Nancy and David's yard badly needed a transformation. They had an overwhelming mountain view with no garden to speak of--just a few shrubs and trees. But with some help from HGTV's The Surprise Gardener, their garden was completely redone. Nancy and David wanted to incorporate more color and visual excitement into their landscape, as well as some shade. They also have a special fondness for wisteria. When they went to work for the day, the crew from The Surprise Gardener got busy. The first step was to consult landscape designer Tanya Vanderwall, who began to create a plan in her head by framing the view with trees and adding a bench. Creating a curved brick-bordered bed will add interest, and the curve can mimic the shape of the mountain. Color will be massed in sections, and an existing fountain will be repaired and incorporated into the new plan. The problem of "doggy" spots in the lawn will be addressed by adding a curved pathway through the lawn. Once the garden is finished, David can treat new spots with lime and water as they occur. The wisteria David requested can be combined with the existing purple agapanthus, creating a color grouping that will bloom at different times. Selecting Plants At a nearby garden center co-host Susie Coelho and landscape designer Tanya Vanderwall select plants for the garden transformation: Fountain grass (figure A), a perennial grass suited to arid climates, requires full sun.
Nepeta x faassenii (figure B), a catmint, is a clump-forming perennial that requires full sun or partial shade. It is drought tolerant and appreciates a well-drained soil.
Willow (figure C) is a deciduous tree that requires a deep, moist and well-drained soil and full sun. Willows grow rapidly, and their roots may damage sewer and underground water pipes in search of water.
The Landscape Plan The garden team does some basic cleanup, prunes and transplants the existing roses, cleans the planters and readies the fountain for a new pump. Then it's time to change the borders from straight lines to curves. In order to draw attention away from the mountains and back into the garden, Tanya's landscape plan calls for two willow trees to be planted, one in each corner. A shady rest area will be built under one of the willows. Wisteria grown on a wire trellis will frame the windows of the house and provide fragrance when in bloom. Fast-growing bougainvillea will be planted along the fence and allowed to grow over it, providing vibrant color for most of the summer season and screening the dog's area. Ornamental grasses will be planted along the back wall, and fountainlike plants will surround the roses. A brick border will be built around the perimeter of the flower bed, and the same kind of brick will be used as a pathway over the lawn to break up the straight-line effect and cover dog-damaged spots at the same time. Finally, the water fountain will be installed along the back fence and surrounded by fragrant, colorful plants. Installing a Brick Border To bring the focus from the mountain view back into Nancy and David's garden, the crew will plant trees and install some curves. One way to create curved lines is to install borders. To install a new border in your garden, begin by chalking the design on the ground so you know exactly where to place the brick. You can use sand, sawdust, chalk or any powdery substance that won't harm plants to draw a temporary line. Now dig a shallow trench, using a pick or a shovel, along the line. The trench should be slightly wider than the brick and 4" deep. Place the bricks side by side in the trench in a predetermined pattern or at random. After you finish laying the bricks along the border, backfill the trench, tamping the bricks down with a shovel handle or a trowel. Creating a Brick Pathway To make planting along a fence line easier, begin at the back, and work toward the front. In Nancy and David's garden, the crew planted bougainvillea, agapanthus, and iris, then installed colorful annuals along the front of the border. The serpentine pathway across the lawn uses the same materials as the border but gives an entirely different look. It breaks up the straight line in the yard and complements the curved border along the new flower garden. The pathway is made of brick laid in a basket-weave pattern. Measure and mark a comfortable stride for each step. Lay one brick to mark each stride. Each basket-weave step will be made of eight bricks that will form a square. - Lay two bricks side by side, in a vertical position, leaving 1/4" inch between bricks.
- Next to them, lay two more bricks side by side, facing horizontally.
- Repeat the second row of bricks, this time reversing the placement of the horizontal and vertical bricks to create a basket-weave pattern.
- Cut around the edge of the bricks with a shovel, marking where you'll cut away the soil to place the bricks permanently.
- Move the bricks to the side and lift the sod. Dig deep enough to allow the bricks to lie flush with the lawn--usually about 4".
- Place a shallow layer of sand or soil in the bottom of the trench.
- Replace the bricks in the basket-weave pattern.
- Sweep sand or soil over the bricks to fill in the spaces and finish the pathway.
The Completed Design The new design has created pleasing curves and color groupings to direct the eye, trees to frame the view and a bench to invite viewers into the landscape.
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