principles of landscape designlandscaping simple, well maintained landscapes are safer than...
TRANSCRIPT
Wait!
What if we had a clean slate……
Don’t start by picking out the plants – even though that’s what we all do
LANDSCAPING
WHY “DESIGN”?
Create a plan to extend
indoor space outdoors
Take advantage of
natural features
Assess limitations
Install complementary
hardscape
Plan efficient irrigation
Selecting plants that fit
design
Or improve your curb appeal?
SCALE IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Know the
mature
size of
your
plants
PERSPECTIVE IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Don’t make small spaces boxier or visually closed in
Strong colors in front to visually expand
Taper walkways or plantings toward vanishing point
Examples of design that lead your eye away
BALANCE IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN
REPETITION IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Consider rhythm & simplicity
ACCENTS IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN
WHAT TO CONSIDER? (EACH DISCUSSED IN DETAIL LATER)
User’s wants &
constraints Do you want to
spend your free time
maintaining the
landscape?
Climate!
Site Analysis
Materials
Budget
Gorgeous, but think about how much
work it takes!
WHAT DOES THE USER WANT?
Consider activities, routines, & traffic patterns Play area for kids?
BBQ & entertainment
Area for pets
Outdoor rooms
Orchard or vegetable garden
Public Area (curb appeal - seen when entering property)
Maintenance
Things change & people age Consider Adaptive Garden Design
ADAPTIVE GARDENING DESIGN (OR GARDENING FOR SENIORS OR FOLKS WITH PHYSICAL LIMITS)
Downsize?
Different techniques?
Move garden closer to
house & driveway?
Fewer levels & steps?
Simplify plantings?
Reduced pruning?
Share with younger
gardener?
ADAPTIVE
GARDEN DESIGN
Less walking & hauling Place garden beds near the
house for quick accessibility.
Place garden beds near a driveway to decrease the distance needed to bring supplies such as plants and soil to the garden area.
Keep garden tools and containers within easy reach.
Place garden beds close to an available water source.
More accessible Build tool shed doors at least 48
inches wide to accommodate wheelchairs.
Provide pegboards and shelves at easy reach—measure from the floor to the top of the gardener's head for maximum height.
Provide plenty of
shaded seating &
resting areas in the
garden
ADAPTIVE GARDEN PATHS Consider tripping & balance issues
Keep paths clean & free of clutter.
Avoid using grass and other soft materials
for pathways. They are difficult for
wheelchair & wheelbarrow wheels to roll on.
Hard surfaces make negotiating paths easier
for those with canes or walkers because tips
cannot imbed into the path surface.
Install handrails where needed and provide
adequate lighting.
Consider strongly anchored decorative
features that someone can use to pull
themselves up
These paths
are pretty
but both
have trip
hazards
CLIMATE CONSIDERATIONS: DON’T TRY TO FIGHT IT
Ours is “Mediterranean”
Temperature Range (plus snow load)
We have dry Summers
We have hot summers
Evergreen vs Deciduous trees (allow
summer shade and winter light)?
Vegetable garden in sun, afternoon shade?
Outdoor living area in shade?
What is your microclimate?
SITE ANALYSIS
Notice wind, sun, shade patterns
Soils
Topography Terracing of steep slopes
Retaining walls
Preserve best features
Traffic patterns
Hide/screen “ugly” stuff Neighbors, sheds, services
AC, garbage cans, compost, clothes line
Potential hardscaping Patios, walkways, driveways
MATERIALS & BUDGET
Suitable for our area Freezing & thawing
Gauze tents vs shade tree
Metal vs PVC fixtures
Appropriate for intended use Paving in high traffic areas
Fence or wall vs hedge
Plants Year round interest
Lower maintenance
Consider native plants
Think about long-term cost – design efficient irrigation system
Layout plan & start with key elements
Plants grow, start small
Use cheap or free materials Mulch, Decomposed Granite,
river rock can be free locally
County mulch pile in Weaverville Industrial Park – free mulch
Recycled materials
REGULATIONS & OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Fences over 6’ tall need
“engineered design” for wind, etc
Don’t try to hide propane tank
Have turn-around for fire trucks
Consider safety (trip hazards,
nefarious characters, fire)
DESIGN STEP #1
• Dinosaur: Use graph paper and make
map to scale.
