Designing a bare lot By Dorothy Dobbie
New homes are usually sold with a bare minimum of landscaping, but this give you the chance to start from scratch. Imagine the possibilities!
What to consider So, you have just purchased that brand-new forever home in a new neighbourhood where your kids can grow up and you can grow old with your mate. But the yard is a barren wasteland! Where do you start? What do you do? Here’s a bit of a map to help you avoid mistakes you will regret a few years down the road. Environment Start by assessing the space and its exposure to the elements, traffic and neighbours. What direction is the sun going to shine from in the morning and afternoon? This will help decide where to locate a patio or a deck, preferably where it will receive morning sunshine and evening shade, sheltered from the heat of the blazing sun at the end of the day. Patios and decks do not have to be built against the foundation in the back yard. A floating deck or a patio can be located anywhere. Consideration of the sun’s movements will dictate what to plant and where. Wind exposure will also impact what is planted. Some evergreens such as cedars are sensitive to winter drying and may not do well in a space where there is a lot of sun and wind. North facing areas near house foundations may receive very little light. This could be the place for a Zen-inspired garden with a gravel base and some ornaments. What about the neighbourhood? Are the lots well12 • 2021
treed or are immaculate lawns the choice of the majority? Neighbours might not appreciate a large maple shedding its leaves in fall. Large deciduous or fruit-dropping trees planted against a fence will affect the family next door. If they have many trees, they probably won’t care, but take this into consideration when choosing. Traffic will also dictate some decisions. In the coldest parts of Canada where salt and sand are deployed to keep the streets snow or ice free, plant salt-tolerant woody plants near the street. Spreaders put down extra product on curves. Corner lots will doubtless attract kids who cut across corners, too. A flower bed or some shrubs in that space can obstruct that traffic. Lawns and gardens Is the lot sodded? If not, spend a little extra to lay down a good foot of topsoil before adding the grass. Generally, the trucking fee makes up most of the cost so buying 10 yards at one time instead of five will not add significantly to the price. Soil will contain some unwanted weeds. Most provinces have banned the chemical bombing that used to sterilize the soil, which wasn’t good for growth anyway because it killed all the microscopic partners plants need to access minerals. Dead soil will not have weeds. Weedy soil will be healthy soil. Be patient and pull weeds that emerge. If you live in an area with a clay mix or if the land you Issue 2
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