MY GARDEN, SHARE YOURS

River's Edge

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My Garden is more of a working Nursery with some display benches, set up for function primarily! Some fall colours sneaking in on the maples, Zelkova, Hornbeam. The JBP and JRP think it is still growing season.
The group picture of JBP are six year old Pines. Spread over an area of 15 ft by 35 ft. Older stock is in development on benches and throughout the Nursery! Younger stock is in the grow beds. The bed of maples gets cut back in the spring and reaches 6 feet plus again by fall. Looks like a mass but there are only 84 in that grow bed.
Greenhouse is empty at this point, just preparing to house some more sensitive trees for the winter! Cloudy and cool , time for the shade cloth to come down this afternoon. IMG_1454.JPGIMG_1455.JPGIMG_1456.JPGIMG_1457.JPGIMG_1458.JPGIMG_1459.JPG
 

River's Edge

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@River's Edge that's some serious deer fence! That'll teach em
Have to take them seriously, they have a determined streak! Wish i had a dollar for every plant they have wrecked. Actually what you see is the inner defence perimeter now that the acreage is fully enclosed with deer fence and security gate! That's why it is possible for me to keep more trees out in the open now. More room, more trees ( win win )
Love that coated clothes line wire, supports my shade cloth as well and reflects light as a top line to deter deer from jumping! Comes in 300 ft rolls so was handy for the perimeter fencing.
 

Adair M

Pinus Envy
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wow @ABCarve that is a lot of work! I don't envy your weeding job while those fill in... Been there...
@Adair M that patio is soooo nice.
The patio is awesome . I went from an undersized little covered porch to an expansive patio that goes right up to the pond. Sure, I still have the same limited covered area, but the patio has given me at least 10 times the usable space.

And I’ll install a retractable awning over a bunch of it, and that will give me more covered area for next summer.

B303B7D4-6D2E-4D02-8F78-55202B59A880.jpeg
 
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Massachusetts
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Thank you Adair!

The metal edging is set higher because what happens is if I sink it in further, the gravel will start to cross over and God forbid the gray gravel starts to mix in with the sand colored gravel. Can't have that! :p One annoying thing is that after winter with our deep freezes, the ice pulls it up so every spring I need to go back and reset it. A problem you will not have. It has not been a real issue in terms of being a tripping hazzard although occasionally it happens. No issues wheeling in trees over it. It bends a bit as you go over it but springs back into position. Just make sure your edging is not set too high. I do not have an automatic watering system. Trees are hand watered with a hose.

Gravel gives the garden a really clean look and easy to maintain... ISH! I use a leafblower and rake the gravel regularly. It is a bit of a pain as small stuff that falls from the trees get stuck. But for the most part it cleans really well. Weeds are no problem. They do come up is spots but very easy to pull them out. I used a quality weed fabric before I laid down all the gravel.

Have fun with the design of your garden! Very exciting and will give your beautiful trees a place where they can be admired.
Would small stepping or prayer stones be an option for gravel edging or would the ice shift them too much? I love that transition and would love to know what you ruled out when designing this.
 
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What product might that be...could you share please? My battle with algae in my koi pond is constant, despite a bog filter and a mechanical filter with UV.

Thanks
Live bamboo is excellent at soaking up nitrate, a boarder of coarse rock half submerged and repeatedly splashed or agitated by a nearby bubbler or current will encourage aerobic bacteria.
 

Adair M

Pinus Envy
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Would small stepping or prayer stones be an option for gravel edging or would the ice shift them too much? I love that transition and would love to know what you ruled out when designing this.
Oh, gosh, the gravel is just to get the red clay covered up! The pond has barely been in for a month, and the patio a week! He hasn’t even cashed the check I wrote to pay for it yet!

I’ll plant sedum, and moss and all kinds of stuff to soften it up. It hasn’t rained in two months the GA. Red clay is baked hard like a brick! No point in trying to plant anything right now. First of all, it’s impossible to dig, and second it’ll die in a week!
 

Adair M

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Would small stepping or prayer stones be an option for gravel edging or would the ice shift them too much? I love that transition and would love to know what you ruled out when designing this.
Oh, gosh, the gravel is just to get the red clay covered up! The pond has barely been in for a month, and the patio a week! He hasn’t even cashed the check I wrote to pay for it yet!

I’ll plant sedum, and moss and all kinds of stuff to soften it up. It hasn’t rained in two months the GA. Red clay is baked hard like a brick! No point in trying to plant anything right now. First of all, it’s impossible to dig, and second it’ll die in a week!
 
