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August 20, 2009
Sprucing Up a Garden in a Rental
Hi..I'm new to Fort Greene :) We moved in about 3 weeks ago. We've got a garden backyard space that's hardly a garden, and really a 400 sq ft dusty dirt patch.
It doesn't get much sun, which is why I'm guessing there's no grass back there, but what can I do to make it decent without full-on landscaping?
Should I talk to my landlord first...or should I do things that can be ultimately 'portable' and taken with us, if we move?
And what kinds of low cost options are there? I lived in Manhattan for 25 years..and the 'yard' is foreign territory lolololol
Help?
Comments
Container gardens are perfectly lovely and you can take the plants with you when you leave. You just have to figure out what to put on the ground. You could lay gravel or wood chips. It doesn't have to be cement to be a patio.
Posted by: traditionalmod at August 20, 2009 11:46 AM
if i were you, i'd probably level it, put down some sand and lay down portable outdoor wood tile, and do as many planters as limited by your budget/tastes. if you can find some bulky grasses, they can provide good bang for your buck. also, i've heard that some of the nice nurseries have good sales at the end of summer, and you might be able to find a few nice dwarf trees that do okay in planters. that said, we got some decent perennials at home depot that seem to be doing just fine in our shade garden.
Posted by: i disagree at August 20, 2009 11:47 AM
Yes to pots & planters but I'd do mulch - those tiles are pretty pricey & mulch is easily recycled for another gardener - they just become part of the dirt. I would check w/ the LL but presumably you got garden rights w/ the lease.
Posted by: Arkady at August 20, 2009 11:49 AM
Congrats and welcome to Brooklyn! There is so much that you can do for very little money. Even though we are at the end of the growing season, you may want to consider covering the dust bowl with low cost mulch and adding pots of ferns that you can bring indoors for the winter. Pots of aster or other colorful fall flowers would kick it up a notch.
Get some gardening books at the library and start planning your garden for next season.
I bet you'll never live without a garden again. Good Luck
Posted by: cggirl at August 20, 2009 11:54 AM
mulch is fine, too, but if you plan to do any entertaining or using the outdoor space to cook/eat, i think the decking tiles, while pricier than mulch, could be worth it (at least on part of the space).
Posted by: i disagree at August 20, 2009 11:57 AM
I'll definitely ask the landlord, but these are all great suggestions, please keep them coming! Thanks so much :)
Posted by: trainergrrl at August 20, 2009 11:58 AM
buy an astroturf remnant, a picnic table set, and a nice cocktail blender for frozen Margaritas. that should do the trick.
If you want the yard to actually look nice you will need to spend money on soil testing and enrichment and then on plant material. It is amazing how many nursery plants are needed to make even a small yard look decent. The shade is not such a big problem. Lots of things grow in shade and semi shade but you have to plant them carefully and fertilize and spray for bugs. Container plants are nice but you have to add the cost of the container to everything else.
PS: taking garden plants (as opposed to house plants) with you when you move is a back breaking and dirty endeavor. I would avoid it.
Posted by: Minard Lafever at August 20, 2009 12:02 PM
My yard was landscaped over a year ago and many of the plants have gotten a bit much for the space...there are too many of them.
Here's what it looked like initially:
I will give you a fair number of the plants that are on the walkway border. They are Liriope...about 12-15" tall with a purple flower.
http://www.naturehills.com/product/big_blue_liriope.aspx
I also have 2 blue hydrangea if you would like them.
If your ground is hard and compacted, you will have to turn it over and add some organiic matter. Typically in brooklyn though, underneath the hard surface the soil is actually ok
give me an email to contact you.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 20, 2009 12:43 PM
also if you want to save money, stop in park slope very early one morning or late at night. people love to leave out all kinds of beautiful plants, flowers, and pots on the sidewalks. get someone with a van and you got yourself a brand new garden!
*rob*
Posted by: PitbullNYC at August 20, 2009 12:50 PM
soil varies a lot from place to place. You have to turn over the soil of course but you also have to add sphagnum or peat moss and definitely manure, and a few bags of top soil into the mix to get it ready for sustaining a garden, especially in low light. Liriope will grow anywhere but it won't flower without sun. Hydrangeas will grow in shade espcially the oak leaf variety (h. quercifolia) the French Hydrangea needs at least a little light. Gardening is fun and not that expensive but it is a little expensive.
