Many of the yards in our area are being converted from high-water use lawns to drought tolerant plants and ground cover on a low-water use drip system. Many of these conversions are very attractive, some, not so much. It all comes down to blending the plant material with the existing area.

A particular example of poor choices of plant material is a project in our neighborhood that used way too many desert looking grass plants in a planting medium resembling red Arizona dirt, which would be fine in Arizona, but doesn’t fit or blend with any of its surroundings. It all looks misplaced. The landscaper also over planted and created a checkerboard effect which is very unnatural.

Good landscape design uses a variety of shapes, colors, sizes, and greenery in natural groupings It also is desirable to leave some open space, possibly creating a simulated creek bed or path through the plantings. Don’t forget to add some decorative trees to the landscape. Always consider the size they will become and keep the scale appropriate for the site. There are many good books with illustrations of beautiful landscapes that you can use for ideas.

Another aspect of your design is the type of mulch or bark you choose. Again, I prefer a natural color, as opposed to the colored barks many are using. A combination of rock and bark is an option. Just choose the type and color carefully. Don’t forget to add some interesting planters, window boxes or garden accessories. You can find them at:

In conclusion, no matter what your plan for landscape design may be, try to compliment the areas around you. You don’t want your landscape to stand out like a “sore thumb”.

The Sunset Western Gardenbook has a chapter on deer-resistant plants and it’s been very helpful to me. They indicate which plants are truly deer-resistant and which ones might get nibbled sometimes. If you don’t want to select from this list, one solution is to fence the whole yard and another is to use some of the sprays that make the plants inedible. The deer also don’t like strong odors, but you might not want the odor of these sprays near your front door. Wouldn’t be too pleasant for your guests. Another solution some people use is when you have your hair cut, ask the owner if you can have a bag of the hair from the floor. Put some hair in little mesh bags or old pantyhose and tie them around the garden. The deer don’t go near the human scent, but you need to replace these now and then, as the scent will fade. You can also hang bars of Irish Spring soap around. They don’t like that smell either. Jerry Baker has some home-made remedies for many of these marauding pests. These are solutions you can make in your kitchen.

We not only face the deer problem, but our city is mandating drought tolerant plants and low water use drip systems because some years have had very low rainfall. This, again, shortens the list of appropriate plants we can use. Our city water conservation department has a recommended list of trees, shrubs, and perennials that should be used in our gardens.
I recently spearheaded a project to convert a large area of turf to drought tolerant plants on a drip system. We are in an association of 41 homes with lots of open greenbelts where the deer are accustomed to roaming around and foraging for food. We also have many regulations to follow. The project turned out great, but the deer are very confused, as I also cross referenced the city’s list with the deer resistant list in Western Garden book. It was a lot of work, but rewarding to see it to fruition. We used dwarf plumbago on the slopes as a ground cover, and added three redbud trees. In the open areas we used groupings of phormium and achillia with some boulders for accent. We also covered another slope with low growing manzanita and planted a Mimosa tree for shade. Two of the homeowners also got involved because their homes bordered this project. They put in nerium (oleander) trees, leptospermum, english lavendar, rosemary, and cotoneaster. We covered all the bare ground with a nice path mulch. We’re hoping to do more of this in the future.

Malus Floribunda or Crabapple Tree

When planting a tree, always be careful to choose a good location with the proper exposure, soil, and room to grow. The planting hole should be twice as large as the root ball and allow the crown of the roots to be just at the edge of the soil line. Fill the hole with water and any amendments the nursery recommends. Also, position any stake you plan to use before planting the tree. This eliminates any damage to the root system. Trees should be staked for at least, the first year, depending on their size and sturdiness. Some smaller trees need to be staked longer, especially if you have strong winds.

Be very careful to choose trees that fit the area you’re landscaping. For patios, choose smaller trees that don’t make a mess with lots of shedding leaves or fruit. Also, make sure the tree you choose doesn’t have invasive roots that will either raise the cement or interfere with underground pipes. For a reference book, I would recommend the Sunset Tree and Shrub book, but there are many good books on trees.

