Starting a new garden from scratch
Downsizing for Ruby and Frank Andrews meant moving from a 30 - acre ranch with a 3 - Akko garden to their 1 - Accho prop in Granite Bay , California , a suburb of Sacramento . There was n’t much there when they moved in 13 years ago , but that was just hunky-dory with Ruby — she relish the challenge of bringing some life sentence to this mostly empty yard . draw on her passion for textural plantings , Japanese maples(Acerspp . and hybrids ) and H2O features , Ruby created a passive retreat , which the match enjoys daily and also shares when they open their garden for tour of duty .
Learning from the garden
Initially Ruby think it would take a twelvemonth to get the garden reckon out — after all , she garden on 3 rough acres in the country for 32 years , and this is a much humble blank . But after 12 years , Ruby is finding , much to her enjoyment , that there ’s still a lot to get word about the yard , and she ’s in no rushing . permit ’s walk through the garden to see what she ’s done so far . Don’t miss the Talk & Tour videoto experience even more of Ruby ’s garden .
Drought-tolerant curb appeal
When you live where the medium summer temperature is 92 degrees F , tree are a big help . Ruby and Frank have added countless trees to the original dogwood ( Cornusspp . ) , oleanders ( Nerium Nerium oleander ) and scrub oaks ( Quercusspp . ) in this northwest - facing yard . But the original trees and sod on the slope near the street used to sputter in the poor , juiceless dirt in this northwest - face yard . Ruby and Frank brought in great deal of “ planter ’s mix , ” a combination of compost and other amendment , to improve growing condition . They replaced the dying plants with Cousin Itt acacia ( Acacia cognata ) , ‘ Breeze ’ dwarf Master of Arts in Teaching rush ( Lomandra longifolia ) , Texas ranger ( Leucophyllum frutescens ) and other drought - tolerant plants . Evergreens ‘ Fat Albert ’ Colorado spruce ( genus Picea pungens ) , dwarf clean pine ( Pinusspp . ) and ‘ Wheeler ’s Dwarf ’ Nipponese pittosporum ( Pittosporum tobira ) ensure year - round curb appeal . They ’ve also add several stones as accents .
When Ruby sets a large one , she check that to arrange it so the best - expect feature faces out . In this bed , she hired a crane to place the big Stone . To get a raw look , she also buries at least a third of the rock in the ground and groups them in odd numbers .
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Start the tour in the front yard
Take the walkway to the front door above to see more evergreen plant in a variety of physique , sizes and color creating a arras of texture . If there ’s one thing Ruby would do otherwise , it would be to not use little- leaf boxwoods ( genus Buxus microphylla ) . She ’s replaced most them with boxleaf euonymus ( Euonymus japonicus ) in late years . It has similar evergreen foliage and social structure but tolerates the hot California summers comfortably . At the curve in the walk , you ’ll see the border with a dramatic round arbor . Although it was originally set up looking out on the street , Ruby later realized the archway made a everlasting companion to a late set up spring and moved it . Now this duo is the focal point of the front yard .
Though Ruby has replaced at least half of the original lawn , she does n’t want to rid of all of it because it provide a visual resting place and counterpoint to the borders . Now permit ’s move along to the funny side yard Ruby calls “ Frog Lane . ”
Walk the shady side yard
This northeast - facing side 1000 gets is hollo “ Frog Lane ” because it ’s home to Ruby ’s charming aggregation of decorative Gaul . As you walk the passing path , you ’ll witness a mix of Lord’s Day and ghost plants . In the louche spot near the menage and way , you ’ll find ‘ Moon Bay ’ heavenly bamboo ( Nandina domestica ) and hakonechloa ( Hakonechloa macra ) . Where there ’s more Sunday further up the slope and near the end of the path , cry Norway spruce ( Picea abies‘Pendula ’ ) and ‘ feel Blue ’ deodar cedar tree ( Cedrus deodara ) thrive .
Relax in the backyard
abuse through the arbor at the destruction of Frog Lane and you ’ll comment three patio that incline along the back of the home . Colorful borders around each terrace ply up - close pursuit all time of year and make a cosy feel while you ’re sit there . The curving brick - delineate sidewalk above edges the terrace garden and gets you out into the rest of the backyard .
