moving for a Magical Mood

Article and Photos Sourced From: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/32437997/list/beautiful-noise-how-to-create-a-symphony-in-your-garden 

12 Delightfully Different Garden Walls and Fences

You know the usual barriers well — the ones made of wood, brick, vinyl and chain link — but now it’s time to meet their more alternative friends. Here are 12 fences and walls that are creative and functional; they’re barrier solutions full of personality.

Archer & Buchanan Architecture, Ltd.

1. A sculptural fence. Cor-Ten steel blades (300 of them) make up this sculptural fence that winds around a Philadelphia residence. They’re 8 feet tall, which keeps out local deer, so the fence “is sculptural as well as functional,” says Bridget O’Brien of Archer & Buchanan Architecture. A sculptural fence comes with a high price, but for the right home, it can be the perfect custom touch.

Decorative Landscaping

2. Poured concrete walls. For these retaining (and climbing) walls, rough-cut 2-by-4s used to form the poured concrete have left their imprints on the surface. For walls like this, the concrete adopts the grain of the wood, so after it dries and the boards come down, there is an intermingling of elements — a natural wood grain set in solid concrete.

Tim Cuppett Architects

3. A mixed-materials fence. This glass, steel and wood fence incorporates three materials into a unified design. Architect Tim Cuppett says that the key element in bringing different materials together is that they “all reflect the same pattern and rhythm.”

Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture

On this fence sandblasted glass panels secured in a steel frame light up with LED lights for a colorful display. During the day the glass offers privacy, and at night it adds a spark of color to this fire pit.

Fifth Season Landscape Design & Construction

4. A fence and a hedge. For this back wall, English laurel hedges extend beyond a thin cedar wall. Since fencing ordinances typically prevent a fence higher than 6 feet, a large hedge can be a great way to add privacy to a yard. Chauncey Freeman of Fifth Season Landscape Design also notes that the dark color of the cedar along with the hedge’s green creates a calming effect.

Lear & Mahoney Landscape Associates

For this hedge the fence is hidden inside. A wire fence, installed to meet the pool code, is embedded in the thick privet, creating both security and privacy. Brian J. Mahoney of Lear & Mahoney Landscape says that hedges are “a great way to hide an otherwise ugly but required fence.” But beware of maintenance — while the pictured privet is relatively cheap to plant, the maintenance, including triannual shearing, can be costly.

BUILD LLC

5. A gabion wall. Hilfiker gabion baskets filled with river rock cobblestone make up this wall. Darwin Webb, the landscape architect for the project, put a sealer on the rocks to saturate and bring out the full color in the stone. Gabion walls give the space a modern feel while still highlighting natural elements.

See more on gabion walls

Change of Seasons - Gary Kernick

6. A recycled-materials fence. Great fences can come from the materials at hand. For this one Gary Kernick asked a local tree company for some spare birch, and the company gave him these sections for free. He tied them on metal wire panels “with fishing line for longevity,” he says, and “old hammock rope for an organic look.”

baranstudio : architecture

7. Metal panels. Sheets of corrugated steel, installed either vertically or horizontally, give a yard an industrial feel. They also offer great privacy. To soften the full-metal look here, a small collection of plants was planted in the middle of the fence.

R Design Landscape Architecture Inc. P.C.

Solid-panel Cor-Ten steel gives this barrier a dramatic texture. The fence received a saltwater spray-down after installation to speed the oxidization process. The fence works as a contrasting backdrop for the fire pit in the foreground, and also offers privacy from the neighbors.

See a primer on using Cor-Ten in your landscape

Seasons Landscaping

8. A living wall. Succulents hang in patterns on this Beverly Hills, California, wall. The plants were grown offsite, then installed into a panel system with an integrated irrigation system.

Scott Hutcheon of Seasons Landscaping says his team designed the wall to “soften up the look and feel of an auto courtyard”; it gives what would otherwise be solid concrete a natural touch.

