Garden Design for Small Spaces

How Does Designing a Small Garden Differ from Designing a Large Garden?

By Marie Iannotti, About.com Guide

Gardening in small spaces is generally overlooked in garden design manuals. Garden design is often presented as a list of principles or rules and illustrated on a grand scale. Most of us do not have acres of land on which to carefully calculate the width versus length of our perennial borders. Many of us don’t have the time or the inclination to undertake the maintenance these acres of gardens would need.
Gardening in a small space has its limits, but it need not be limiting. In a small garden, the gardener can pay attention to detail. You can keep on top of maintenance, while still having time to sit and enjoy your small garden. In fact, many small space gardens are designed around entertaining and sitting areas, rather then the need to nurture plants.

Whatever your reasons for having a small garden, there is no reason it cannot be a well designed show stopper. Virtually any plant or garden style can be worked into a small garden space. The principles of good garden design still apply, but you’ll need to tweak them slightly.

Small Garden Design Challenges

1. The entire garden can be viewed as a whole. Some small garden spaces will be able to accommodate a hidden turn around a path or even be divided into garden rooms, but for the most part, small gardens can be taken in whole, in one look. This means that, more than ever, your garden will be viewed as a composition.
2. Limited space means you are going to have to make choices. You won’t be able to grow every plant you love. You will need to curb your inclination to buy a plant on impulse and assume you’ll find a place for it.
3. Color should also be limited, to give your small garden cohesion. Less is more. Cooler colors will make the garden appear larger. You can compensate for the limited color pallette with a variety of textures. The textural contrast will help blend the plant material and allow the garden to flow.
4. Every plant or feature will need to serve a purpose. There is no room for wasted space or underperforming plants. Plants should offer at least two seasons of interest.

Small Garden Bonuses

1. Design can be easier when you can take in the whole picture at once.
2. It takes less plants to make a dramatic effect.
3. Gardeners get to know every space and plant in a small garden. Any plant that is out of place or not thriving can be spotted and corrected quickly.
4. Small gardens lend themselves to being enclosed. You may not want to install a stone wall, but an evergreen or flowering hedge will give the illusion of a secret garden. A simple low boxwood edge transforms a small garden into a formal garden. Hardscaping and fencing enclose and define a space for entertaining or children’s play.

A small space garden lends itself to personal expression. Smaller gardens are extensions of your home and speak volumes about the sensibilities and tastes of the gardener. And if those tastes and sensibilities should change, it’s much easier to rework a small garden.
Have a peek at this small garden photo gallery and see how varied small spaces can be.

Free 12 x 8 Shed Plan

With Illustrations, Blueprints & Step By Step Details

Free 12’ x 8’ Basic Shed

This 8 × 12-ft. shed features a simple gable roof, double doors, and
side and rear windows for natural lighting. With full-height walls and
doors, there's ample room for storing large items or creating a
comfortable work space. An optional wood ramp helps in moving
lawn mowers and other heavy equipment.

The shed's simple construction makes it especially adaptable for
different uses. For example, you can easily frame in additional
windows—to use the shed as a workshop or potting shed—or omit
all of the windows and devote the space entirely to secure storage.
The finish materials for the basic shed also are true to its name:
asphalt roof shingles, plywood siding, and simple trim details are
appropriately practical for this classic outbuilding design. You can
purchase prehung doors or build your own using the project plans.

How To Build A Shed In 10 Steps - Outdoor Storage Shed

So you need a storage shed to keep your outdoor items properly protected. You have shopped around to see what’s available, but you just can’t find one that suits your needs. Well, that’s no problem. You can build one yourself ,even if you’re not a carpenter. All that is required is ,for you to follow some quick and easy step by step plans, and you will have it built in no time.


Step One
 Is to determine where you want to build it. You need to have a designated area planned out before you begin. What space you have available will determine the maximum size you can build it.

Step two
Once you know your exact size it’s a good idea to rough sketch what you want. There are many home improvement stores that you can take your sketch to. They will draft up your storage shed  plans for you, according to the specs you provide them with. They will also supply you with a list of materials that you will require. So now you have your plans. In addition they will provide you with a guide on how to perform each step.

Step Three
Purchase the materials you will need as outlined in your plan. it’s a good idea to have everything at hand so you don’t have to keep running out for supplies once you start construction.

Step Four
 Now you are ready to start. Level your ground and prepare to lay the foundation. You would have already decided whether you are going to have a wood plank floor or concrete slab type.

Step Five
 Next comes the side walls. Put your materials aside that you are going to use for this. It is better to construct the walls on the ground then lift them into position once they are together. Just follow your guide for the how to instructions.

