More plastic

I've mentioned artificial turf a couple of times as being a very bad idea. Let's repeat that -- a very bad idea. And here's another very bad idea -- weed barrier cloth, otherwise known as landscape fabric. Most of these fabrics are plastic or fiberglass, both of which are truly not good for the planet. In spite of all the hype around them, they ultimately do little to deter weeds. No amount of mulch on top prevents their decomposition. Over time they simply degrade and more plastic goes into the soil, air, and water. In other words, they end up looking like this mess.

What's worse are the people who put down actual black plastic, initially to kill the weeds, but then, instead of taking the plastic off, it's left there and mulched over. How do they think water will get to the soil when it rains? Hint: it doesn't. What do they think happens to the plastic? Do they think it lasts forever and won't break up into tiny plastic bits? Or worse, do they just not care?

A better method for initial weed control is either newspaper (preferably only black and white print) or cardboard. Gotta warn you though, even those methods, which are at least eco-friendly, will still give you weeds after a year or two. So, the bad news is, weeding by pulling up the unwanted messy plants is the only method that works. At least for a hot minute.

OK -- lecture over and out.

Thoughts on a garden

After talking to friends and neighbors about gardening, I realized I've been guilty of false advertising. When I speak of working on my garden, I'm actually just talking about landscaping design and doing funky things with found objects. The sad truth is I can count on one hand the plants I actually know by name and manage to keep alive in spite of mismanagement. The reason so much jade, fox tail agave, aloe, and geraniums are in my yard is because they refuse to quit growing -- not because I have a magic touch or know anything about them. There are succulents people have given to me that manage quite well on their own and I have zero clue to what they are.

As I pass by real gardens and say hi to people who are carefully weeding, dead-heading, and other maintenance routines to keep their colorful and rich array of flowers healthy and looking great, I grimace at the thought of spending time tending to the more tedious chores of dealing with plants. I prefer to deal with creating brick borders or building planter boxes than worrying about what to put in them. It's just a happy surprise if anything takes off and thrives. 

That said, of course it's nice to hear people seem to like how things are shaping up and appreciate the vision. It does keep me off the streets and out of trouble.

Frogs and snails and bears, oh my!

I've said it before and it bears repeating: walking around the neighborhood not only lets me steal ideas for my own yard, but it's just fun to see what other people are doing creatively. They are gifts to the street. Today was no different. There are just certain yards that make me smile or laugh out loud; there are yards that make me wish I had that talent and energy; there are yards that just blow me away. So yes, it is a requirement to share (it's the social media law so what can one do?). 

The frog with the mask (and a beret?):

A cheeky snail:

 A happy dolphin:

A topiary UCLA Bear (and it took me awhile before I figured out what that was -- should've know right away because they have a HUGE UCLA flag hung near the front door):

And last, but not least, an amazing yard with dynamic use of brick and broken concrete:

 

 

Teasing a little bit more...

Last post I offered up a tease for my newest garden/landscaping endeavor. Even in 90+ degree heat I've managed to keep going at a fairly good clip and it's coming along nicely. The slate is down and the rock border tied it together rather well. I even used the last of the mulch pile to freshen up the area. Of course, Ninja will be none too pleased with that as she used that pile for scratching up bugs and creating cool nests during the heat of the day. So far she hasn't really noticed because I cleverly did the mulch moving as she was preparing to fly up into her favorite nighttime tree roost. Tomorrow I expect to hear vigorous complaints and she'll probably want to talk to the manager. 

This is where we are so far:

Cleaning up allowed the previous border to peek through and the bottles do add a bit of shine.

From the other side, it looks like this:

But wait. There's more!

Lest you think that's the end of it, you are sadly mistaken. Of course I can't leave well enough alone. Finishing touches will be added to the slate area, the pots need to be planted with something or other, and the final art piece must be installed -- as soon as I figure out how the heck it's gonna be put together and YouTube is failing me big time right now 😡. Be that as it may, I hope to have the whole area completed by early next week. But don't hold your breath. Your face could turn blue from waiting.

 

Finding Inspiration - A.K.A. Stealing Ideas

Walking dogs around the neighborhood is a great cover for lifting ideas from unsuspecting neighbors who have better yards than mine. I already mentioned that I wasn't too fond of the jumbled native garden look, but there are gardens that combine things well. Sometimes, one element in a design provides the perfect jumping off point for something you can tweak and make your own. With that in mind, I snapped some shots of gardens that inspire in at least one way.

One house on the street has a very attractive garden to which they've added some river pebbles as a decorative element. There is a definite plan to the landscaping, taking into account height and color of various plants. The same pine needles which plague my yard present the problem of wanting to bury the stones, so there is the yearly clean-up effort to bring back that element of design. It is only more or less successful. 

My favorite yard on the block is one with a dry riverbed to give the yard an open feel, and the plants are artfully arranged with height and color in mind. Their front yard is roughly 1/2 size of mine and is more confined and so it works very well. As time passes and the pine needles go about their quiet work, we'll see how it all holds up. So far though, with the drip irrigation and drought tolerant appeal, it's the best on the block.

Down another street, one lined with trees which are not deadly to lawns, one house stands out. The bird bath provides a nice focal point and the steppable ground cover around recycled paving stones gives an open feel among the bushes and grasses selected for their appeal to birds and butterflies. Alas, my picture doesn't do justice to the calm appeal of this garden.

Discovered on one of the longer dog walks which took us out of our normal circuit entirely, a small front garden works for sheer whimsey alone. I'm a sucker for anything in cobalt blue, so stumbling on these cute giraffes and other small treats scattered throughout the succulents and cacti made the walk. The theme is so complete and so magical it can't help but make you smile. 

The takeaway from these excursions is not to copy exactly, but to sample - thus avoiding any serious copyright or plagiarism accusations - though, it is said imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.