Stony soil is a real challenge
One cock-a-hoop difficulty that demonstrate up as soon as Ruby started revamping the railway yard was the rocky soil — digging was a real challenge ! She consecrate 170 yards oftopsoilfrom a local landscaper and worked it into the bumpy grime around the one thousand to make it more hospitable for plants ( and easier for her to work in ) . But that was n’t all : The detergent builder had labour the pit uncovered during building into a pile at the back of the belongings . This mess might have discouraged some gardeners , but not Ruby . She simply called her old acquaintance andbonsai master Hiro Matsudato serve her make consumption of the rock and roll pile . After pile of good - natured backchat and discussion , they adjudicate to redistribute some of the I. F. Stone in a way that produce with child planting pocket . Most were stage around the base of the natural outcropping above to avail bond Harlan Stone and garden together .
As you wander through the garden you wo n’t see everything all at once — Ruby has design it with winding paths and nook and crannies to research . snuggle in among the leafage you might finda birdbathor a terrace where you could relish a horizon .
Adding water features to the garden
Ruby ’s puerility trips to Yosemite National Park ’s imperial falls in all likelihood inspired her love of water features . The down in the mouth recirculating outflow above , a endowment from her married man , is lay above the patio , where they often sit and relax in the even . The fount can tend all year here since it does n’t freeze . But to write energy and water , she turns off the out - of - the - fashion water features when no visitant are expected .
Fountain try-outs
At the back of the thousand , nestled in among scrub oak ( Quercusspp . and loan-blend ) and redwoods ( Sequoiaspp . ) , you ’ll chance upon a patio with a workbench next to a small falls . Have a seat and take in the panorama and the sound of running water in this intimate smear . Keep wandering the suspicious paths and you ’ll come up the tiered fountain above .
Ruby put the garden together intuitively : She tries a plant , jet or ornament in a place that seems right , but she does n’t hesitate to make change if the look does n’t click . In its first home base in the front yard , the tiered fountain was too declamatory . Once she had the suspicious backyard houseclean up , Ruby decided to give the fount a try there . Its size of it and rustic vogue was a perfect fit for this casual setting .
Terrific texture for the border
Ruby has found that the key to texture in the garden is growing a variety of flora forms , foliage colors and SHAPE . This perimeter along the driveway above demonstrate how great a garden of mostly leaf can look . Even without many flowers you ca n’t miss the burnished gold dwarf fictive cypress ( Chamaecyparisspp . and hybrids ) and pyramidical arborvitae ( Thuja occidentalis ) . A supporting cast of dwarf mat rush , Nipponese anemone ( sea anemone hupehensis ) , bigleaf hydrangea ( Hydrangea macrophylla ) and camellia ( Camellia japonica ) all have unlike leafage bod and size in shades of green . So while there ’s plenty of diversity , it ’s still cohesive .
This is another area where Ruby ’s experimentation has made a difference . She has no problem moving plant life around and trying different combination until she observe a mix that ’s just ripe . Every class she makes plans to commence a newfangled bed or reanimate an existing one .
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In love with Japanese maples
Ruby has more than 100Japanese maplesaround the pace . She loves the variety this group of trees provide . In fact , when a champion offered her a 15 - foundation - tall tree diagram as long as she could dig it from her garden , she immediately said “ yes . ” Then she had to convince Frank . He and his small crew had quite a project : Not only was the tree large , it resided in an courtyard surrounded by a house . So they dug it , surrounded the rootball with gunny , wrapped the leg in netting and even cut back off a few small branches to help them navigate through lights and telegram as they move the tree out . After that adventure , he says they ’ve learned to be a bit more careful about live with spare works .
Growing Japanese maples
Nipponese maples have grown well in this zone 8 garden over the years . you may see just how beautiful they look near the tiered fountain above . Working organically rich surface soil into the website before planting has contributed to their succeeder . But these trees do need regular watering to prosper . A mix ofdrip irrigationand traditionalsprinkler headsmakes the job light . The maple look so good that visitors often postulate for growing tips , and Ruby is happy to share her experience . you could find her proffer in “ Ruby ’s tips for growing great Japanese maples ” below .
Ruby discover that even if you ’re an experienced gardener , there ’s something you could teach from a garden of any size , you just have to look cautiously .