• Or use available software
Show North direction
Undesirable and desirable features
Views
House, Garage, Other buildings
Trees, Rock Outcroppings
Existing Walls, Driveways, Paths
Contour of Land
Direction of Surface Flow of Water
Sun / Shade Pattern
DESIGN STEP #2 DESIGNATE THE USE AREAS
Try tracing paper to make layers over existing site or tech
Determine if each area is functional in relation to house Is clothes line easily accessed from laundry room?
Are views from house as intended?
Fit use areas together with traffic flow Are the driveways, walkways and parking areas easily accessible
to house?
Does it flow/work?
Are service areas not in view of outdoor living space or windows from inside?
Locate septic tank/lines and easements
DESIGN STEP #3 FINALLY WE GET TO THE PLANTS!!!
Draw to Scale
Choose plants that meet your goals
Select with these characteristics in mind:
Form
Color
Texture
Seasonality (time in bloom)
Overall aesthetic value
Select plants or groups of plants to meet the specifications of your plan and design
PLANT SELECTION CONFLICTS
Choose what’s relevant to you:
Fire Resistant?
Deer Resistant?
Drought Tolerant?
Native Plants?
Pollinators?
www.reddingwatersmart.com
Cool website. Check out
Helpful Plant Lists, has lots of
ideas and examples.
They’re not
always
compatible.
For example,
native plants
are often fire-
adapted &
flammable.
LANDSCAPE TREES
TREE SELECTION
What’s its
function?
Shade
Wind protection
Privacy
Aesthetics
Architectural
element
EVALUATE BEST LOCATION
Consider size at maturity
Don’t plant under power
lines (PUD or yours)
Don’t plant too close to
sidewalks, walkways,
patios, foundations
Consider maintenance,
leaf litter, smell
CONSIDER WATER & CLIMATE
Does it need lots of
water?
Don’t mix natives that
expect dry summers in a
irrigated lawn
Look for Zone 7 trees
READY TO BUY A TREE……
They’re expensive,
take your time to
look at the TREE
Crown to root ratio
Taper?
Branch distribution
Injury
Roots
This tree
nursery
doesn’t
yield plants
with strong
trunks.
Wind flex
strengthens
trunks.
HOW TO PLANT A TREE
DON’T stomp on soil to pack down, use water to fill air spaces with soil
If you have to plant in moist soil, scuff up edges of hole to prevent “slick”
sides
Add stakes around base to prevent mechanical damage, fence for deer
Top tree
Use tree seal over
pruning cuts
Spray herbicides over
root area
Trench through roots
Plant too close to
house
Leave tree staked &
wrapped til tree is
girdled
Place near downspout
Dig hole too narrow
Leave burlap bag on
root ball
Put non-porous black
plastic under mulch
SHRUBS IN YOUR LANDSCAPE
PRUNING SHRUBS
Suggested Pruning Time for Common Flowering Trees & Shrubs Summer-Flowering
Plants: Prune before spring growth begins (produce flowers on current season’s growth)
Spring-Flowering Plants: Prune after flowering (produce flowers on previous season’s growth)
Doesn’t Matter: evergreen hedge or unknown
Thinning of older branches on a
suckering shrub
See handout on website for more
information on pruning deciduous
shrubs
FIRE RESISTANT LANDSCAPING
CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
THE BASICS OF FIRE RESISTANT
LANDSCAPING
Determine your DEFENSIBLE SPACE zones and
appropriate landscaping.
Remove DEAD or DYING vegetation.
Break up CONTINUOUS vegetation.
Eliminate LADDER FUELS.
Make your defensible space LEAN (less fuel load) and
GREEN (watered where appropriate).
Keep up with regular MAINTENANCE
DEFENSIBLE SPACE – PRIOR TO 2018
Zone 1:
Home +
30 ft
Zone 2:
100’ from
house
Zone 3:
>100’
from
house
ZONE 1: STRUCTURE IGNITION ZONE
Most houses catch fire from embers, not flame front
Clean gutters & roof “valleys”
Get rid of dry grass, brush, flammable materials around home & deck
Woodpiles > 30 feet away
Clear flammable materials away from propane tank
Metal screens to keep embers out of vents and metal window screens
Enclose area under deck
Less flammable plants, watered, “oasis zone”
ZONE 1: UPDATED
Home Ignition Zone now up to 200’ around house
As a result of forensic reviews of homes that burned (or not) in Carr & Camp fires: Create a ‘fuel free’ area around your
house that runs 5’ out on all sides.
