Re-Imagine
Re-imagine your garden space for this summer. It’s going to warm up fast and now is as good as any to re-imagine your gardens. There are a few final few weeks to rejuvenate your outdoor living garden. Or, maybe that living outdoor garden has already moved up the list of things to do.
To that Mid-Summer Experience
Find a favorite space in your backyard, your oasis gardens, near a small fountain, the sound of water, near your meditation space, maybe the patio, under a patio tree, maybe where there is a great view, maybe overlooking twinkling city lights, maybe a more private area and add that soft glow of overhead lighting. All you need is a space the size of a 10’ x 10’ area, more or less, to be outside and write on your blog!
Garden, Yard, Garden…
(translation; one’s “yard” is what I call “garden” in these blogs, not meaning vegetable garden. “Yard” to me provokes an image of a junk yard. The “front yard”…ok, it’s not generally used, unless you have a nice space to sit in the evening and wave at neighbors walking, and the following pertains to that space, as well. However, “back yard”…ugh, no good…one’s “back yard”, unless it is full of junk and not a place to live in, needs to be one’s “garden”, and yes, maybe with a vegetable garden, but your outdoor living space is your back garden, and better yet, give that space a name…your Poet’s Corner, butterfly and hummingbird gardens.)
The Kid’s Garden
Anyway, for the most part, create one space in your garden, at least for starters. And, if you have a larger area, with smaller children even teens, in which you create their space to play, read, blog, hang out with friends, as well.
Stores are Open and Helpful
The big stores are open for business, as well as smaller shops such as Ewing Irrigation to purchase irrigation supplies, as well as lighting and more. Maybe you are lucky to have a great plant nursery nearby, don’t forget about your local nurseries. And, of course, the big stores (Lowes, Home Depot, as well as Ace, and btw, no affiliation with these stores) have all that and more, whether you’re thinking of a complete new landscape creation or a rejuvenation.
First, Prep, then Irrigation
Speaking for those with gardens to rejuvenate, as well as starting new, the irrigation system is the first item. Well, maybe a good clean up and weeding, and preparing the area that you would like to live in. Maybe that area is off the kitchen with a grill. Possibly there is a perfect space off the family room where you can see from indoors, and/or out the master bedroom. Maybe there’s a spot where there is a view, where there might be more privacy than other spots. Hopefully, there’s a beautiful old tree that provides so much shade.
When you’re area is selected and prepped, irrigation is the first item to check. Make sure the system is working properly with no leaks from the backflow preventer. Check that there are no leaks between the BFP and the water meter, and on down to the pop-up heads on lawns and drip emitters along the lines. Along with no leaks, ensure the heads and emitters are putting out the proper amount of water. If heads are clogged, clean them out or replace them. And, if the emitters are not dripping, replace them with a fresh sit of compensating drip emitters. If you have an irrigation controller, adjust the settings for the summer. The irrigation step will save your investment of plants and save plenty of money in water bills, basically pay for itself.
Lighting
Next, or maybe this is what you start with is the lighting. Lighting is often overlooked, and it’s the fun part. Just a single strand of the warm glow of Christmas lights that are sitting in a box somewhere can transform an outdoor space into a more useable space into the evening and into a more romantic evening space. Basically, for not an extra penny and a tiny percent of your electric bill, a couple strands unboxed from Christmas make for a huge benefit of family spring, summer…year round experiences, and many romantic evenings. With my Rule of Three, mixing a couple strands of the Christmas lights with a strand of the larger bistro lighting with a strand or two of micro-lights is very, very…cool, romantic, a total wow factor.
Overhead, Ground, Vertical
This lighting step is all about the experience(s) you want to create. Overhead lighting creates a great ambiance. Overhead lighting extends the space with soft glow, as seen from the inside the home, while lighting the specific outdoor garden area where you are sitting. Other lighting includes ground lighting or path lighting, as well as one or a couple well placed accent lights to show a garden feature. So, think in terms of overhead lighting, the ground plane and the vertical plane.
So, with irrigation and lighting, a couple comfortable chairs, even the plastic Adirondack chairs in the big box stores go for less than $20, and even less for gently used chairs out of Facebook Market Place, and you can have a great start to a summer morning and evening getaway.
Candles
And, candles…tea light candles, a little bit larger candles, one, a half dozen, on one of our many still evenings makes for another level of lighting.
Couple Additional Thoughts…Paving
Not getting so much into the following with this article per say, but if you wanted to continue, groundcovers like decomposed granite, D.G., and/or a few inexpensive pavers, maybe a 100-150 square feet, s.f., will define a space. But, more on that in another blog…or contact me to discuss further.
Garden Elements
In short, adding just one element to the space can be anchoring piece that the two of you sit nearby, or a couple more sit around. A small water element, small in ground pond, a small fountain is soothing with the sound of water bubbling nearby with low to moderate maintenance. A colorful, small to moderate size ceramic pot with a fragrant plant or two, or converted into a water feature. While a fire pit, or chiminea in the middle of summer, is a bit counter intuitive, like a bug, even a small fire attracts people to sit around. And again, you may have something sitting around in the garage or in another place in the yard, that can be used and refurbished that becomes the perfect feature. Again, more on that in another blog…or feel free to contact me for other ideas.
Plants
In short, and again, the best time to plant is mid-September to mid-October…talking primarily with those in the Sonoran Desert in Phoenix and Tucson. So, if it’s mid-May, the probability of newly planted shrubs, trees, groundcovers surviving through the summer becomes less and less, especially if your irrigation system is not up to par. If you want to go for it though, think in terms of some hummingbird or/and butterfly shrubs and plants. They are typically pretty drought tolerant when established, provide color and of course, the hummingbirds love them.
Not to despair though, creating that space with lights can be a great start and to start planning and designing now, this summer, for new plants as we get closer to fall and after the summer heat is pretty much no longer a factor.
And, Before it Really Gets Warm…
And again, get it done now while the temps are getting into the 90’s, as well as enjoying your space sooner than later. Oh, and again, if open, visit your local plant nurseries for helpful ideas, to support them, as well as visiting the Desert Botanical Gardens for ideas.
Take care, stay safe!