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Hoping to get something going here thanks to all these awesome posts. Lots to think about.

Here is a rough outline of what I am planning. The first photo will be a grow out beds. I think I will excavate here and install a few large, drilled for drainage storage bins into the soil line. That way I can use premium soil without loosing it, easy on dig up's and being able to turn/condition them. It's nowhere near the proposed garden.

Next photo will be one of 3 entrances. Might use mulch and boxwood to start the funnel into the garden but will be consulting a professional. The white lines will be where I would like to have bonsai stands over black stone keeping the rhododendron. I would like to have the stands in the theme of the trees they hold. Done in a way that complements trunk shapes without distracting eyes. I think they will be reinforced deadwood to accomplish this.

The boxwood surrounding the fountain will be removed, possibly to the main entrance. I might find a better fountain, a pawn shaped bubbler comes to mind. I will probably have to keep the brick, but I just can't get a Yin&Yang mosaic out of my head.

At the small entrance I woul love to incorporate a shielded 2 way sliding door structure like Judy did so awesomely.

Would love any thoughts but not wanting to distract from the thread. I will make a thread when things get started to move. I put in way too many stands lol. 🖖🏻
 

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ABCarve

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This is my patch of Japanese giant Butterburr. I’ve been told the Japanese refer to it similarly as we would say kudzu. This was four plants in 2016. The “patch “ is 40’ X 20’. So what’s so remarkable about this seemingly invasive species. 5F52EBFD-857C-48B4-A2E5-CD9754BFC009.jpeg
 
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Oh, gosh, the gravel is just to get the red clay covered up! The pond has barely been in for a month, and the patio a week! He hasn’t even cashed the check I wrote to pay for it yet!

I’ll plant sedum, and moss and all kinds of stuff to soften it up. It hasn’t rained in two months the GA. Red clay is baked hard like a brick! No point in trying to plant anything right now. First of all, it’s impossible to dig, and second it’ll die in a week!
Sorry I should have used @MACH5 my bad. I get a slightly worse winter than him and should have the same issues.
 

エドガー

Shohin
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I might find a better fountain, a pawn shaped bubbler comes to mind. I will probably have to keep the brick, but I just can't get a Yin&Yang mosaic out of my head

Would love any thoughts but not wanting to distract from the thread. I will make a thread when things get started to move. I put in way too many stands lol. 🖖🏻

Nice space! I love to see progress and before-&-after pics of bonsai/Japanese-garden projects.

My suggestions... yeah, that fountain doesn't really fit into bonsai nor Japanese aesthetic (it's an eyesore). I'd sell it and get a nice granite tsukubai with bamboo spout and hidden reservoir underground (something I still want to do)... and also some large boulders and granite lanterns here and there. Tsukubai, bamboo spout, boulders, lanterns... all are very welcoming and are super perfect for the main-entrance.

But I also think those elements (tsukubai, bamboo spout, boulders, lantern) would look very odd/strange smack-dab in the middle of a brick-path... would look better and more natural/normal over gravel, pebbles or to the side/flanked of a main-entrance.

If that round brick area must be kept in place (after that current fountain removed), I think the best option would be large bonsai stand/s displaying your best and largest bonsai..as the main-entrance/showcase.

I too wanna replace my brick; but it's too expensive for me atm (my entire hardscape, front and back yard, is brick and concrete.... so that's tons of work).
I'f def replace it with natural-stone, bluestone or flagstone in irregular sizes and shapes. Would look waaay nicer, more natural and classier.

If flagstone hardscape is too expensive for you... I think replacing your small brick area, simply with gravel would look very nice, clean and modern. Also change the shape a bit, so it's not so symetrical.

Ying&Yang logo/sign... I'd avoid at all costs as I think that's super cheesy, lol. That'd remind me of Chinatown or being in a Chinese restaurant.



My dad got 7 huuuuge and heavy 34" wide concrete Italian-style containers from an estate (super gaudy with tons of detailed Italian designs on them). Also, 4 more lower-profile 24" wide concrete containers, also Italian-style (not as bad... but still didn't fit in, with grape-vine designs on them).
Hated them with a passion... gave 2 to a neighbor and sold the rest on CL. After, I got 2 white-oak-half-wine-barrels instead and also a couple standard/simpler small 12-15" pots with no designs on them.
 
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I hear you on the yin yang, but if it was made of two tone black and white stone...

Still torn but hell I might 50/50% make a Pacman chasing a ghost next year with arborvitae and yew (last photo yesterday). I am a bit cheesy.

Love the idea of a bamboo seesaw fountain. Thanks for the input the lanterns will happen.
 

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