Matarozzi Pelsinger Builders

A smaller-scale installation works for this very vertical backyard. Michelle Bond of Thumbellina Gardens chose the wall because it “offers the most visual impact in the least amount of space,” she says.

11 Inspiring Vertical Gardens

Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC

9. A ha-ha wall. A ha-ha wall is designed to preserve clean views while creating a distinct barrier to help keep out animals. It’s named after the (amusing) moment when someone approaching the wall sees there’s a barrier. Here the wall is made of Massachusetts Goshen stone, and it helps create a clear view from the upper section while deterring wildlife.

Design Vidal

10. Solid wood panels. Solid wood panels give this fence a distinctly modern touch. Added on top of a poured concrete wall, they create extra privacy and put the smooth wood grain on full display.

Conte & Conte, LLC

11. Trees in a row. Beyond this pool, stacked fieldstone makes up a knee wall for aesthetics and Emerald Green arborvitae trees rise for privacy. To meet the pool code, there is a black vinyl-coated welded wire mesh fence behind the trees, but, as John R. Conte says, it disappears into the foliage. Like a hedge, a tree line can be a great way to extend vertical privacy.

Randy Thueme Design Inc. - Landscape Architecture

12. Fun alternatives. This fence is made from clear acrylic posts full of bubbles. The posts are anchored below a synthetic lawn, offering a playful surrounding for the pool while giving a subtle nod to the splashing enjoyed inside it.



Article and Photos Sourced From:  http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/27594152/list/12-Delightfully-Different-Garden-Walls-and-Fences

Gardening goes high-tech in Silicon Valley

Gardening is getting an infusion of high tech as startups in Silicon Valley and elsewhere turn their technological skills to the popular hobby.

A social gardening and food-growing app is being developed by a San Francisco startup, and an affordable hydroponics setup for the home gardener is just reaching the marketplace, developed by a Southern California startup with offices in Berkeley.
Beyond that, big agriculture is going high tech, too. The inaugural Silicon Valley AgTech conference in Palo Alto this month drew a big crowd of consumers and major agricultural companies.

Laura Boughner, of Oakland, removes onion grass from a rose bed at the Morcom Rose Garden in Oakland, Calif., Saturday, April 26, 2014. Gardening is getting an infusion of high tech as startups in Silicon Valley and elsewhere turn their technological skills to the popular hobby. (ANDA CHU/Staff )