Step Six
Now its time to start the roof. You will need to build your trusses. So construct one and then use it as a template for the rest. Once again  follow your guide on how to build the trusses.

Step Seven
Your storage shed should now be taking on some shape. Its time to build the end walls. How you do this will depend on what you have chosen in your plans. Be sure to stay with your original plans.

Step Eight
Now you are getting down to the final steps. The trim is just as important as the rest of your structure. Its what gives it that finished look so don’t scrimp here.

Step Nine
Your last two steps are applying the shingles for the roof then treating the wood. The wood must have some type of protective coating on it to protect it from the elements and rotting. This can be varnish, stains or paints whatever is your preference.

Step Ten
You’re done! All that’s left is to sit back and admire your completed storage shed. If you hadn’t built it yourself you would think it was a professional store bought model.

Do you have the right tools for your "honey-do" list?

Do you have the right tools for your "honey-do" list?

(ARA) - It's summer and there's no better time to take on home improvement projects and that ever-expanding "honey-do" list. In a few months, those tasks will seem a lot more unpleasant when they can't be done in the beautiful sunshine.

The key to tackling everything from the largest construction project to the smallest touch-up is to have the right equipment. Don't talk yourself into trying to getting by with makeshift tools - you'll only end up frustrated, and your project might not get done at all.

If you can't find everything you need in your tool shed (or even in your tool box), you may be worried about the cost of buying a lot of expensive equipment - particularly if you plan to do more than one project. For most people, renting equipment allows them to get jobs done without the extra cost of buying pricey items that they won't actually use much.

To make sure that you've got everything you need, start by assessing what tools and gadgets you have. Here are some ideas for what you'll need for some of the most common summer home improvement projects:

* For cleaning your home's exterior, whether it's the siding, deck or driveway, a rented power washer gets the job done in a fraction of the time with double the power.

* For touching up the paint on your home, you'll need sturdy ladders, an array of painting tools and, of course, paint. To give yourself an easy place to set all of your gear, a wheeled scaffolding unit with a platform is a great idea.

* For putting in a new fence, you'll need panels and posts, and, to make the job go faster, a power auger from your local rental store for digging post holes. Just make sure you contact local utilities to find out where it's safe to dig before you get started.

* For clearing unwanted brush, bushes and trees, you'll need a chainsaw and, potentially, a stump grinder or wood chipper. You can rent all of the necessary equipment.

* For adding a deck, choose the decking material you want, and depending on your selection, you might need to pick out sealants and decorative accents. You'll also need an air compressor for the building process.

Instead of having to shop around for the best price, you can save time and get started right away on your project by going to your local rental store and picking up the tools you need. To make finding the rental store nearest you even easier, the American Rental Association (ARA) offers RentalHQ.com, the world's largest and most comprehensive rental store locator.

You might even be able to talk your friends into helping out with your projects - combine an afternoon of deck building with a barbeque and you might just find more willing helpers than you'd expected. Armed with a little know-how, a little help from friends and the right tools, your "honey-do" list will be a thing of the past. For more information on tool rental, go to www.RentalHQ.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Pruning Suckers And Other June Gardening Tips

Charlie Nardozzi, Senior Horticulturist National Gardening Association, and Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor University of Vermont
 
Pruning suckers from roses and tomatoes, pruning old flowers from early perennials, and keeping the strawberry bed clean are some of the gardening tips for this month.
           
On grafted roses, any growth that originates below the graft union -- called suckers -- will not be what you bought the rose for. The foliage may look different and the flowers will be inferior, often a different color, to flowers on shoots growing above the graft. Clip off any sucker growth because it saps energy from the plant. These shoots are usually quite vigorous.
           
Many early bloomers, such as nepeta, veronica, delphiniums, and some perennial salvias such as 'May Night' will rebloom if you cut off the faded flowers. For bushy plants like nepeta and veronica and salvia, shearing with hedge trimmers is the easiest method.           

The best time to prune rhododendrons to improve flowering next year is right after they finish blooming.  The best tool to use is your hand. The dried flower clusters will snap off when you bend them, just be careful not to break off the tiny buds just below the old flowers which are the future blooms for next year.
           
Bright red lily leaf beetles are easy to spot on lily leaves and, if you only have a few, you can pinch them between your fingers or knock them into a can of soapy water. The larvae usually feed on the undersides of the leaves, and they have a slug-like body covered with their black excrement (ugh). You might want to wear gloves when squishing them. Neem spray is also effective against the larvae, and repeated sprays can kill the adults.
           
