Design

Trellis – Circular

circular trellis

Circular trellises are a great design element. You can hang decorative elements, especially those that move in the wind. We use ours for anchoring the marionberry canes. The height is 84 inches unplanted (76 when planted).

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Turn Your Swimming Pool into a Backyard

backyard before and after a pool conversion

We used to have a pool in the backyard of our Bahl Patio home. In fact, the pool was the yard. There was about 2 feet of concrete and coping between the pool and the walls. We decided to fill in the pool. For cost reasons, we did not remove the coping Get the permits clear the side yard Drain …

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Climb the Walls

Take advantage of your exterior walls. Walls are good for vines, berries, and trees that can be espaliered. I grow a pomegranate tree espaliered against a sidewall 12 feet wide. My Marion berry canes are also grown against the wall.  

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Growing in Containers

When you don’t have much ground soil, use containers.   A minimum container size is a gallon. The largest containers can grow a 10 foot tree. Smaller pots can easily be moved for better aethestics, better sunlight. Key issues for containers are water, drainage, and nutrients. 16×7 = 6 gallons 14×12 = 8 gallons

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Going Vertical

When you do not have a lot of square footage, go vertical. Use tall tomato cages Use trellises Plant other things in the understory Plant for transition

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Raised Beds

Raised beds provide the same advantages as container pots but for less cost. The primary disadvantage is you can’t move it. Both raised beds and pots give you at least a foot-depth of loose soil with good drainage. It is easier to have denser plantings because you do not use rows. See This Old House’s video on Raised Beds.

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Meet the new pot – Same as the old pot

This is a photo of a YUGE pot. It holds 66 gallons. For 15 years it held an apple tree but neither the tree nor the pot were satisfied: We rarely got apples. Admitting defeat, I discarded the apple tree; repainted the pot to The Sky Is The Limit Blue; and re-potted our Black Mission Fig tree. This was a …

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