"This is like the perfect storm," said the event's organizer, Roger Royse of the Royse Law Firm in Palo Alto. "We have venture capital, we have technology and we have agriculture, but tech did not seem to be talking to agriculture until we started this group."
While the conference was more about technologies for large-scale farming, Royse said tech is coming to home gardening too.
"There's a lot for the home," he said. "Everybody seems to be getting into this growing-their-own-food thing. It's become a community in itself, so there's social networks growing up around it."
Gardening apps have blossomed at the Apple and Android app stores. There are dozens of planners, calendars and plant guides available, including garden monitors and popular apps like Gardening: The Ultimate Guide (free, iOS), and The New Sunset Western Garden Book ($14.99, iOS). Garden Manager (free, Android) sends alarms when it's time to water and fertilize your plants. With the Organic Gardening Planting Planner (free, iOS) or OG Planting Planner (free, Android), you can create your own garden and be alerted to planting and harvesting times and weather conditions.
Another gardening product soon to make its debut is an app from Sausalito-based Earthwire, which is preparing to launch a social app for gardeners. It's a kind of Facebook for the trowel and mulch set, according to its developers, a father and son team.
"We have built an interactive, mobile application that allows people to connect locally and regionally, communicate on what they're growing in their own backyards and form consortiums to grow that food and share it together," founder Drew Youngs said while taking a break at the AgTech conference.
Once pretty much confined to growing pot indoors, hydroponic farming has become a big business in growing fruits and vegetables, and has dawn interest from hobbyist gardeners. But hydroponics has remained a fairly demanding craft, requiring skills beyond those of the average gardener.
Hydroponics involves growing plants without soil -- in water, sand or gravel with added nutrients. Regular measurements of the acidity, electrical conductivity and temperature of the nutrient solution are necessary, as is care in adding just the right amount of nutrients. A startup called Sustainable Microfarms, based in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, has developed a small system called the Genesis Dosing Controller that takes the guesswork out of hydroponics, allowing at-home gardeners to grow everything from lettuce and tomatoes to strawberries and peppers.
"We build a product that takes out the need for you to have any prior understanding of hydroponics or plant biology or engineering," said Sanjay Rajpoot, who started the company while he was still at student at the University of Southern California.
"The reason why hydroponic farming or at-home farming hasn't caught on is because it takes a lot of work, a lot of effort and costs a lot of money," Rajpoot said. He said his system monitors the accidity, the concentration of nutrients and the temperature, and automatically maintains the optimal level of nutrients to make sure the plants are always growing at their best.
At $750, though, it may be beyond the reach of some amateurs even though it's much cheaper than competing systems and runs on a 5 to 100 gallon reservoir. On 5 gallons of water, you can grow five tomato plants, or 100 plants on 100 gallons -- a reservoir size that the company says is not uncommon.
"You are looking at a faster grow rate, less labor, and higher turnover rate in comparison to soil growing," said Ryan Tjan, a company spokesman.
A granddaddy of hydroponics, Lawrence Brooke of General Hydroponics, calls home hydroponic farming "a growing potential marketplace." He's waited a long time for it to happen.
Starting in Berkeley in 1976, Brooke grew peppers and sweet basil for a trendy Berkeley restaurant, later moving to Sebastopol. Now based in Santa Rosa, Brooke said the company sells growing systems and nutrients worldwide.
"I don't care if they grow pot or food, but systems for home gardeners are slowly finding their way out of the closet and into garden," he said. "You can grow the best food in world with hydroponics."
Richard Aylard, owner of Rasa Hydroponics and Organics in San Jose, said some of his customers are home gardeners and some are businesses, including several that grow mixed salad greens for restaurants. Aylard said he uses a home hydroponics setup to grow kale, lettuce, basil and heirloom tomatoes.
"A lot of people are into growing their own food. Neighbors and friends will say your plants are doing so well, I want my vegetables to look like that. That's how we get a lot of customers," Aylard said.

Succulent Gardens in Castroville offers about 750 varieties

Boasting luscious colors and sculptural shapes, succulents have captivated gardeners all around the globe. But it's not just their good looks that make them so appealing: These living gems are also prized because they need so little care to thrive - and you'll find no better selection in the area than at Succulent Gardens in Castroville.



As you approach the 3-acre nursery, which is in an agricultural region dominated by artichokes and strawberries, you'll know you've arrived when you spot the mass plantings that blanket the property, serving as both demonstration gardens and propagation space. Owner Robin Stockwell changes displays often so visitors can see plants in different stages of growth, learn what a healthy example of each variety should look like and get a sense of how to use them in large groupings.

"The whole idea is to encourage and teach people how to use succulent plants and what the possibilities are," he says.

Just a few miles inland from Monterey Bay, the nursery is a mecca for succulent lovers, and many make the pilgrimage from out of state as well as other countries. Inside Stockwell's greenhouses is a veritable treasure trove of choices: He carries roughly 750 varieties, most of which he and his staff propagate on site, and offers them in sizes ranging from tiny 2-inch pots to whopping 24-inch boxes. You'll also find living picture and wreath kits, vessels and books; another good source for containers is the nearby Pot Stop (2360 Highway 1, Moss Landing; (831) 768-7557. www.littlebajapotstop.com).



Having grown succulents since 1972, Stockwell has seen them go from being a plant group that only collectors coveted to one that has mass appeal. He attributes this not only to design trends, but also to the fact that succulents fit perfectly into today's increasingly smaller living spaces and that they're supremely easy to grow. And now that California is in a state of drought, they have an even greater draw.



"These plants are adapted to environments in which water isn't available for long periods of time," Stockwell says. "As a consequence, succulents from all over the world are really effective at collecting, storing and using water efficiently."

