Japanese elements

Just right

The color scheme

Mostly purples and oranges and white. Less yellow and as little pink as possible.

Exceptions are daffodils and flowering almond, and well, a few other things, more as time goes on.

and the bulb order

Progress...

click image to enlarge

The greenhouse

The greenhouse...slash bedroom slash playhouse... salvaged windows... one of my favorite things. click image to enlarge

Inspiration

More greenhouse clippings

Consider Your Climate

source
ongoing lessons in geography, botany, climatology... I can't really say I pay alot of attention to this because our climate is so moderate... within one square mile there may be dozens of microclimates, within your own yard there may be half a dozen or so...

The challenges here are coastal in nature - wind, wet, presumably some salt air (we're about a mile in) - it just doesn't get HOT enough here to say, grow good tomatoes, or corn, doesn't get COLD enough to make lilacs really happy, but, on the other hand, roses bloom all year long.

The Beginning

Problem: No access to the backyard through the house, only access is through the garage or around sideyards. There is a grass alley that gives us vehicle access to the backyard. Virtually no existing landscaping. No plants. No style, no care, no nothing. Nothing has ever been done here.

There are two flowering plums in the front yard (on every lot on the street almost), the lawn is shot, the sideyard has a cyclone fence on one side, and on the other is a broken down fence. The backyard is often 2' high pasture grass. Not really a lawn though it can be tamed with a mower.

Ideas and Plans

In the beginning you have to assess your needs.
Access, trails & pathways, improve curb appeal, give the kids a "place," overall improve livability and resale value. Start with an overview - the skeleton (bones), paths, walks, define areas, and then fill in.

Here, plans include landscaping for privacy, camouflaging the cyclone fence, need a deck, a play area...

Early plan

Early Ideas for a Play Area

The back corner of the yard.

Something to remember - the further the sandbox is from the door to the house, the better. The more time the sand has to fall off the kids...

Thumbnails... Ideas

The beginning - composite shot

That's the bare lot, the fallen down fence, the neighbor's shed... the challenge.

The Plan of course, is to plant for privacy. To create a sanctuary. On a third of an acre.

Extended Composite View

Choosing Paint Colors

Looking for a warm grey with white trim like the ones in the pictures. Things to consider - most houses have light bodies with darker trim. Using lighter trim will, in theory, expand the building visually, opening up rather than closing in and containing the space... windows will seem larger... interior colors alway appear two shades darker than you think - exterior colors will appear two shades LIGHTER... try samples... ended up picking Behr Meteorite, and learned another important tip - Write down the formula for the paint color you choose. Five years later you won't remember, the company may have discontinued it, or the paint store may have closed.

I like this color. It seems to disappear into space visually, it's very zen, very stealth, not intrusive and not overly trendy. It really sets off the greenery, looks fabulous with white flowers... It doesn't work well with blues (pots and furnishings), that's the only drawback. We have an ongoing discussion as to whether it is grey (I say) or green (John says). Perfect.

The house was built in 1963(ish) and has been painted a variety of colors including a lime-ish minty green, pink, taupe and powder blue. I figure those were subdivision trendy way back when. Will this be looked at that way?

Another early plan

Early plan in color

Leaves, Trees...