If you have a strawberry bed, harvest frequently and remove any berries that show signs of gray mold or rot diseases. These berries not only are inedible, they quickly spread the diseases to other ripening fruits. Pick and remove the rotten berries and mulch under plants with straw to reduce contact with the ground where the disease spores reside.
           
Blossom end rot shows up as dark, sunken spots on the blossom end of tomatoes, peppers, and squash. It's caused by a calcium imbalance in the plant -- the soil may have adequate calcium, but the plant isn't able to take up enough to supply the rapidly developing fruit. To minimize the problem, keep soil evenly moist, apply a layer of mulch to conserve moisture, don't over fertilize (avoid high-nitrogen fertilizer), and avoid damaging plant roots while cultivating.
           
"Indeterminate" or vining tomato plants produce many suckers -- new shoots that start where a branch connects with the main trunk. Removing suckers will decrease the number of fruits produced, but the remaining tomatoes will be larger and will ripen sooner.
            
Aspirin water has been found to promote healthy growth and enable plants to stand up to insects and diseases. Dissolve 3 aspirins in 4 gallons of water and spray plants. One time is all that's needed.
           
Iron phosphate granules, sprinkled around plants, are an effective, nontoxic pesticide for slugs and snails. (Brand names include Escar-Go and Sluggo.) Coffee grounds and liquid coffee are also effective -- the higher the caffeine, the better.

Growing squash In A Small Space Garden

Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor University of Vermont
           
Each year the National Garden Bureau picks a vegetable to feature, with the Vegetable of the Year for 2010 being the squash.  There are many varieties of this easy-to-grow native vegetable, in various shapes and colors.
            
Evidence has been found in caves in Mexico and the Southwest that squash existed at least by 5000 B.C., and was being grown by native peoples about 4000 B.C.  Grown together with two other native crops-- corn and beans-- it was one of the "three sisters".  The corn provided support for the beans, and the squash provided a ground cover for weed control.  These crops migrated with humans to eastern North America, where they were discovered and introduced to Europe by early settlers and explorers in the late 16th century.
           
Squash is one of the many members of the cucurbit family, along with other common vegetables such as cucumbers, melons, and gourds.  They are generally divided into two groups, the summer and winter squash, depending on when they are harvested.  You'll see further groupings or types in catalogs, often based on fruit shape.  The summer squash include either crookneck or straight neck, scallop or patty pan, zucchini, and vegetable marrow.  The winter squash include acorn, banana, buttercup, butternut, delicata, delicious, and hubbard. 
           
The summer squash need warm weather for best growth. They are harvested in summer, before the fruits are fully mature in order to have the best flavor and texture.  Seeds should not be fully developed, and the skin should be able to be scraped easily with the fingernail.  They can be harvested at most any immature stage, even quite small.  These store only a few days in the refrigerator but are easily frozen. 
           
To freeze zucchini, yellow crookneck, or other summer squash, wash after harvest and slice.  Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes to destroy enzymes and bacteria that break down the fruit.  Then cool rapidly in running cold water, or ice water.  Strain and bag, using plastic reclosable freezer bags (sold just for this and heavier than other bags) or a vacuum sealer.
           
Winter squash, on the other hand, are harvested mature in fall around the time of the first frost.   Skins should resist fingernail pressure.  Although this group needs warm weather for seeds to germinate and plants to grow, cool nights are needed for best flavor to develop in fruits.  They store well, such as in a cool room or basement, which stays around 50 to 55 degrees (F).  Acorn squash can store 3 to 4 months, other winter squashes can last up to 6 months with proper storage.  If you are planning to store, make sure to cut the fruit from the vines rather than twist or pull them off.  Breaking the stem off the fruit will leave an opening that rots can enter.
           
All squash need full sun and a well-drained soil.  Squash can get large, so make sure you check the habit and spread before planting.  Many summer squash have been bred to be more compact, so need about 4 square feet per plant.  You can plant several seeds per small raised hill, then thin later to 3 plants per hill.  Space hills about 4 feet apart, with any rows 5 feet apart. 
           
Most winter squash have a semi-bush habit or are vining.  Allow more space for these, about 12 square feet per vining plant.  For those winter squash with small fruits, you can even train them onto a 4-foot high trellis in the back of a small space garden. 
           
Many sow the large seeds directly into the garden.  Since they need warmth to germinate and grow, wait until the soil warms or else seedlings will grow slowly and seeds may rot.  If the season is cool, or your garden is in the north with a shorter growing season, you may want to start seedlings 2 or 3 weeks early indoors.  Best is to sow into a peat pot or similar which can be planted directly into the garden (they don't like transplanting).  Keep seeds indoors in as much
warmth and sun as possible, and don't allow to dry out.
           
