Any amature landscape designers out there? **UPDATE - PICS ADDED**

[jennh]

SunnyDawn, can you grow a small tree called Chilopsis? I LOVE it, but the only problem I have with it is that it gets pretty humid here, and I lose all my buds and flowers. It's a BEAUTIFUL "small" tree that attracts hummers, and is xeriscape tolerant. It also has beautiful weeping willow-like leaves! Check out the links.
I need to move to the southwest

Jen

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...page=1&ndsp=8&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0&tx=107&ty=84





http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...age=2&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:17&tx=73&ty=68




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Salvias do really well here. They are also a non-allergen plant so are great even if someone in your family has allergies!

Ron, I've been meaning to check out that nursery myself! Thanks for that link! I think this thread is going to be very helpful to a lot of folks.

 

[SunnyDawn]

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Salvias do really well here. They are also a non-allergen plant so are great even if someone in your family has allergies!

Ron, I've been meaning to check out that nursery myself! Thanks for that link! I think this thread is going to be very helpful to a lot of folks.

No we can't come anywhere close to growing that beautiful tree here. Its range is zone 8-9 and we are in zone 5.

We had them in Southern California but not here. This is high desert. A whole different story.

We can grow the Northern Catalpa here and it has very pretty, almost orchid-like, flowers in spring but it is really bad for anyone with allergies to pollen.

Water features without life are doable here but the cold winters make for a tough road for any fish or turtles in this area. We would have to build a pond really, really deep (so it doesn't freeze solid) and then a warming ring (or something similar) would have to be used for oxygen exchange. I personally wouldn't try it due to the cost and maintenance but if someone really wanted to it could be done below ground. Anything above ground would freeze unless it was huge.

mom'sfolly, love that site you linked! Unfortunately a lot of the plants listed for Nevada won't make it here in Northern Nevada but it's still a great resource.

 

[SunnyDawn]

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I agree with the-bird-man. The berms break up the yard into hard to navigate "islands" and visually they also stop the flow of the garden. I like a garden that beckons a viewer to come in and explore. With meandering paths and a couple of little hidden surprises here and there, with an area for the kids and dogs to play right off the patio (or maybe the far right which is the family/creative area in feng shui) with maybe some no-mow grasses (they require less water) in that area. Not sure how much effort you want to put into this but I would change the retaining wall in the back with more flowing walls with terracing instead of the one sudden elevation change and the straight across the back line of the current wall. On top of the top terrace a nice tree in one corner with uplighting and some soft planting around it would be lovely.

Ok don't laugh but I was trying to do a super fast drawing of a terraced retaining wall...

 

[SunnyDawn]

Oops! Double post.

 

[NevadaRon]

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Yeah I bookmarked that one right away for further study, too!

 

[jennh]

SunnyDawn, but I live in zone 6! Where does it say zones 8-9?


No we can't come anywhere close to growing that beautiful tree here. Its range is zone 8-9 and we are in zone 5. http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Nature/winter-015.gif We had them in Southern California but not here. This is high desert. A whole different story.

We can grow the Northern Catalpa here and it has very pretty, almost orchid-like, flowers in spring but it is really bad for anyone with allergies to pollen.

Jen

 

[SunnyDawn]

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On one of the pages in your links. I scrolled down to find out it's hardiness zone and that's what it said.
We could check another site and see what they list as it's hardiness zone.
Ok doing more research...

 

[SunnyDawn]

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Well the Texas University system web-site lists it as hardy in zone 7 and yes, you are correct it does not like a lot of humidity. It can thrive by rivers or canals but not in humidity (according to Wikipedia).

 

[mom'sfolly]

You might want to look at some of the neighboring states for plant lists too. I'm very fond of birch and aspen, and with your rocks they would look very good. I love the sound of the trees and they look lovely in the winter too. It might be fun to try a woodland garden, with seasonal perennials from where you live. Columbine is lovely, and you ought to have at least one variety that grows well in northern Nevada. I also like this plant because of it's delicate leaf structure and rosette shape, its pretty even when it's not in bloom. Mine are a Texas native variety that just made it through our cold snap (15 degrees) and tolerates a Texas summer. The columbine that I grew up with in Alaska would keel over in the heat here. There are some great rose varieties on the market now that do well in a variety of climates.

If you don't care about the native aspect, and just want xeric, I can think of some great plants from my brother's yard in SLC. If I could grow peonies here, I'd have them...one of my absolute favorites. There are also wonderful bearded irises that grow really well in SLC, and should do well in NV. my grandmother's neighbor had about 1/2 acre of irises. Every time I see the McMansions they put on her lot I cringe. Also, if I had the space and the climate was right, I'd have an apricot and a cherry tree; but that's just me.

 

[NevadaRon]

mom'sfolly :

You might want to look at some of the neighboring states for plant lists too. I'm very fond of birch and aspen, and with your rocks they would look very good. I love the sound of the trees and they look lovely in the winter too.

Aspens grow quite well here; they thrive in the wild in most any draw in the mountains. But they aren't exactly xeric - down here they would require a lot of watering!

mom'sfolly :

Also, if I had the space and the climate was right, I'd have an apricot and a cherry tree; but that's just me.

Although I haven't tried them myself (yet), everyone I know who has them say they don't get any usable fruit because between the birds and the deer they are pretty much stripped. I'm going to try, anyway (=stubborn)