Shade Tolerant Trees for Intimate Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Let me introduce you to some of my favorite shade friendly trees for Intimate Gardens in Michigan.  I prefer using dwarf varieties of trees in most home landscapes because they tend to stay within the bounds of typical gardens.  You should always consider the mature size of any plant you install in your landscape.  Landscapes are often overwhelmed by trees and shrubs that become overgrown.

Japanese Maples such as the above Crimson Queen Maple bring significant interest from spring through fall. Whatever the size of your landscape, there is one that will fit your gardens.   You will be amazed at the color options.  Bright reds, maroons, chartreuse, variegated.  The shape of the leaves vary dramatically too. Deeply lobed with serrated edges to broad and smooth.  So, whether you enjoy the broader view or exploring the details, Japanese Maples are for you. 

Acer palmatum 'Okagami' is stunning dwarf upright Japanese Maple whose Burgundy wine colored leaves contrast beautifully with the white/ grey bark.

The Golden Hinoki False Cypress - Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Lutea' has a glow about it.  The contrasting deep green of older needles acts as a foil for the newer golden needles. The texture of this dwarf tree creates is reminiscent  of billowing clouds or lush woodland moss.

Another Hinoki False Cypress, 'Nana Gracilis', adds interesting texture with its flat fan like branching habit.  This compact tree is an excellent choice for small gardens and set against walls and fences. Try it with Scarlet Carpet Roses and 'Little Bunny' grass.

For very narrow areas or to emphasis the entrance to a garden or pathway, or even in an urn, check out Chamaecyparis obtuse 'Spiralis'.  An excellent small tree for small gardens. 

To see these trees and a large variety of unique garden trees in West Michigan, check out Blue Horizon Nursery - 09721 59th St. Grand Junction, MI 49056. Check them out online at http://bluehorizonnursery.com/?page=home.  Tell Bill Brent Langley sent you.

Curb Appeal - Front Yard Transformation in EGR

East Grand Rapids Home Before Landscape Transformation

Planning to sell your home soon? Don't just clean up that landscape. Transform it.

 

If your home landscape hasn't recently been updated, you should really consider replacing outdated plantings.  It makes sense to keep mature, well placed trees and shrubs, assuming they have not become too over grown to be effectively prune without constricting your options for transformation.  Proper pruning can turn healthy trees and shrubs into prime focal points. 

Here I added PJM Rhododendron, Endless Summer Hydrangeas, Chocolate Eupatorium, Huechera, Hanoke Grasses and Hostas - Color interest is assured through use of "evergreen" foliage of various colors, as well as steady flowering of different plants from season to season.

Once you have determined what trees and shrubs can remain with careful pruning, remove other worn out plants.  Make sure you have removed all roots from old plants without damaging desirable plant roots. 

Having removed old perennials, shrubs and trees, it will be necessary to add garden soil or compost to fill the vacant spaces.  Spread four inches of compost over the area you are renovating.  In small areas, mix the compost in using a shovel or garden fork and rake.  Large areas will need to be mixed using a tiller. Just don't damage tree roots in the process. Alternatively, mix compost into individual planting holes at a 1:1 ratio.

Ground cover such as the Periwinkle seen here can be very effective for large areas.  However, it needs to be used in moderation.  The above area lacked height and color variation making the overall look pretty boring.  Overgrown Yews had previously been removed from beneath the windows (good move) leaving only Pachysandra.  Dull.  Most ground cover overwhelms other perennials and shrubs, so if you plan to keep the ground cover, be sure the plants have enough space to become established and not be choked out.  Also, choose plants that sufficiently tall and whose leaves naturally emerge higher than the typical 6-10" height of Periwinkle and Pachysandra.

Here we have another "before" view of the home we transformed in EGR.

And here is the after view.  Notice the colorful display.  I removed the existing Pachysandra and Periwinkle to make room for new perennials, including 'Candy Hearts' Bleeding Heart, 'Brise D'anjou' Jacob's Ladder, Burgenia and a variety of Hostas.  Also included in this planting area: a weeping Japanese Maple and 'Endless Summer' Hydrangea, repeated from the other side of the house.

 

This gently curving path is NY Bluestone set in Slate chips.  Another walkway that stands out and creates a unique feature that makes the landscape a stunning masterpiece.

 

This home in EGR beat the market by selling in a matter of weeks, not months. 

 

Believe it or not, this house sold at the asking price. 

 

Major selling point:

CURB APPEAL.

 

For assistance in designing a unique landscape for your home or business, or help creating that CURB APPEAL for the house or business you need to sell

 

Call Brent @ (616) 328-3258.

