Landscaping program?

Sounds like a nice mix of plants for your area. The idea that nurseries will only suggest plants to sell seems contrary to my personal experience when I was controller for a nursery and florist, but that was many decades ago. Many were educated in horticulture, and were good to their customers when suggesting plants for most soil conditions and water needs.

A friend of ours had their landscape done by professionals several years ago that includes native plants, because of their heartiness and use of less water. Also, the science museum at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco has a garden on their roof with the same idea; native plants use.

I need a little grass, so I have a small strip that I care for in my front yard. It also provides me with exercise that I mow with a manual lawnmower. At my age, I end up huffing and puffing even though it's a small strip about 150 square feet.

I'd join this group (or a closer one if you can identify one)

http://www.stalbertgardenclub.info/index.php

You can get good ideas, referrals, discounts at garden supply places etc.

Keep an eye out for church sales and general yard sales this time of year - for supplies and plants. On the weekend I drove past a house where someone was selling decent-size perennials for $1 . My neighbour bought me a huge rhubarb starter at her church sale for $1 a few years ago. That thing is out of control now.

Well, these are large nurseries and I suspect many people don't know what they should when they give advice, but I was also particularly warned that they will mislead you and say it's good for this cold zone when it's not.

It's such a different climate and much shorter growing season that I look around the neighbourhoods before I buy. I see honeysuckle growing, I'm buying it. Etc. I have also planted small shrubs and some ground covers, and a few annuals in pots. Sweet peas up against my fence. Herbs. Lupines. Asters. I like an eclectic garden.

I never used a landscaping program I took photos of the yard then photoshopped them and added different plants until I got an idea how I wanted it to look.

Agreeing with that.

I see I've been aggressive with my views, yet again, but I've had thirty years of hearing bullshit multiply layered from differing but righteous sides, and (you all know me) get testy. I practiced for quite a while in southern california and we had famous nurseries around that were foul purveyors.

I prefer gardens that reflect the people gardening, learning.

Re another thread, it's clear to me now that I don't believe in trying to change the land. It has taken me a while, years, to get to that view, and I can be aggressive about that now that I think that way.

Great idea. Thank-you.

Thanks Beth. I'll check this link out tonight.

Thanks for all the tips Mame.

My ex has the most amazing clematis. He didn't plant it, the previous owners did. It must be 40 years old and it grow through the tiniest crack between the concrete and his house in his back yard. It must have hundreds of purple flowers when it's in full bloom. I've got one but it's not the climbing variety. I have a two rose bushes, one is a wilder variety with loose flowers and the other is more of a traditional english type. Yarrow is all over the drive way, which is not paved and the most spectacular poppy, I think it's a Russian - sadly, its huge and I do mean huge flowers only last a day or two.
I've got a few more perennials, one in particular I'm going to dig up, divide and plant along either side of the front walkway. Once the beds are completed I'll go searching for more plants. It's the trees and bushes that I'm most concerned with. I've had two die so I really want to plant the next batch in the best possible locales.
The link I put in an above post is the swankiest greenhouse. It's owned by the Hole family, Lois Hole was a previous Lieutenant Governor of AB, she had an almost saint like appeal in the Edmonton Area. I can't wait to check out the new digs.

http://www.edmontonhort.com/plantexchange/plantexchange.php





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Hi Ceili

Lots of good advice here, so you probably don't need anymore suggestions....

I'm not sure how long you've been at your current home. But if you've moved there fairly recently, it's a great idea to walk around the neighbourhood & check out other people's gardens. To see what plants flourish & which struggle to survive in your local environment.
I've also picked up some useful design ideas this way in the past, as well as useful ideas about what combinations of plants/trees/ground covers, etc, work well together.

Anyway, good luck with it!

I've lived here in Edmonton most of my life. I moved back from Vancouver last year. I've actually owned this house for over 10 years. The first few I cleaned it up, stripped the yard of all the big bad trees, graded the yard, had a big vegetable garden, rebuilt the basement, then tackled the main floor, re-did the bathrooms, removed walls... Anywho, now that I'm back would like to redo the yard.
Like I said, I've got the hard design, the deck, beds, garage... designed. I know plants it's just I would like to get the tree and bush placement on a plan so that I'm not knocking my head against the wall wondering if I could have placed the big stuff better.
I think I'm going to buy a program. Just bite the bullet and shell out the bucks...

Wow, you are brilliant. I'd never heard of this. I'm so marking this on my calendar. Now, if only the weather will cooperate. It could be super cold that weekend or it could be hotter than summer, hopefully I will still have a window to plant then.
Thank you Beth.