Before we move on to discuss the next step in designing the beautiful edible landscape, let me give you an update on the patio and pergola project we talked about in the last post,
The Beautiful Edible Landscape: Permanent Elements.
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| Herringbone interlocking in progress |
The paving contractors are making good progress and it is looking great. They compacted another 4"-5" of limestone screening onto the base we had already laid down last summer. This should certainly provide a really solid and well-drained foundation. One item of note...if you intend on having your interlocking pattern laid on a diagonal or have designed curves into the edge pattern, it will require significantly more cutting so be prepared to pay a little extra in the labour costs. I had chosen the herringbone pattern in order to provide a subtle design link to the herringbone pattern of tile we had installed inside the house throughout the entrance hall and Kitchen.
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| Not only does cedar look good & last forever, it smells very nice too! |
The pergola is now complete and I'm thrilled at the way it turned out. The end cut details on the beams and joists really add a finer touch to what would otherwise be a pretty simple and straightforward structure. As Mies Van Der Rohe once said...'God is in the details...'. The neighbour's lilac blooms are peeking over the fence behind, adding a little colour and charm to this focal point. Soon we will add some creeping, flowering vines to climb all over the pergola and we'll have some much needed colour within the yard, even at this early stage of development.
The pergola containing the outdoor dining space has clearly become a focal point as was intended in the design. But we don't intend to stop there! I will explain a little more about this important design aspect below.
STEP 3: ESTABLISHING FOCAL POINTS
We've been careful to establish focal points right from the
planning stage, but with a limited size of yard we don't want to overdo it. So we've chosen to limit the number to three or four strong elements. Another important focal point would be the placement of an imported tree at the back corner of the yard which would include the placement of an attractive bench right underneath the canopy. I've been studying native trees and have discovered that there's not an overwhelming amount of choices. Of primary importance to us would be a fast-growing species that's fairly hardy, attractive and which doesn't shed waste material in such a way as to destroy any grass below the canopy. My first thought was a maple tree. It would certainly fit our criteria, but there is already a dearth of maples in our area and I wanted something, well, different! According to
The Beautiful Edible Garden..."the key, is that your focal point must be something permanent that is special or beautiful...". My personal choice would be a birch tree because I truly love the look. The problem is two-fold, they are slow growing and shed a lot of material, so that's out. I've been told by friends that a Swat Magret purple beech tree (
Fagus Sylvatica "Swat Magret") would be perfect, and after a few visits to the local nurseries, I am seriously considering it. My other choice right now is a Yoshino cherry tree (
Prunus x yedoenis). The reason for this is to honor my mother who's been in love with cherry trees and their beautiful blossoms ever since we took her to the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., a few years ago. Unfortunately, the Yoshino is not a native tree and therefore isn't as hardy. It may be more disease-prone as well, but I'm willing to put in the TLC it might require to grow up healthy. I truly believe that adding an emotional element to selecting the proper tree is important. I feel it's worth it to have something to look out at that would bring back fond memories. Not to mention that my mom would be so happy seeing it grow and flourish every time she visits. So I have a decision to make. Before I do, I've decided to try a little design experiment to see how these two choices would stack up against each other...
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| Back corner with a purple beech tree - the logical choice |
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| Back corner with a Yoshino cherry tree - the emotional choice |
Hmm.. Tough decision.. It really is! I even consulted with my 'CFO' but he left the decision up to me. Which one would you choose if I told you that they were basically at the same price point? Decisions, decisions...
The third focal point element I've identified is our existing deck. I plan on creating a feature on one side by sprucing it up with some hanging plants and balcony containers similar to this lovely illustration shown in
The Edible Landscape book:
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| A picnic on the balcony looks oh so beautifully delicious! |
We may need to provide some additional structure to the railing in case it cannot handle the load of so many planters, but I'm already excited about the fact that no digging is required for this "picnic on the balcony"! Did I mention that all we have is clay as a sub-soil in our gardens around the house? That means additional digging and topsoil is going to be required in preparation for the garden beds. I haven't figured out how to get rid of the excess clay yet, but I'm hoping to come up with something. I always knew gardening was hard work - it's just that I had never really gotten the real 'dirt' on it until now!
It's been fun implementing our design ideas and we've learned a lot as we've progressed. Stay tuned as we approach the final steps of creating a beautiful edible landscape. Glorious plants, here we come!