An enthusiastic surfer, Stockwell says, "If I plan to water, and the surf is good, I'll go surfing and water the next day, or even two or three days later. Once plants are established, they can go without water for relatively long periods of time - this could be two to 12 weeks, depending on the maturity and size of the plant - and not be damaged."

To satisfy steadily growing interest, Stockwell regularly offers classes at the nursery, and is always on the lookout for new varieties to add to his offerings. "Castroville is the artichoke capital of the world," he says. "We're trying to change it to the succulent capital of the world."




Top choices for beginners

Though Stockwell says that most succulents are easy to grow, he highlights some of his favorite low-care options here. "Succulents are so tough and forgiving, and can handle a wide range of environments and care - they're almost bulletproof. By definition, that's good for a beginner."

'Sunburst' aeonium

Dramatic, multicolored rosettes grow to 12 to 15 inches across on stems that reach 3 to 4 feet tall. They do best in locations that get at least two to three hours of sun a day, and need to be protected from hard freezes. "They look good with others or alone, and smile at you with a brightness and showiness," Stockwell says.
'Christmas Carol' aloe

This relatively new hybrid has reddish, serrated edges and vibrant coral blooms that draw hummingbirds in fall, and often other seasons as well. Growing less than a foot across, it's a top choice in containers and other small spaces. It can handle hot sun as well as freezing temperatures to 25 degrees. In general, aloes are a great group for new gardeners, and many flower from fall through spring when other plants aren't in bloom.
'Lipstick' Echeveria agavoides

"I'm in love with echeverias," Stockwell says, and 'Lipstick' is an especially hardy one. It has bright green leaves with red edges, and flowers that draw hummingbirds. As rosettes develop, they produce offshoots and the red tips become more and more defined. It's a changing landscape as it matures. This is a cool one to watch over time."
Senecio mandraliscae

Often used as a groundcover, it has fleshy blue leaves that grow well in both sun and shady environments, though the hue is more electric in shade. "They have this translucence in the leaves, and as the sun changes during the day, the color changes," Stockwell says. "It's magical."



How to keep succulents looking good

Stockwell emphasizes that succulents are "low maintenance, not no maintenance," and says that the most important thing to know about growing succulents is this: They're just like any other plants. "Everything you know about gardening applies to these plants - they have roots and flowers, and need water, sun, fertilizer, soil and replanting now and then. What's different is that they'll tolerate you abusing them with respect to all of these things." Below are his guidelines for keeping them happy.

Water: You can damage succulents far more by giving too much rather than too little water, so let the soil approach dryness before watering. Try not to let the soil dry out completely (though if this happens, it usually won't kill the plants).

Fertilizer: It's not essential, but if you do use it, give a half dose of any balanced all-purpose fertilizer once a quarter, even during winter.

Soil: Succulents require good drainage and aeration. In containers, you can use a cactus and succulent soil mix. In the ground, if you have heavy soil, amend it with perlite, pumice or crushed lava (which is readily available and the least expensive).

Sun: Grow succulents in a spot that gets at least two to three hours of morning sun. More than that is fine, though in inland areas with scorching summers, you'll want to plant succulents where they won't be blasted by the hottest midday rays.

Pests: Succulents are susceptible to diseases and pests - such as aphids, mealy bug and scale - just like any other plants. If you have an infestation, use the same treatments you'd use elsewhere in your garden.



Succulent Gardens

Open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 2133 Elkhorn Road, Castroville; (831) 632-0482.www.sgplants.com.
Getting there

From Highway 101, exit on Highway 156 West. Go 4 miles west toward Castroville. Turn right at Castroville Boulevard and go 2.1 miles, merge right for .03 miles and turn left onto Elkhorn Road. Go .04 miles to Amaral Road. Turn right. The nursery is on the left.

Julie Chai is a Mountain View freelance writer. E-mail: home@sfchronicle.com




Article & photo sourced from: http://www.sfgate.com/homeandgarden/article/Succulent-Gardens-in-Castroville-offers-about-750-5336429.php#page-2