Since squash are vigorous, they require more fertilizer than some other crops.  Work plenty of compost into the soil prior to planting, then fertilize once plants get a few inches tall.  You can use a granular or liquid fertilizer, organic or synthetic.  Fertilize again after a month or 6 weeks. 
           
Mulching will help keep weeds down early on (the plants with their large leaves do this later) that can compete with plants for nutrients, and that foster insects and diseases.  Examples of mulches are straw (not weedy hay), newspapers with some organic material like shredded leaves, or plastic similarly covered.
           
Summer squash will need plenty of water (water deeply and less often is better) through the season, especially during bloom and fruit development.  Winter squash can tolerate some drought once they are established.  Between you and the rain, the soil should be wet to a depth of 10 inches or more each week.  Keeping water off leaves when watering will help prevent powdery mildew disease.
           
Choosing the right site, using mulches with spot hand weeding, and proper culture will go a long way to controlling insects and diseases.  If plants suddenly wilt, often starting one stem at a time, chances are they have a bacterial wilt.  It, and viruses that stunt or deform plants, are spread by insects.  Control these and your plants may remain free of disease.
           
The three main insects to watch for are the striped cucumber beetle, the squash bug, and the squash vine borer.  The adult beetle is yellow to black, striped to spotted, and about 1/4 inch long.  It feeds on most plant parts. Covering plants with fine netting will keep these away.
           
The adult squash bug is flat, brownish-gray, and about 5/8 inch long.    It is usually found on undersides of leaves where it sucks plant juices.  Put some boards in the garden where these insects can hide under, and are then easily found and removed. 
           
The borer does just this, the larvae or caterpillar stage makes tunnels in stems.  This causes them to wilt rapidly, then die.  You can make small cuts in stems to carefully remove borers, cut off badly damaged stems, and early in the season lay foil in the garden to confuse the moths that lay the eggs that hatch the larvae.
           
Whether you grow your own squash, buy it from local farmers, or get it from friends (as often happens with the prolific zucchini), consider putting some up for winter.  You'll benefit from the fresh flavors well past the season, as well as the nutrition of these vegetables.  Zucchini is lower in calories than many fruits and vegetables.  Although winter squash has the same calories roughly as potatoes, it has more than twice the potassium.  Winter and yellow squash  both provide Vitamin A and minerals that may reduce the risk of certain cancers.
           
More details on these and other vegetables of the year can be found on the National Garden Bureau website (www.ngb.org).      

Caring For Raspberries In Your Small Garden

Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont
 
If you have a raspberry patch, either planted this year or existing, there are a few key cultural practices to follow for best yields for many years.  These relate mainly to pruning, pests, and diseases.
           
If you just planted raspberries this year, you should be aware that it really isn't until the third year that you'll get fruit.  In the meantime, visit local farmers' markets, or U-pick farms.  When picking, either at a farm or your own patch, berries picked on sunny days have the highest vitamin content.  Handle them carefully so not to bruise the tender berries.  Use small picking containers as too many berries piled up will crush the ones below.  Move the fresh berries out of sun, washing and refrigerating as soon as possible.  Washing is done easily by placing berries (not too many at a time) in a colander, and dunking in cold water.
           
Berries hold chilled for a couple days.  To store longer, remove any bad or mushy berries, spreading the good ones in a single layer on a cookie sheet.  Place in the freezer for a day, then place loosely in bags or containers specially made for freezing.  They can store up to a year frozen.  Freezing, then placing in containers, keeps them from freezing into one large mass, so you can remove only what you want and have individual berries. Raspberries, fresh or frozen, have many uses such as homemade pies, jams, jellies, juice, and even wine.
           
You should be aware also that there are two main classes of raspberries, those that bear once and those that bear twice (again in the fall, often called "everbearing" although they really aren't).  Examples of red, once-bearing are Latham, Newburgh, Taylor, and Viking.  Fall or twice-bearing red raspberries include Durham, Fall Red, and Heritage.  Amber is a yellow or gold once-bearing variety, Fall Gold is obviously fall-bearing.
           
The reason you need to know the differences in bearing, in addition to planning your harvest, relates to pruning--one of the keys to good berry production.  All berries can be pruned the same the first 2 years.  Plants should be spaced about 2 feet apart, which can be done when planting or plants moved if the first year, or pruned if an existing patch. 
           
In the second year, prune plants to about 2 inches high in spring.  This encourages strong "canes" (raspberry stems).  Prune plants back to about 4 feet tall in fall to make a stiff plant that wont topple with wind and snow. 
           