Incorporate 5’ nonflammable surface into landscape design
LESSONS FROM
CARR FIRE
Even this metal roof
started to burn in the Carr
Fire due to leaves laying
in roof valley – caught fire,
roof heated up &
underlayment started to
burn Don’t put foundation plantings
under windows (or have them at all)
Blinds were melting at this house
before firefighters doused shrubs
ZONE 2: FIREBREAK ZONE
30’-100’ from house
Don’t have to eliminate
vegetation, just break up fuels
and “fuel ladder”
Reduce fuels
Space trees & shrubs out
Prune lower 6-10 feet of trees
Watered grass or gardens
Gravel or paved breaks
Again, less flammable plants
USE LANDSCAPE MOSAICS
My front yard – well watered herb garden
& deciduous trees. I have since widened
gravel paths and eliminated herbs (on left)
against deck. Artemesia (flammable) has
been relocated further away.
ZONE 3: REDUCED FUEL ZONE
Zone 2 minimum 100’: more depending on slope & wind
Thin trees, reduce fuel ladder, reduce woody debris
Create a defensible space
This house did not burn during the
Helena fire thanks to defensible space
COMPATIBLE WITH WATERWISE LANDSCAPING
High water zone -
“Oasis” closest to
home
Moderate water
zone (i.e. lawn as
buffer)
Drought-tolerant
plant zone furthest
from house
CHOOSING FIRE-RESISTANT PLANTS
Realize that plants are NOT fire-retardant; they can
be fire-resistive.
Know your elevation and microclimate when
making your plant selection. Healthy plants fare
better.
Irrigation and maintenance are key factors in your
choice of landscape plants.
Replace or eliminate flammable plants
AVOID HIGHLY FLAMMABLE PLANTS
They contain fine, dry
or dead material
Contain volatile waxes,
terpenes or oils
Have aromatic leaves
Loose or papery bark
Sap is gummy, resinous
Examples: Artemisia, incense cedar, broom, juniper, pine,
arborvitae, bay, Douglas Fir, manzanita, CA buckwheat, rosemary,
dry annual grasses
CHARACTERISTICS OF FIRE RESISTANT PLANTS
Moist & supple leaves
Tend not to accumulate dry, dead material within
plant
Sap is water-like and does not have a strong odor
Sap or resin materials are low
Influenced by plant age, moisture content, total
volume
FIRE RESISTANT FLOWERS
Yarrow
Allium
Columbines
Coreopsis
Delphinium
Gaillardia
Daylilly
Iris
Lavender
Echinacea
Lupine
Poppies
Penstemon
Salvia
Lamb’s Ear
Evening
Primrose
Hosta
Coralbells
Dusty Miller
Tulips/bulbs
FIRE RESISTANT GROUNDCOVERS
Bugleweed (ajuga)
Creeping thyme or phlox
Wild Strawberry
Snow-in-summer
Sedums
Hens & Chicks
Vinca
California Fuchsia
FIRE RESISTANT
SHRUBS & VINES Chokecherry
Barberry
Butterfly Bush
Spirea
Rose of Sharon
Oregon Grape
Lilac
Flowering Quince
Forsythia
Potentilla
Mock Orange
FIRE RESISTANT TREES
Fruit Trees
Maple
Oak
Catalpa
Ash
Sweetgum
Locust
Hackberry
Smoke Tree
Redbud
Use deciduous trees, not conifers
MAINTENANCE IS CRUCIAL FOR FIRE-SAFE
LANDSCAPING
Simple, well maintained
landscapes are safer than
elaborate landscapes that
are neglected.
Prune deadwood from
beneath ground covers and
shrubs.
Remove fire (fuel) ladders.
You’ll improve appearance
and maintain safety at the
same time.