Building a Raised Paver Patio

Creating a landscape design with a raised paver patio, built against a wooden deck, requires careful consideration to ensure long-term success, stability of the project. The first detail to tackle is the question of how raise the paver patio.

 

 In this project, we chose to use large (800-1500 pounds each) Michigan boulders.

Landscape fabric was attached to the deck using 2x1's and draped against additional 2x12 treated boards to retain the crushed stone we used as a base for the patio.  Landscape fabric was also used to retain the stone behind the boulders. 

When choosing a landscape fabric for use in hardscape projects, be sure to find a product that has a 25-30 year guarantee.  You don't want the landscape fabric breaking down and ruining your patio or wall prematurely.  Landscape ideas need to be executed with care and quality products.

Custom Hardscape Projects

This past December proved to be a boon for the landscape industry. I managed to benefit from the unusually warm weather by completing two hardscape projects, one in Ada, Michigan, the other in Caledonia, Michigan.

Bill and Ellen Costantino of Caledonia, Michigan invited me back to install a curving stairway between two previously installed gardens.  The steps and new walls compliment the front entrance I installed for Bill and Ellen a couple years ago. 
 
I have posted a before and a couple of after pictures for you to compare.  Amazing what can be done with a little thought and design time.

Before

The tread was built using Moss Creta Wall Capstone and a custom tumbled, moss colored pavers. Each 12" deep capstone required cutting using a gas power cement saw in order to get each piece fitted tightly against the next.

The rise of the steps and the associated retaining wall and facing were built using Moss Creta Wall, a product from Paveloc. The end of each exposed retaining wall block at the end of the wall and center of the wall where the straight and curved walls meet were trimmed using chisels and hammer to keep a consistent stoneface throughout.

To get your landscape design and installation plan ready
Call Brent @ (616) 328-3258

Because the project was installed in relatively cold conditions, I used a high tech mason's glue called Type-4 Ultra Wet. I have never been so impressed with an adhesive. Even in below freezing temperatures, this stuff stayed soft and went on smoothly. And as the name suggests, it adhered even wet blocks with no problems.

To see this project in person, or discuss your own Hardscape project, give Brent a Call @ 616 940-9166.

Landscape Design: Harmony

Harmony in the landscape refers to the way in which various elements in the landscape are organized to create a sense of unity or continuity within individual garden areas as well as between areas within the overall landscape. There are many elements that can be used to create harmony within a landscape. Each element adds a different dimension of unity and can be used in combination with the other elements to create an overall sense of harmony within the garden and landscape. Among these harmonizing elements, I would like to emphasis the following: Color Schemes, Repeated Hardscapes elements, Repeated Forms, and Green Spaces. Let’s look at some of these various elements in detail.
Color Schemes are probably the most easily identified harmonizing element in a landscape, and therefore the most habitually emphasized of these elements. Color Schemes usually rely on specific color combinations that can make or break a garden. For this reason color schemes must be chosen with care. However, the most exciting combinations are not always planned. Feel free to experiment with new partnerships. Choose an individual color or several contrasting or complimenting colors to be used throughout the landscape (see the color wheel).
Color partnerships can be separated into two categories: contrasting colors and complimentary colors. When contrasting colors are combined, they tend to draw attention to themselves through explosive relationship. Tension is created, heightening our senses and drawing our eyes to this place. By standing out, these dissonant color combinations further emphasis the more harmonic color combinations. Seizing our attention, these contrasting color combinations can highlight transition between two areas in the landscape. Beware: too many dissonant color combinations can destroy a garden. Our goal should then be to limit these contrasting color combinations in order to emphasis the overall unity of the garden or landscape.
It is easy to focus exclusively on flower color. However, flowers come and go. They blossom and fade with the seasons’ change. Foliage, however, is longer lasting and thus, perhaps, the more important producer of color choices in the landscape. I would, therefore, encourage you to try basing your color scheme on the foliage of one or more specimen plants. You may even consider the color found in other elements such boulders, tree and shrub bark, a garden sculpture or paver brick.
Hardscape elements repeated in the landscape can also draw together a disparate landscape. Thus, when you are dealing with various themes such as formal and informal areas or perennial and annual gardens, Consider using common hardscape elements such as stone or brick. Both of these can be used in a number of applications. For instance, granite can be used to create a very appealing patio or walkway as well as retaining walls. Perhaps you could use granite to create a unique water feature such as a fountain surrounded by granite pebbles.
Repeating a particular plant such as a Rhododendron or weeping Japanese Maple could also add another unifying element.
Try using Redwood or Cedar in both your fencing as well as your decking application. Match the brick in your front walkway to the brick on your house. It may be difficult to match the paving brick exactly, especially if your home is more than a couple of years old. However, there is almost always another brick that will coordinate with the existing house brick