In the third year, prune out sucker plants that come up in the wrong places, keeping rows about two feet wide.  Brambles such as raspberries often sucker prolifically, so as the patch grows more pruning will be needed.  Canes of red and yellow raspberries should be about 6 inches apart, those of black or purple raspberries 8 to 10 inches apart. 
           
Keep in mind, too, that although raspberries are woody perennials the canes are biennial, bearing fruit on canes produced the previous year.  Once canes fruit they wont again, so should be pruned off at ground level after fruiting in late summer.  Otherwise, the patch will become a mass of dead canes and die out over time.  Diseases overwinter in old canes too.  At this time also cut out any weak canes (they often wont bear fruit), and any sickly ones. 
           
Fall-bearing varieties will bear two crops, in fall on first year canes, then again the following summer on these canes. But, if you prune all canes of these varieties back to the ground each spring, you'll get only one crop (fall) but berries will be larger and more bountiful. 
           
Since canes are thorny, consider investing in long-handle clippers.  If using normal garden pruners, consider rose gloves which have long gauntlets to protect arms and are thick enough that thorns don't penetrate.
           
Weeds are a problem, as they compete with plants for nutrients.  With shallow roots, brambles are hard to hoe and not disturb roots.  Best is to prepare the soil well, removing weeds prior to planting.  Then mulch heavily with bark mulch or straw that wont pack down.  New berry canes easily push through several inches of such mulch. Between rows you can either mow a grass strip, or if cultivated, use a weed fabric or thick layers of newspapers, covered with mulching material. 
           
Fortunately there are just a few diseases to watch for, but unfortunately there are few controls for most except to remove infected canes and burn or destroy them.  Proper cane spacing through pruning, weed control, avoiding too much nitrogen, not planting near wild brambles or tomatoes and peppers (or where they were last year), all help avoid diseases.
           
Watch for new leaves curling down (leaf curl virus), marbled green and yellow leaves (mosaic virus), gray blotches on bark (anthracnose which you can spray for), sudden wilt of canes in midsummer (verticillium wilt), and fleshy growth on roots (crown gall). You can find an easy-to-use photo diagnostic tool for berry diseases online (www.hort.cornell.edu/diagnostic/).      
           
There are few insects of raspberries, the cane borer being the most common.  You'll see the tops of new canes wilt, caused by larvae that eventually eat down the cane and kill it.  They are easy to control by cutting the tips off and destroying them as soon as they wilt.  Look for two complete circles near cane tips, the entrance point of the larvae, and cut off below these.

Planting A Butterfly Garden

Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont
 A small space garden is a perfect place to try your first butterfly garden.

If you enjoy watching butterflies, encourage them to visit your garden by planting the flowers that they find most attractive.


The first step in creating a butterfly garden is to choose the proper site. Butterflies are most active in bright sunlight, so pick a spot that gets plenty of sun and is sheltered from the wind such as the south side of your house. You also might want to make sure it's a place where you can easily observe these winged visitors.
When planning your garden, include space for a flat, light-colored rock for sun basking. Butterflies also need a ready supply of water and protection against predators. One way to keep birds away is with the use of inflatable snakes. Or you can place birdbaths and feeders a distance from the garden.
Sticky tape and flytraps will help catch preying insects. Avoid use of insecticides as the same products that kill undesirable insects also kill the butterflies.

A wide variety of plants attract butterflies. Although most species have specific nectar preferences, in general, butterflies like daisies, lilacs, lavender, phlox, heliotrope, zinnias, candytuft, coreopsis, lilies, and snapdragons.
A "must-include" plant is the butterfly weed, so named for its popularity with butterflies. It is a perennial noted for its clusters of bright orange flowers and blooms in early summer. Butterfly weed may be purchased at many garden centers.

Butterfly bush is another good choice although it is only marginally hardy in zone 5 (but could be grown in zones 3 and 4 as an annual). It is a large shrub with spikes of purple, pink, white, or lavender flowers that bloom in late summer.
To encourage butterflies to stay all summer long, select plants that flower at different times of the year to provide a continual supply of nectar. Deadheading faded flowers will promote vigorous growth and new blooms.

To ensure future generations of butterflies near your garden, you'll need to provide larval food or sacrifice plants. Most species are fussy about where they lay their eggs, selecting plants from specific families that will provide appropriate food for hatching caterpillars. Preferred plants include asters, daisies, violets, honeysuckle, and fennel.

Caterpillars also like weeds such as clover, thistle, and milkweed. If possible, leave a few weeds along the edge of the garden or nearby areas for the caterpillars.