Learning new gardening techniques in new places

Yes, Rosemary works wonderful and rarely needs any attention at all.
I also have some of the Australian Kangaroo paws and those suckers bloom
and bloom and bloom with virtually very little water or attention. I love them.

http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~cornwell/perth_pictures/red%20kangaroo%20paws.jpg

Protea Plants are another good option, they love sandy soil, and lots of
sun. They bloom in fall and winter

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/plantfinder/images/400/222.jpg

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But not here....

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http://www.denverwater.org/cons_xeriscape/xeriscape/images/g1997_rabbitbush.jpg

The yellow stuff is rabbitbush. I promise, it really grows in your area. I understand there is also a dwarf variety.

Xeriscape ideas looks like a good site. You're climate is not a lot different than Denver's.

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boomerang wrote:

Swimpy wrote:
I finally got the name for the type of garden my son is putting in. It's called Huegelbeete or Hill Bed. He cut down one of my many undesirable trees, a hemlock. Then he removed sod from an area that is roughly 4' x 15'. He stripped the branches from the main trunk and place the trunk in the shallow trench. On top go all of the branches to form kind of a windrow. Next the sod will go on top of the branches, grass side down. The lext layer will be leaves, followed by a layer of compost. A layer of topsoil will cap it all off.

My son and his wife are doing all the work. They're in the backyard as I type. The whole thing probably wont get done until Mothers Day.

I'd be REALLY interested in hearing more about this as I have lots of debris that I could use for such a thing.

Does it make a berm sort of thing?

How deep does the trench have to be?

How high can you build it up?

Can you get some photos?

My backyard is a complete disaster. We've been spending days cleaning out stuff. I would love to put some of it to use. I have lots of branches and compost type matter but I would have to truck in some good dirt.

Drainage is a big problem in my yard. I would love to hear how this would work in soggy, shady areas.

I would love to build something up a few feet high and smack it full of ferns or something shade tolerant.

d-i-l took some pics. I'll see if I can get them to post.

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Hey Osso, as a side note.... you can find pinons in (I think) late summer, ripe with pine nuts. One way to save money is to slip off into a dense forest (like the ones up near Abiquiui in the National forest) and collect the cones of the forest floor to be emptied at home later.

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Quote:

d-i-l took some pics. I'll see if I can get them to post.

That would be great, Swimpy! I tried to do some research on my own but came up empty handed.

I think that sounds like something that would work very well in my backyard. The only thing I'd probably need to buy is some good gardening soil to top it off.

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Yes, Roger, I'm a big xeriscape fan, nigh onto thirty years, and it's more appropriate than ever here in sandland. My heart wants to go with all natives but I'm already breaking that with the lavender and a few other plants. But certainly what I put in will fit with xeriscape parameters. Probably.

Thanks for the link, I'l check it out re locally appropriate stuff.

Nags self to go to the Santa Ana Pueblo nursery soon...

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LittleK, that gives me an idea...

I seem to remember that the pines are blighted, but I'll go check it out and also see if I can tell if I plant one will I have to wait 'til I'm a hundred to get some pinole around here. (There is room in the back, once I remove the tumbleweed....)

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boomerang wrote:

Quote:
d-i-l took some pics. I'll see if I can get them to post.

That would be great, Swimpy! I tried to do some research on my own but came up empty handed.

I think that sounds like something that would work very well in my backyard. The only thing I'd probably need to buy is some good gardening soil to top it off.

I forget already what you called these, Swimp, and don't want to go back and double check yet, so I'll call them H-beds. Looks like an interesting process. It reminds me of wattles, which, despite what this link sells, can be made from broken tree detritus. The key thing, if I remember right, is not to have the tree or shrub be a sprouter....
WATTLES

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cj wrote :

Quote:

Protea Plants are another good option, they love sandy soil, and lots of
sun. They bloom in fall and winter

we sure could use some of those plants here .
that's what our "garden" looked like yesterday ... ... Shocked

http://www.shrinkpictures.com/processed/phpTBK2Z2PM.jpg

but spring rains will start tomorrow !
hbg

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I understand grading and drainage quite well, but I'm a grading and drainage victim in my own house, victim of myself in that I saw the problem when I first saw the house. I was seduced by the asking price and closeness to friends, and figured I could fix it. Yes, I could, but it involves jacking out a lot of concrete and repouring.

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Pinus edulis ---

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Pinyon

I think it has been largely knocked off in local yards by some beetle...

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ossobuco wrote:

Pinus edulis ---

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Pinyon

I think it has been largely knocked off in local yards by some beetle...

Omigod, I am horrified!

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Bommer, I'm just going to post links to the photos. I don't want to blow up Osso's thread.

1. Ian the Woodcutter
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e383/swimpy12/DSC00526.jpg

2. Removing the sod
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e383/swimpy12/DSC00527.jpg

3. The trunk went in first
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e383/swimpy12/DSC00529.jpg

4. Branches on top
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e383/swimpy12/DSC00534.jpg

5. Admire work
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e383/swimpy12/DSC00532.jpg

6. Put the sod on top of the branches
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e383/swimpy12/DSC00536.jpg

7. Leaves go next
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e383/swimpy12/DSC00538.jpg

Tha plan is to add the last two layers when the kids are back for Mothers Day.

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Osso doesn't mind... I'm interested too...

LittleK, I don't know if they're all threatened. Will look for more info.

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Wow! Thanks! That is really cool.

We put in french drains around our house and they work on a very similar concept. These hill beds might work very well here in soggy-land.

I just learned that I can get a permit that will allow me to dig ferns from certain forests. I'm thinking a hill would look very nice planted with ferns!

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Right, I was going to mention them as a possiblity for your situation.

For me, my sand is one giant french drain, it's my concrete that is going the wrong way, x 3.

More on the Pinus edulis and it's recent problems - HERE

I suppose I could try one and water it in a timely manner; but water is of course a problem here.

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RE the pinus - That makes me sad. But, the way I'd figure it (because I'd want to put one in my yard) is that you are helping to maintain an endangered population. One will take more water than a small xero bed, but it still may be worth the effort and water usage.

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French drains are a pain to put in but they are certainly effective!

I really think my backyard wouldn't have drainage problems at all if the trees were pruned to allow a bit of sunlight and some plants were put in.

Right now it is all moss and mud and (much less) ivy and a few huge trees. The yard has been completely neglected for decades.

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How's the soil? Is it silt or clay or.... Amendments.. Well, you know gardening.

Pruning sounds good. Nothing like a smart pruning by people who know what they're doing...

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Learning new gardening techniques in new places

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