Before and After in Kathy and Kevin’s Garden in Washington

Today ’s picture are from Kathy and Kevin Schuler in Kirkland , Washington . Kathy says,“Our garden hugs the side of a Benny Hill and is fence in on the Confederate States of America and west side by a forested park . The rest home sits on a small parcel of land with a midget front yard facing north ; narrow strips about five foot wide are on the east and west ; the back yard is rough 200 square feet link to the forested car park . The micro - climates are deep shade to all mean solar day sun . We live in a house with a backdrop of improbable Douglas true fir and senesce braggart - leafage maples . My first idea was to create a garden following the theme of the dense forest understory . Instead , we decided on create order and repeat with our shrub and Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . The challenge is to give the eye focal points and a horse sense of order within the context of soaring conifers and an understory of Amerindic plum and bakeapple … .”Continued in the captions!Kathy , what a capital transformation ! And so glad to get word via your email that you ’ll be at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show !

Send me photos of YOUR garden ! netmail me at[email protected ]

desire to get theGPOD cede to your inboxevery morning?CLICK HERE!Want us tofeature YOUR garden , or a garden you ’ve lately travel to , in the Garden Photo of the Day?CLICK HERE!And last but not least , Check out theGPOD Pinterest Thomas Nelson Page , where you could graze all the post in category … fun!CLICK HERE !

okay Gardening recommend product

A.M. Leonard Deluxe Soil Knife & Leather Sheath Combo

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site , including Amazon Associates and other affiliate publicizing program .

Get our latest bakshis , how - to articles , and instructional television sent to your inbox .

sign on you up …

Before and After in Shelley’s Garden

Before and After in Oregon

Before and After in British Columbia

Maxine’s Dramatic Before and After in Washington

connect Fine horticulture for a free engaging live webinar featuring Dr. Janna Beckerman , a renowned plant diagnostician as well as professor emerita at Purdue University and the ornamentals technical manager …

When I spotted a special sand dollar cactus ( Astrophytum asterias ) at the Philadelphia Flower Show a few months ago , I know I was in trouble . With a delicious colouring material pattern …

When we only prioritize plants we desire over plant our landscape needs , each season is fill up with a never - ending inclination of chores : pruning , pinching , watering , treating , ameliorate , and fertilizing , with …

Video

Touring an Eco-friendly, Shady Backyard Retreat

You must be thrifty when you get in the backyard of garden clothes designer Jeff Epping — not because you ’re likely to trip on something , but because you might be dive - bombed by a pair …

4 Midsummer Favorites From a Plant Breeder’s Garden

Episode 181: Plants You Can’t Kill

Episode 180: Plants with Big, Bold Foliage

4 Steps to Remove Invasive Plants in Your Yard

All Access member get more

signalise up for afree trialand get admission to ALL our regional subject matter , plus the rest of the fellow member - only mental object library .

startle Free Trial

Get consummate website access to expert advice , regional cognitive content , and more , plus the print cartridge .

Start your FREE trial

Already a member?enter

–Driveway AFTER–The first project was to screen a neighbor’s fence by planting 32 arborvitae along the driveway. We added a beautiful plumrose Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonicavar.elegans).I started planting Pacific Northwest natives in 2005 when we moved into the home. There are nearly 100 sword ferns planted. Most of them come from county salvage digs. The county has yearly work party days. You volunteer 3 hours to dig natives then stay in the woodland digging up plants you would like for yourself. This is a great way to get natives into a yard. For several years I have volunteered during winter salvage digs and brought home truckloads of ferns. I recall one fern was so large I separated it into nine pieces.

–West side BEFORE–

–West side AFTER–The before picture shows the shady alley that eventually became a lush drift of sword ferns. The rocky slope is amended yearly with mulch and compost. A row of ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass provides a backdrop; the drift of sword ferns runs the 100-foot length; clumps of yellow crocosmia guide the eye down the garden to a golden euonymus at the corner of the house. The grass pathway is hugged by Wood sorrel (Oxalis oregano). The two pictures that follow show the garden in both directions.

North side – House front. Because the house sits on the side of a hill we have two tiers of cement block walls leading up to the front steps. A red Japanese maple, ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass and three arborvitae help provide a sense of order contrasting the wild woodland. Rows of ‘Hetz Midget’ arborvitae are planted on both tiers giving the eye a resting place.

The lower tier of cement blocks and steps are softened with sandwort (Arenaria montana).

A closer look at the contrast and textures of the red Japanese maple, swaying ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass and arborvitae.

The front porch faces north. Here the deer ferns and red sorrel thrive despite the Pacific Northwest dry summer.

South – House back. The backyard is about 200 square feet with a steep slope to one side. Drifts of sword ferns cover most of the area. Before we started the garden, the slope was covered in Himalayan blackberries, which we removed. Buried in the blackberries was a beautiful golden euonymus. I keep it pruned and skirted high to provide architectural detail.

Plant groupings at the back of the house: Hosta ‘Patriot’ foreground; ‘Rose Glow’ Japanese barberry; ‘Blue Star’ juniper to the right.

Grape vine (Vitis labrusca‘Niagara’) planted with redCrocosmia‘Lucifer’

Devil’s tobacco (Lobelia tupa), a species native to central Chile, is a dramatic flower that does extremely well in the Pacific Northwest. A ‘Niagara’ grapevine and red crocosmia are in the background.

Mother fern (Asplenium bulbiferum) has a graceful arching fronds providing eye catching contrast in the shady landscape.

The backyard against the woodland

East side of the home. A stone walkway leads the way to the back of the home while a row of arborvitae adds continuity to the landscape theme and provides screening. Some native plants in the garden: Pacific ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus); vine maple (Acer circinatum); evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum); red huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium); Pacific rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum); Nootka rose (Rosa nutkana); hardhack spirea (Spiraea douglasii); orange honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliosa); wood sorrel (Oxalis oregana); deer fern (Blechnum spicant); sword fern (Polystichum munitum); false Solomon’s seal (Smilacina racemosa); columbine (Aquilegia formosa); foam flower (Tiarella trifoliata); bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa); blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium idahoensis); carpet bugle (Ajuga reptans); broad-leaved stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium); wild ginger (Asarum caudatum); wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana); piggyback plant youth-on-age (Tolmiea menziesii); Dewey’s sedge (Carex deweyana).