Garden Design IdeasGarden Ideas, Photos and Tips for Gardening at Home
PROJECT:
The renovation of an Arts and Crafts four - square in the Albany Park neck of the woods of Chicago .
SUBMITTED BY:
Megan Wade , Fieldwork Design Group
On a lot where the house is set back only 8 ’ from the belongings line , the front yard and parkway became a theatrical production area for twist fabric for two years . When it was finally uncovered , we found a plantless plot of country desperately in want of a Modern vision .
See below for Megan ’s tips on what to consider when plant a sidewalk garden .
As two long - meter Chicago resident physician and figure professional , it was of import that the front porch design seize the look of the architectural style of the home . My hubby and architect , David Schroeder , wanted to respect the stateliness of the domicile and revelry in details more appropriate to the vogue than the premature porch had exhibited . For the garden , my aim was to make a foil to the formality of the home so that the overall feeling reflected the heat and friendliness of our small family .
Both the front yard garden and parkway are purposefully colorful and quite wild , contrasting with the square and grave architecture . As a landscape painting designer , I could not withstand the chance to stretch the garden out into the parkway . The front yard is rather lowly , after all . It was a opportunity to showcase my skills , essay out newfangled plant combinations , and find out it exchange over the season in a agency that I can never watch over a node ’s garden . ( I would be accused of stalk ! )
The front yard was think as a traditional , cultivated garden . It hold in drifts of industrial plant one might encounter in an old - fashioned American garden — Hydrangea arborescens‘Annabelle ’ , boxwood ( Buxus‘Glencoe ’ ) , black - eyed Susan ( Rudbeckia fulgida ) , catmint ( Calamintha nepetassp . nepeta ) , andVeronica‘Wizard of Ahhs ’ . ACornus kousaanchors the nook of the bed , and a thin linear bed ofLiriope spicatalines the public manner of walking .
As the Garden extends into the parkway , the pallet becomes a scrap wilder and the drifts are smaller and mixed , provoke the sense of a stylized native landscape painting . Color and form are repeat to give the plantings a sense of rhythm and intentionality and to tie the two field together . favorable yellow , oranges , and albumen contrast nicely with the dark grey of the house . Blue accents balance out strong tones .
The works palette for both gardens was planned to ensure optic stake throughout the seasons . In early summertime , ' Walker ’s Low ' catmint and bluestar salad days with their greens contrast with the brightness of autumn moor green goddess . May Night sage shortly follow , withAchillea‘Walter Funcke ’ coming in as the salvia fades . Then , liatris and whitened coneflower appear with Russian sage take on the down in the mouth hues . Hydrangea and black - eyed Susan round out the fall . We will leave all the perennials uncut for the winter for the raspberry to feed on — a field of John Brown has its own beauty . In fall , we will add bulb to the garden as well for spring interest .
WHY PLANT A SIDEWALK GARDEN?
In many neighborhoods in Chicago , homes sit around rather close to the front property demarcation , which imply that the front curtilage is very small or non - existent . The parkway ( the strip of greenery between the public sidewalk and the street ) is maintained by the residents , but it is technically owned by the urban center . In certain fate , lawn is an appropriate choice — it is at least green and it can be walk on , which is helpful where most people park at the side of the street .
We chose to establish perennial or else of lawn for various understanding . A quality motivator was a desire to reject lawn sustenance . While perennial gardens do require alimony , this drive garden requires less maintenance from workweek - to - calendar week than lawn . And of course , it is much more visually interesting . It draws us alfresco to see how it has exchange from day to day , week to week .
In gain , sundry perennial bed offer ecological benefits such as provide intellectual nourishment and habitat for pollinator and wildlife . This garden call for no pesticides or fertilizers to thrive , and the plants were select for their durability and drought tolerance .
One unanticipated benefit is that we ’ve met so many of our neighbors when drop clock time gardening in the parkway . Interactions with passerbyers are much more likely without the whir of a lawn lawn mower , locoweed whacker , or leaf blower . People stop to ask questions about names of certain plants or just to talk about the weather . It is a dandy conversation freshman . Since we only motivate in recently , this has been a fantastic bonus !
CONSIDERATIONS WHEN PLANTING A SIDEWALK GARDEN
White coneflower ( Echinacea’Alba ' ) . picture : Megan Wade .
Mind the rules.
Before undertaking any streetside planting projects , mark your city ’s codes . Many municipality have limitation on what can and ca n’t be planted there .
Plant in groups.
It is easier to see the inherent ordination of a garden when species are planted in radical . surmount your drifts of plants so that the garden is legible to those who pass by . In this parkway , species are generally in drifts of 5 plants for the lowly plant , and in drifts of 3 plants for any of the spire - like plant .
Repeat color and form.
repeat in color and form will give the garden a cohesive look , even with a wilder plant pallet . Consider echoing colors or metal money that are present in your front chiliad to link the two spaces visually .
Plant densely.
Keep the spacing between the plants tight . There will be few weeds and people will be less inclined to cut through your planting .
Create definition.
For the bound plants , turn over species with foliation that appears early in the season , like autumn moor grass , catmint , andAllium‘Summer Beauty ’ . The early common signal pedestrians that the country is a garden and deter people from walking through it . Select perennials that will still have a presence in wintertime for the same intellect , specially if you live snowfall .
Visibility.
Consider the death height of your plantings . While a few steeple can add drama to a planting , maintaining visibility is authoritative . Pedestrians will experience dependable if they can see over the planting . Visibility at corners is specially critical . A dependable normal of thumb is to keep plantings at crossway corners to a height of 30 ” or less .
Allow room for car doors.
Plan for watering.