BURN CHARACTERISTICS OF MULCH
Most to least combustible Shredded rubber
Pine Needles
Shredded Western Red Cedar
Medium Pine Bark Nuggets
Byproducts of chipper (wood chips, bark, needles, other biomass)
Composted wood chips
OTHER PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS (HOW TO HELP FIREFIGHTERS HELP YOU)
Post your address with large reflective numbers Can non-local firefighters find you in the
dark and heavy smoke?
Mark USABLE water sources with blue reflectors (check with VFD) Only use blue for WATER. Urban fire
depts are trained to associate blue with water source. Don’t confuse them.
Meet CalFire requirements for turn-around and passing. People often plant or store stuff in areas
originally intended for truck turn-around.
Trim overhanging trees along driveway Pretend there’s a BIG truck coming down
your driveway then trim accordingly
FIRE IS COMING & YOU HAVE TIME
Move combustible material away from house & deck (lawn furniture, firewood, etc)
Attach hoses to spigots
Fill buckets with water & place around home
Place ladder against house
This is my house ready for the Delta Fire
(smoke in background). Don’t laugh. I
was on crash duty at airport. But if fire
was coming and a strike team showed
up at my house, they had everything
they’d need to protect it.
HELENA FIRE RECOVERY: PLANTS
Invasive plants like Tree of
Heaven are one of the first
things to come back
Redbud is a fire-adapted
native plant
Madrone & oak will come back from the
roots. Thin shoots to 2-3 strongest. They’ll
recover faster than a new tree due to large
root system.
DEER-RESISTANT LANDSCAPES
Fencing
Repellents
Plant Selection (see list)
Fawns will try anything
Hungry deer will nibble
NATIVE PLANTS IN THE LANDSCAPE
Common Rush
Western Redbud
Woodland Strawberry
Wild Ginger Douglas’ Iris
California Native Plant Society © Copyright
2010.
This section was a presentation by Christie Wagner, Master Gardener.
BENEFITS OF GROWING NATIVE PLANTS
Adapted to our environment
Generally use less water
No fertilizer necessary
Enhance the soil health
Promote indigenous bacteria, fungi, earthworms, and
other underground benefactors
Low maintenance
Encourage birds, beneficial insects and pollinators.
But may be flammable & fire-adapted
KEYS TO GROWING NATIVES
Get to know your plant communities
Know where the plants come from and what conditions will make them thrive
Understand your site conditions
Soil
Sun exposure
Water availability
Choose plants to suit your site
SUBSTITUTE NATIVES FOR TURF?
•KILL GRASS to start •Stop watering
•Mow short before going to
seed
•If seeding, collect clippings
•Turn under, if possible
•Water to germinate seed
bank and repeat above steps
•Sow native seed mix
•Water and mulch Example - Tomcat Clover (Trifolium willdenovii), Bicolor
Lupine (Lupinus bicolor), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium),
Squirrel Tail (Elymus elymoides)
Pink Flowering Current, Ribes sanguineum
ACCENT SHRUBS
Mock Orange, Philadelphus lewisii Serviceberry, Amelanchier alnifolia
SHOWY SPRING SHRUBS
Large Feature Plant
Blue wild rye (Elymus glaucus) planted by CalTrans along Hwy 299 in Weaverville
Grasses
SOURCES OF NATIVE PLANTS
Nurseries CNPS Plant Sales -
http://www.shastacnps.org/
Trinity Nursery in Weaverville
Floral Native Nursery - www.floralnativenursery.com
Cornflower Farms - http://www.cornflowerfarms.com/index.php
Las Pilitas Nursery - http://www.laspilitas.com/
Wild crafting Need collection permits on public lands
Limit collection to 10%
CNPS Plant Sales
When you
shop for
plants,
request
natives!
They
maybe
able to
order
them.
MORE RESOURCES
Native Landscape Design
http://www.cnps.org/cnps/grownative/garden_plans.php
http://www.native-again-landscape.com/index.html
List of California Natives
http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/california_plants.html
http://www.californiagardens.com/Lists/plant.htm
http://www.laspilitas.com/easy/deerfire.htm
http://www.bewaterwise.com/fire02.html#Anchor-Trees-42456
Identification Site – GREAT PHOTOS
Calflora - http://www.calflora.org/
CalPhotos - http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/