Robert's garden

A great example of small scale gardening in a factory-built community, with use of rocks, a stream and lots of different plants, situated in the North-Redding.

SLIDE SHOW WITH ALL PHOTOS

Background story

Starting in the spring of 2008 with a tired and stiff-looking scatter of badly pruned roses and crape myrtles growing in yellow clay and poking through holes in black plastic film and red lava rock, the owner removed the film and dug in loads of compost and steer manure together with the lava rock.
Hollies, bay laurels, redbuds, cypresses, and myrtles were added. For drainage, the new plant’s crowns were set about a foot above common grade and the supplemented earth pulled around them, in a pattern of mounds along a serpentine ditch.
The original drip system was adapted to water all new material through the first year, and then gradually limited to only the large pots along the porch-side path. A trickle of water from the high end is sufficient and encourages deep rooting.
White clover was seeded throughout to hold the soil and to add nitrogen. Gradually it is being uprooted.
Additional plants are chosen for scale and foliage contrast. Although the large and brilliant blooms are shunned, the resulting combination of colors is sensuous and even startling.

Robert