Try to determine your zone and also check around to see what others have planted and are successful with. If you have a lot of room or a large property, then you can consider larger trees. You could even plant groupings of trees, which looks really good.

During the first two or three years trees should be given extra care until they become established. This means they should be watered deeply, especially during hot summer weather. Also check the ties regularly to ensure that stem growth is not restricted. Stakes should be removed after a couple of years unless the tree is especially spindly. Light dressings of a well balanced fertilizer can be applied if desired. This is not necessary as the plant matures. Keep the soil around the tree free of weeds and remove any sapling growth at the base of the tree. Pruning is usually not necessary unless for aesthetic reasons. Another reason to prune is if the branches cross over each other and start crowding the interior of the tree. This thinning should be done carefully and consulting an arborist is a good idea. For large trees, you definitely should consult a licensed professional.

It’s important to prune at the correct time of year. For ornamental, deciduous trees, the best time is when they’re dormant. This is to prevent the bleeding of sap, which is at it’s lowest level during dormancy.

When pruning branches, look for the swelling of the branch collar where it joins the main trunk and make the cut just outside of this. If the collar isn’t visible make sure the cut doesn’t penetrate the trunk and is slightly angled away from it.

When it comes to pests and diseases, most trees are pest free and require little care for this. If a problem persists, there are remedies available, both chemical and organic. If you’ve cared for your tree with cultivation, water and fertilizer you shouldn’t face too many problems.

I’ve mentioned vegetable gardening in some of the other posts, but here I’d like to introduce vegetable gardening to the people who are just thinking about having a vegetable garden, but have no experience with it. Given economic conditions, it makes sense to grow some of your own food. It’s also a healthy way to feed your family.
What I would recommend is to start with the crops that are easiest to grow and as you get the hang of it, you can work up to more difficult crops. The easiest crops to grow are cherry tomatoes and bush beans. They both will give you lots of good harvest and are delicious. Carrots and radishes grown from seed are also very easy and even young children enjoy growing these and they love to pull them when they’re ready. Remind them to grab the stems down at the base, so they won’t break off the foliage. When you get your seed packets follow the directions on the package for planting and always prepare your soil first . ( See soil improvement and raised bed gardening for ideas). You also want to choose a spot that gets at least 6 hours of sun per day. There’s more information about planting techniques in the post “What kind of garden do you want”.
Master Gardening has a lot of helpful items for your gardening needs. They carry compost bins, a variety of raised beds and many other goodies.

Another crop that’s relatively easy is summer squash or zucchini, providing you have enough room. (They spread quite a bit) Chard is also very easy and it will even tolerate some shade and looks good in ornamental gardens.
Try to grow things you love to eat, and don’t plant more than you can use or give away. I also like to plant those vegetables that are usually very expensive in the stores. One such luxury veggie is asparagus. The added benefit is, it’s a perennial that comes back every year and the older it gets, the more prolific.

Melons are also pretty expensive in the stores and all you need is a little space for these. There are some smaller varieties if your space is limited.
Speaking of small spaces, you might want to consider a small lettuce garden. You can grow your own salad fixings on a patio or deck or even a window box. Prolong the harvest by just filching from the outer leaves.
Strawberries are another perennial that you can container grow or use in a hanging basket. They prefer partial shade. If you do plant them in the ground, watch out for snails, They love them. Try putting a tin pie pan with beer in it out at night. They crawl in and drown. ( AWWW!)
The one crop I wouldn’t recommend that you grow is corn. It leaches all the nutrients from the soil, takes a lot of space, and when it’s ready to harvest, you can buy it at the market 4 for a dollar. Not worth the trouble.
Getting back to patio plants, breeders have developed many compact varieties that grow well in containers. One such is petite patio tomato .
You can also grow peppers, and bush baby zucchini, to name a few.
Growing your own garden is very rewarding, not to mention, you’ll save a lot of money on those expensive vegetables at the store. Try keeping a journal of what you planted where and when, then record your successes and failures at the end of the season. There’s not a gardener alive that hasn’t had failures, so don’t be discouraged. Just use the journal each year as a way to learn about your different crops.
Best of luck to you!
This book from Amazon is a great guide for you to follow.