Oasis
Garden
Clic on the flower to see suggestions of great plants to use in a garden
Keep the old
A: New and old species together.
B: Long lasting gardens old with updates.
C: Mixing perennials with shrubs.
D: Tight perennial garden. Weedless.
Picture A:
Carbon sequestration: old shrubs are trimmed keep harmful carbon in the soil and in their wood.
Plant diversity = biodiversity: many perennial/shrub were added by enlarging the beds.
Microbiome: enhanced by adding roots for soil health.
Low GHGe (greenhouse gas emissions): all this work is done by hand without the use of machinery.
Pictures B & C:
Biodiversity: over 300 species live together on this landscape created in 1990.
Soil health: large mass of roots feeding the soil.
Weed balance: the plantings are tight to avoid spaces for weeds to grow.
Organic matter: root turnover in the soil
Picture D
An old English garden can be fixed and made to live again. Stop getting rid of material and re-use which is SUSTAINABLE.
Tight plantings to avoid weeds, bring more water in, invite insects birds and animals.
Before & After gardens
Old, tired
Problem: weedy, soil compacted, water runoff, erosion, low insect & bird population, diseases, drought susceptible.
Keep some old
Problem solved!
dense planting = not weedy
high water efficiency
low ground temperatures in summer
beneficial insects = low disease rate
Plan well for success
Knowledge
Drawings help visualize. I draw by hand, it is better for my planning style.
What can we keep? Move? Add?
Soil is of the utmost importance: it makes a landscape last forever.
Before & After gardens
Pre-House renovation
Poor soil: low carbon and organic matter
No worm in the soil
Compaction
Drought
Plants dying, trees losing leaves early.
Post-renovation
Focus on the size.
Be mindful of large trees included
Carbon sequestration, water efficiency
Before & After with a Cascade
Before
All plants died under mature spruces.
First stage
Indigenous plants
Natural material for walls
Compost!
Draw the shape
Dig
Reuse materials
Membrane
End product
Renovation project: protect the garden
Watch for plants
Compaction happens
Most plants survive
Move plants
Transplanting mature plants needs specialists.
Save plants save $$
Instant mature garden
Water efficient
Attract insects, butterflies, birds
Produces edibles and aesthetics
10 years later.
Resilience to climate change.
Produce large amounts of delicate foods.
20 years later.
The garden thrives with minimum care
Important maintenance techniques needed to revive shrubs and some perennials.
Renovate a garden: a plant facelift
30 year old shrubs and perennials.
Old plants add value: keep them but, think, work with them.
Old plants offer great service to the environment
Before & After: re-create Nature
Unused potential
Nature
Invite owners to visit Nature.
Old and new
Nature will invite:
worms
birds
insects
resilience
Cottage Country: Beach creation
this project needed the use of onsite material
previous owners had planted a forest of pines by the water destroying the environment:
branches, needles and cones accumulated in the water for over 20 years.
Tree removal, sand leveling, humus relocation and shoreline re-creation.
Results:
access to the beach for owners
fish, birds, insects and natural plants found their environment back