If you plan to stay in the apt five years or more, why not invest a thousand dollars on the garden? You will be the ones enjoying it. Other good perennial shade plants are bamboo (fargesia) rhododendrons and miniature rhododendrons, euphorbia, hellebores, hardy ferns, hardy geranium, skimmia, hosta. and many others. happy gardening!
Posted by: Minard Lafever at August 20, 2009 1:48 PM
If your lease gives you exclusive access to the garden I wouldn't worry about consulting the landlord about any plants you are planting, unless you think it's a good idea to plant a Willow tree in a Brooklyn backyard. There are plenty of ground cover type plants that do well in low light, however, they tend to the darker shades of green and purple/bronze. Do your homework first and prepare the ground and check its pH as you may need to adjust that before you get planting. Don't plant anything that will be invasive. I always prefer to plant species that are indigenous to the area so that they don't become a weed if they go to seed. Head to the Brooklyn Public Library and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to do some research.
Posted by: bohuma at August 20, 2009 2:13 PM
Congratulations! Investing a little in your garden, even in a rental, will enhance your quality of life in ways you can't yet imagine.
Listen to everyone above (except for rob, of course) about testing the pH level (easily done), turning the soil, etc. Then find some fast-growing, shade-tolerant plants (I recommend hostas, for example, and second the recommendation about hydrangeas), plant some bulbs this fall and some impatiens and other annuals in the spring, and without too much trouble you'll have a lovely garden next summer! It doesn't have to be terribly expensive, and I can't imagine your landlord would object. Au contraire, when you move someday, you'll have upgraded his property for him.
Here are my own before and after pictures:
BEFORE:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27956711@N08/2600910183/in/set-72157605752648762/
AFTER:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27956711@N08/2600937549/in/set-72157605752648762/
Enjoy!
Posted by: Park Sloper at August 20, 2009 2:24 PM
Park Sloper, that looks nice.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 20, 2009 2:28 PM
Planting only things that are indigenous to the area is very limiting and really quite boring.
The whole fun of gardening is bringing in beautiful plants that were discovered in China and the Hymalayas and the Andes and Japan etc etc.
Don't worry about invasive until you find out that you can plant something that won't die right away.
My favorite new (non-native) plants are alchimilla (ladies mantle) a big hit with the folks, and the newest variety of upright fuchsias, they bloom and bloom and are perfectly delightful. When gardening follow your heart and eyes.
Posted by: Minard Lafever at August 20, 2009 2:32 PM
Thanks, Dave. It's still a work in progress - and already looks a bit different since these pictures were taken last year - but I love it; it's my little sanctuary.
Posted by: Park Sloper at August 20, 2009 2:35 PM
Park Sloper, what a great job - love it!
T-grrl, if your spot gets lots of sun, a great flowering ground cover is million belles, it's a self-cleaning, drought tolerant plant which constantly blooms.
Anyone live in an apt bldg with outdoor space? Having the worst ant problem, traps and spraying don't seem to work. They flock to the hibiscus plants for some reason. We're on the 12th floor, didn't realize they'd climb so far up.
Posted by: bitter retort at August 20, 2009 2:39 PM
Park Sloper, very nice. So simple and yet lovely. I love your coral azaleas and your mix of the fat leaves of hosta with the narrow spiky leaves of fargesia or grass plant. bravo. You should try the upright fuchsias next year, lovely, and astilbe, which I have found work very well in Brooklyn yards.
Posted by: Minard Lafever at August 20, 2009 2:42 PM
Thanks, Minard. I've actually got some astilbe elsewhere in the garden. Didn't know about the upright fucshias, I'll have to try that.
Posted by: Park Sloper at August 20, 2009 3:06 PM
Springhillnursery.com has really nice astilbe for $6.99 each. In the Spring they had a special of 12 for $60.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 20, 2009 3:14 PM
Astilbes are great and like real estate blogs, require a lot of cow manure to do really well.
Posted by: Minard Lafever at August 20, 2009 3:18 PM
Ideas for inexpensive containers (be sure to punch holes in the bottoms of containers); also, consider getting plant caddies for the larger containers:
-thick styrofoam boxes such used to deliver Omaha Steaks, etc.; I had a couple of these which I painted with EXTERIOR primer and paint. They've lasted through a couple of winters and even provide insulation. Downside: they chip easily
-I also used the same paint on an old large round bucket that had a slit in the bottom; works great and has a handle for moving
-galvanized tubs and buckets; they come in lots of shapes and sizes and have handles for easy moving; they may be paintable as well but I haven't tried it
Plants that have worked for me on shady deck: Lamium - mine looks like this http://www.johnstonplants.com/perenials/lamium%20orchid%20frost%20deadnettle.JPG
& heuchera (evergreen!) - one of my favorites looks like this http://humbleacres.com/catalog/plants/heuchera_tiramisu.jpg
clematis that gets a little sun; honeysuckle in area that gets 2-4 hours of sun
Good luck (and by the way, I hate gardening but these plants don't take much effort)!
