The new year seems to invite self-examination and, like many people, I usually make a few resolutions.
Sometimes our landscapes also need a critical examination and a few improvements. Winter is the perfect time to do this, since you can see the bones or structure of the landscape without as many leaves and flowers to distract you.
The first thing to remember is that a landscape is not meant to be a static thing. Plants grow. Builders often put in a lot of plants to make a new house look less stark. In some cases, if they all grew to maturity, you wouldn’t be able to find the house in their midst. This situation may call for a little judicious thinning or a major chainsaw massacre.
Sometimes we make mistakes and put a plant where it doesn’t fit. Rather than try to prune that camellia back to 5 feet every year so you can see out the window, maybe it’s time to replace it with something naturally low-growing. Trees planted too close to the house are a common mistake.
Not only do the plants change, but so do your family’s needs. I’ve known people who still have a kiddy swing set in the yard when their children are in their teens. Why not use that space for the cutting garden or outdoor barbecue area that you have always wanted?
A good place to begin your landscape critique is from the inside of your house. After all, you spend lots more time inside than outside, especially in the winter. Gaze out the windows of the rooms in which you spend the majority of your time. What does your garden look like from there? Does it need a focal point, more layers, or perhaps a ground cover to keep down weeds?
The best view of my garden is from the bedroom and, of course, most of my time in that room is spent with my eyes shut. I’m determined that my next house will be much more sensibly arranged relative to the garden.
Another place from which to conduct an evaluation is the street or entry area of your property. What kind of first impression does your landscape make? You want it full and interesting without being cluttered or overpowering. Pathways should be wide enough for two people to walk abreast. Ground covers creeping over paths soften the lines, but shrubs encroaching on walkways get passersby wet after a rain.
Walk around the house. Do you have a spot where you have privacy, but don’t feel confined? Are there benches at strategic locations, so that you can sit and enjoy the garden? Could you install a few lights and enjoy the garden more on warm evenings? Have you provided for food, water and cover for wildlife?
Sometimes more screening is needed to hide an ugly tool shed, the compost piles or the garbage cans. Maybe you’re tired of looking at the neighbor’s boat or satellite dish. Plant, plant, plant.
On the other hand, some people are lucky enough to be able to “borrow landscape.” If your neighbor has a tree that has spectacular spring blooms or glorious fall color, by all means take advantage of it. Cut a break in your shrubbery or limb up your trees, so you can enjoy it. The same is obviously true if there is any chance you could get a view of the water, mountains or even some distance. Real estate agents call this a territorial view and it’s valuable, so don’t block it.
Last but not least, is there some winter interest in your garden? I have plants with berries, plants with interesting bark and plants with winter blooms, and I still want to do more. The pink-flowered viburnum and the yellow-flowered winter jasmine vine are in bloom right now. I just added cyclamen, a tiny, winter-blooming ground cover. Four-season interest is a worthy goal for us all.
Holly Kennell is the Snohomish County extension agent for Washington State University Cooperative Extension. Master gardeners answer questions on weekdays at WSU Cooperative Extension – Snohomish County, 600 128th St. SE, Everett, WA 98208. Call 425-338-2400.
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