It's Never Too Early to Think About Next Spring
We’re pretty pleased with how far we got with our garden in our first season, but most of that progress came in the heavy-lifting department, i.e. laying the bluestone, putting up the fence, etc. Most of the plantings we did back in May were whimsical, uninformed decisions made on the fly. Needless to say, most…
We’re pretty pleased with how far we got with our garden in our first season, but most of that progress came in the heavy-lifting department, i.e. laying the bluestone, putting up the fence, etc. Most of the plantings we did back in May were whimsical, uninformed decisions made on the fly. Needless to say, most of them didn’t work out too well. Now that we’re getting into the fall season, we’re vaguely aware that there are some things we should be planting in the next month or so. The biggest question is whether, and when, we should seed some of the patchy spots in the lawn. Advice?
You need to triple the size of those beds. Most gardening sources claim that you should plant at least 20 inches away from a fence if you want your plants to get any rain. Those beds only look about 20 inches wide.
Don’t be mingy with flowerbeds/perennial beds!
me thinks you need a landscape architect
“You must return here with a shrubbery!”
I’m with the bushes and trees set–those fences are begging for some height! There are lots of great, easily-maintained shrubs that you could get rooted back there before winter sets in. Bulbs are great, too, but it’s a short window. If you really want color you’d probably do well with hearty plants like begonias and impatiens when the warm weather returns–low maintenance and long-lasting! Flowering hostas are great, too, and all too often passed-over.
Use a plastic (not metal) wide rake — the fan-shaped variety — to gently “scratch” the surface of your lawn, especially the bald patches. Throw down lots of grass seed on the bald patches and some where the growth is still OK. It’s good to cover the entire lawn with seed because grass grown from seed seems to survive better than sod in the long term. If your yard is even partially shady, buy shade resistant seed. Throw down some grass fertilizer too — the kind that won’t burn the new grass, it will be marked on the package as such. Water daily for at least one hour! Skip the watering ONLY when there’s a really heavy rain. The seed must be damp to germinate. Repeat the over-seeding every 7-10 days through the end of October (or until it gets cold) to compensate for the seed the birds will eat. Then repeat again in the spring. Good luck! Maintaining a successful lawn in brownstone backyards is really only for the mildly obessesive-compulsive.
All gardens need regular (i.e. every other day at the least) care in the form of watering etc. or they quickly deteriorate, you get brown patches, dead shrubs etc. You either enjoy it or don’t, but it is work, though pleasant “work” if you like it.
Dude,
I’d get rid of the grass and put down stone everywhere. You’re obviously not obsessed with maintaining your garden, which you need to be if you want it to thrive in NYC.
After the stone is everywhere, I’d build an enormous palapa and start throw monthly “Brownstoner Bashes.” You can charge us brownstoners to attend — I’d say $50 bucks a head is fair.
Bring on the steak and beer!
remember, bulbs like daffodils and tulips are seasonal with a short life span. to give your garden year round interest, i’d also choose shrubs, and perrenials…and definitely some ferns depending on the amount of shade in your garden. and then if you’re confused by all the information you’ve been getting, contact the experts: Keith Davitt who’s specialty is designing quaint, city garden spaces (he did the Conservatory on 7th Avenue in Park Slope…so beautiful)! you might check Barnes and Noble for his latest publication. and last, e-mail Michele (very helpful) at Gowanus Nursery for tips: michele@gowanusnursery.com
Squirrels shouldn’t touch allium bulbs (they’re a member of the onion family I think), which can also tolerate part shade and look terrific (kids love them). Just be sure to underplant them with something (hostas, anything else with nice foliage) because the leaves die down and do not look nice. Bleeding heart is another nice perennial to plant now for the spring that likes shade, but also needs underplanting.
Another anti-squirrel trick is to plant the bulbs an inch or two deeper then recommended, so 9 or 10 inches when 8 is recommended. I did this last fall and had a fantstic show in the spring. The squirrels don’t dig that deep.