Garden Design IdeasGarden Ideas, Photos and Tips for Gardening at Home
PROJECT:
The restoration of an Arts and Crafts four - square in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago .
SUBMITTED BY:
Megan Wade , Fieldwork Design Group
On a lot where the house is put back only 8 ’ from the property line , the front yard and parkway became a theatrical production arena for structure material for two years . When it was ultimately uncover , we found a plantless plot of farming urgently in indigence of a new imagination .
See below for Megan ’s tips on what to consider when set a pavement garden .
As two foresighted - time Chicago resident physician and design pro , it was important that the front porch design captured the disembodied spirit of the architectural expressive style of the home . My husband and architect , David Schroeder , wanted to respect the loftiness of the nursing home and revel in details more appropriate to the stylus than the premature porch had exhibited . For the garden , my intent was to create a foil to the formalities of the household so that the overall notion reflected the warmth and friendliness of our minuscule family .
Both the front chiliad garden and drive are purposefully colorful and quite wild , contrasting with the straight and sincere computer architecture . As a landscape architect , I could not resist the opportunity to extend the garden out into the drive . The front yard is rather small , after all . It was a chance to showcase my skills , essay out new industrial plant combining , and watch it change over the time of year in a way that I can never watch a client ’s garden . ( I would be accused of stalking ! )
The front yard was conceived as a traditional , cultivate garden . It hold in purport of plants one might feel in an old - fashioned American garden — Hydrangea arborescens‘Annabelle ’ , Turkish boxwood ( Buxus‘Glencoe ’ ) , black - eyed Susan ( Rudbeckia fulgida ) , catmint ( Calamintha nepetassp . nepeta ) , andVeronica‘Wizard of Ahhs ’ . ACornus kousaanchors the corner of the seam , and a tenuous linear bed ofLiriope spicatalines the public walk .
As the Garden cover into the parkway , the pallet becomes a act Billy Wilder and the drifts are smaller and miscellaneous , evoking the common sense of a stylised native landscape painting . Color and soma are restate to give the plantings a sense of rhythm and intentionality and to bind the two area together . Friendly yellows , oranges , and whites contrast nicely with the morose gray of the house . Blue accent balance out warm tones .
The plant palette for both garden was planned to ensure optic interestingness throughout the seasons . In early summertime , ' Walker ’s Low ' catmint and bluestar blossom with their leafy vegetable contrast with the brightness of autumn moor locoweed . May Night salvia soon follows , withAchillea‘Walter Funcke ’ get in as the salvia fades . Then , liatris and white coneflower appear with Russian salvia pack on the blue hues . Hydrangea and disastrous - eyed Susan round out the free fall . We will leave all the perennials uncut for the winter for the birds to feed on — a field of Brown has its own beauty . In fall , we will add bulb to the garden as well for spring interestingness .
WHY PLANT A SIDEWALK GARDEN?
In many neighborhoods in Chicago , homes sit rather near to the front holding line , which means that the front yard is very small or non - real . The parkway ( the striptease of greenery between the public sidewalk and the street ) is keep by the occupier , but it is technically owned by the city . In certain destiny , lawn is an appropriate choice — it is at least green and it can be walked on , which is helpful where most masses park at the side of the street .
We chose to plant perennials alternatively of lawn for various reasons . A prime motivator was a desire to rid of lawn upkeep . While perennial gardens do call for maintenance , this parkway garden expect less maintenance from workweek - to - week than lawn . And of course of study , it is much more visually interesting . It draws us outside to see how it has changed from daytime to twenty-four hour period , week to week .
In addition , sundry perennial beds offer ecological benefit such as providing nutrient and home ground for pollinators and wildlife . This garden call for no pesticides or plant food to thrive , and the plant were selected for their enduringness and drouth tolerance .
One unanticipated benefit is that we ’ve met so many of our neighbor when spending time gardening in the parkway . Interactions with passerbyers are much more likely without the whir of a lawn lawn mower , weed whacker , or leaf blower . hoi polloi hold on to necessitate motion about names of certain plants or just to talk about the weather . It is a great conversation newbie . Since we only moved in of late , this has been a fantastic bonus !
CONSIDERATIONS WHEN PLANTING A SIDEWALK GARDEN
snowy coneflower ( Echinacea’Alba ' ) . picture : Megan Wade .
Mind the rules.
Before undertaking any streetside planting projects , ensure your urban center ’s codes . Many municipalities have restrictions on what can and ca n’t be plant there .
Plant in groups.
It is easier to see the fundamental monastic order of a garden when species are planted in groups . Scale your drift of plant so that the garden is legible to those who pass by . In this parkway , species are generally in drifts of 5 plant for the lower industrial plant , and in movement of 3 works for any of the steeple - like plants .
Repeat color and form.
repeating in color and sort will give the garden a cohesive look , even with a wilder plant palette . deal ring coloring material or species that are present in your front railyard to relate the two spaces visually .
Plant densely.
Keep the spatial arrangement between the plants closely . There will be fewer weeds and people will be less inclined to switch off through your planting .
Create definition.
For the edge plant life , consider metal money with foliation that appear early in the season , like autumn moor grass , catmint , andAllium‘Summer Beauty ’ . The former greens signal footer that the field is a garden and discourage people from walk through it . Select perennials that will still have a presence in winter for the same reason , especially if you feel coke .
Visibility.
Consider the end height of your plantings . While a few spires can add drama to a planting , maintaining profile is of import . pedestrian will feel good if they can see over the planting . Visibility at corners is especially critical . A good rule of thumb is to keep plantings at intersection point recess to a height of 30 ” or less .
Allow room for car doors.
Plan for watering.