Posted by: the_why at August 20, 2009 3:28 PM
ParkSloper... this isn't meant to be snarky, but an honest question. Your hammock sanctuary looks really nice, but it also scream BUGS! to me.... do you get nibbled on laying in your hammock in the forest?
Posted by: tybur6 at August 20, 2009 3:47 PM
My lamium never EVER blooms. I am jealous.
How did you get it to do that?
Posted by: Minard Lafever at August 20, 2009 3:56 PM
If your yard is just a dust bowl I wouldn't think your landlord would mind you planting and making some more of the space. I wrote the info below assuming you're planning to stay awhile.
I don't think you need to spend much. Look on Craig's list for someone ditching some patio furniture and for anyone who may have some bricks to give away. Some friends of mine invited some folks over for a barbecue while we installed a decent brick patio. We just leveled things out a bit and threw down some sand and laid them down in a staggered pattern. It worked great for the years and years they lived there.
And since it's a rental, unless you're going to plant herbs or vegetables, I'd just use the dirt you have. For plants or seeds you may be able to find folks giving stuff away. I have serious quantities of French marigold seeds that you could have. They grow to about 2'-6" tall and have these great looking drapey turmeric colored flowers. If you have some sun in a corner, I also have seeds for this Asian plant that appears to be a relative of Hibiscus, but with a more geometric flower (its grandmother is at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden near the first greenhouse).
DaveinBedStuy, how would I go about contacting you about some lariope? Do you find it dies in winter in New York. I keep trying to get my Mom to bring some up from Va since she has miles of it, but she never does....
Posted by: bessie2 at August 20, 2009 5:16 PM
tybur6: Yes, I have to admit, I'm not spending much time in the hammock these days. It was lovely in the spring and early summer, but as of the last couple of weeks I've been exiled (probably until mid-September, I'm guessing), thanks to the little biting monsters. I think I'll buy one of those propane mosquito killers next year. They supposedly cover about an acre, so many of my neighbors will thank me!
Posted by: Park Sloper at August 20, 2009 5:44 PM
Min Laf:
That lamium was left by the prior owner so I don't even know exactly what type it is but it looks like the one in the photo. It blooms early and has lots of blooms and they last a long time. It's starting to re-bloom now, as it has every year. There won't be as many blooms as in the spring, though. I bought a white blooming lamium and we have a yellow blooming one in the common garden. Those only bloomed for a short time in spring or early summer. The leaves on all of them are interesting and pretty even if there aren't many blooms.
I don't know why they bloom for me since as I said, I hate gardening and don't do much to maintain the plants. The ones that do the best get almost no direct sun - maybe a few minutes a day.
Good luck with yours.
Posted by: the_why at August 20, 2009 6:23 PM
wow! i was offline for part of the day, i'm amazed at all the comments...i'll definitely take up any offers of free plants :) thanks daveinbedstuy... i'm reachable at terri (at) twtnyc.com
i love the idea of a sand/brick/lowlight plant combo with clusters of containers. the dirt tends to be loose and dusty on top and seems hard and rocky under that...
i'd like to try to plant grass but hubby isnt so much into that lololol. so much to think about!
we're going to try to get something together for a housewarming barbeque before the middle of sept...then i'll plan for spring/summer '10 :)
Posted by: trainergrrl at August 20, 2009 7:59 PM
of course we want to know how much you pay for a garden rental. Was discussion couple weeks ago about how much more people pay for outdoor space.
(and p.s. this yard thing is 'foreign territory' for most people in Fort Greene too. Only the fortunate few get that space. gets kinda annoying constant comparing Brooklyn/Manhattan)
Posted by: Petebklyn at August 20, 2009 8:30 PM
Park Sloper, that's not your first garden, is it? ;)
Posted by: Nomi at August 21, 2009 12:58 AM
bessie2... DJL135e54@yahoo.com
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at August 21, 2009 8:17 AM
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