Garden Design Quick Start Guide

by David R. Pearling Here is an excellent DIY designed garden in Southern California  We discovered this homeowner-designed and planted front yard during our daily exercise walks near our home in the Eastlake neighborhood of Chula Vista, near San Diego California. Denise, the homeowner, said that she and her husband created it in large part to eliminate the maintenance demands of their former front lawn. The result has been a complete success.  This garden is filled with easy-care shrubbery-with accents of color throughout. There is some nice hardscaping. This garden almost perfectly follows my five recommendations for garden design: 1) Have plan  2) Planted beds are everything  3) Never use plastic edging, cheap concrete blocks, or gaudy colored mulch  4) Hardscapes will make or break your garden  5) The finishing touches  This single-family home sits in a quiet neighborhood in a lesser-known area of metropolitan San Diego. The homes here are as nice and spacious as those located in a

The kids are alright...  When we first noticed our fried fern last weekend, we feared we might lose it. All of the fronds had turned brown probably from the hot, sunny weather we've had.  Ferns prefer cooler, moist weather.  The dead fronds have been pruned. We have a heathy new fiddlehead emerging. Several weeks will be needed to fill in completely.  Here you can see the growth during the past four days.  Stay tuned.

We found this paperbark Melaleuca, 'Melaleuca quinquenervia' growing on a street nearby. Its peeling bark is intriguing.  The homeowner gave me permission to shoot. I Interesting bark and other horticultural characteristics can add that little extra to your garden.  These shots are looking straight up the trunk. Which do like? The black and white, or the color?  The blue sky above showing through the leaves is interesting. But lots of times black and white works, too.  Please contact me if need help with your garden or photography project.