design your watersmart landscape marked set by jgerman€¦ · show basic planting areas ......

Landscape design and other design areas

• Similarities:• Same basic elements & principles

• Differences:• Three-dimensional • Living• Seasonal & ever changing

Step 4: Design Your WaterSmart Landscape

jgerman

Sticky Note

Marked set by jgerman

Aesthetics: BalanceSymmetrical Balance

both sides even or visually identical - a mirror image. Formal.

Asymmetrical Balance different-sized elements balance one another by having equal visual weight. Informal.

SYMMETRICAL BALANCE

ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE

Step 4: Design: Background Concepts

Aesthetics: Proportion

• Relative size of objects within the composition:Large tree can make a house appear smaller

• Most SoCal homes areout of scale to their lots

• Plantings may grow out of scale


Aesthetics: ColorMost powerful of art elementsEstablish harmony

• Soothing: low contrast, monochromatic, cool• Energizing: contrast, complimentary, warm

SECONDARY COLORSPRIMARY COLORS TERTIARY COLORS


Aesthetics: ColorSimple Color Harmony


Aesthetics: Contrast• Provides interest and impact• Creates Focal Points and catches the eye• Contrast plant textures, values, and colors


Aesthetics: Unity• Provides cohesive calm• Repeat plant selections throughout the plan

including both sides of driveway


Curb Appeal: Billboard Effect• Groups or drifts of plants catch the moving eye • High contrast• Simple


Curb Appeal: Path to the door

• Direct line of sight or visual cues

• Generous path welcomes guests

• No over grown areas


Plant Functions in Design:Climate Mitigation

• Tradeoffs:• Deciduous / Evergreen• View vs. Temperature


Euphorbia cotinifolia Caribbean Copper Plant

Plant Functions in Design: Security• Thorns as a

deterrent


Plant Functions in Design: Privacy

• Screen ugly views or create privacy• Pick a cultivar that doesn’t need frequent pruning


Podocarpus macrophyllus maki Shubby Yew

Pittosporum tenufolium ‘Silver Sheen’

Explore Design as 2 parts:

• Shaping Spaces• How will you use the space?

• space arrangement, location of major elements• Design in 3D• Form follows Function

• Planting design• How the space is filled with plants for effective

design

Step 4: Design: Functional Design

How will you use your space?Is your space an Outdoor Room, a Passageway, or a Garden?


Outdoor Rooms• Walls

• Do NOT need to be solid to create sense of enclosure

• Floor • Flagstone, DG, mulch

or groundcover

• Ceilings • can be canopies or arbors


Passageway• Way-finding or easy to follow• Open path for curb appeal • “Peek-a-view” for mystery


View Garden• Enjoy from a distance• Treat as a canvas• Include paths for maintenance & strolling


View GardenBorrowed Views


View GardenCreated Views

• Use an accent feature to create a focal point


Design in 3DCreate vertical dimension with

• Layered planting

Background: 6’+

Middleground: 4’+/-

Foreground: 0-12”

for islands


Form Follows Function


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Form Follows Function• How will the space be used?• What activities will occur there?

• Active Uses: cooking, eating, entertaining, sports, play, pool, pets, food

• Passive Uses: resting, meditation, viewing

• Does the current layout “work” or does it need to change to be more functional?

• Lose the bed lines! • Don’t think of your planting bed as a separate area … plan

the entire space!


Form Follows FunctionGet started: Functional Spaces & Hardscape

Create a Functional Bubble Plan

• Think• How the space could

be used, NOT how it IS used.• Will it be an outdoor room,

garden or pathway? • Do you want add

• Seating areas? • Pathways through

planting “islands”?• Meander through your

yard/slope with a circular route?


Think outside the box!


Create a Functional Bubble Plan

• Think: How the space could be used, NOT how it IS used.



Is it an Outdoor Room?



An Outdoor Room with a dry stream bed?



Is it a Passageway?



Is it a Garden?



Create a Planting Area Bubble Plan• Show basic planting areas• Locate planting heights of

• High• Medium • Low

Design Hardscape• Check hardscape in place and

correct• Add desired elements


Creating Your Plant Palette

• How to Choose?• What do you like?• Climate appropriate?• Place appropriate?• Does it fill a design function?

Step 4:Design: Plant Selection

Climate Appropriate PlantsLeaves are


Leathery Small

Silvery Solar tracking

Climate Appropriate:Where to get plant suggestions?WaterSmart Plant Palettes: Homeowner’s Guide and Online

• Mediterranean• Asian• Tropical• Contemporary• Native• Shade• Groundcover options


Where to get plant suggestions?

WaterSmart Plant PalettesMediterranean

CC BY 2.0, Karen Roe


Lavender Rosemary

Olives


WaterSmart Plant PalettesLow Water Asian


Iris douglasiana Dietes African Iris Nandina

Juniperus Juniper


WaterSmart Plant PalettesLow Water Tropical


Lantana Alstroemeria

Strelitzia Bird of ParadiseEuphorbia milii Crown of Thorns

Bromeliads

Plumeria

Bougainvillea Geraniums Bird of Paradise


WaterSmart Plant PalettesLow Water Contemporary


Anigozanthos Kangaroo PawAssorted Succulents

Fire Sticks Kalanchoe thyrisifolia Agave Attenuata


WaterSmart Plant PalettesCalifornia Natives


Heteromeles arbutifoliaToyon

Romneya coulteriMatilija Poppy

EpilobiumCalifornia Fushia

Saliva clevelandiiCleveland Sage

A note about Natives …

WaterSmart Plant PalettesCalifornia Natives

• Adapted for our climate, soils• Provide habitat and attract wildlife

Native plants need:• Little or no summer water• Little or no fertilizer • No pesticides• Less maintenance

Some native plants are summer deciduous



WaterSmart Plant PalettesShade Plants for Dry Areas


Bromeliads Clivia Dianella variegata Schefflera arboricola variegata

Walkable Groundcover Options:Dymondia margaretae (Silver Carpet)

Lippia nodiflora (Kurapia)


Flat Green Groundcover Options:Fragaria chiloensis (Beach Strawberry)

Achillea millefolium (Yarrow)


Mature Size PlantResearch the “Finished Size”

Agave americana marginata


Mature Size PlantPick the right size cultivar for the right place


Carissa macrocarpa / Natal PlumSpecies ‘Boxwood Beauty’ ‘Green Carpet’

8’ x 8’ 2’ x 2’ 1’ – 1 ½’ x 4’

Step 4:Design Your WaterSmart Landscape

Growing ConditionsExposure

• Soil type• Drainage

Full ShadeFull Sun

Water RequirementsWater Use Landscape Coefficient of Landscape SpeciesWUCOLSSouth CoastalSouth Inland

Plant Search:http://ucanr.edu/sites/WUCOLS/Plant_Search_Instructions/

Escondido, Rancho Bernardo, San Marcos, Poway, Lakeside , Ramona

San Diego, Chula Vista, Del Mar, La Jolla, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista, El Cajon


Putting It Together: Hydrozoning• Group plants with like water needs together,

according to irrigation zone• Do not put water needy plants next to low-water

plants • Research:

• Water Use Classification of Landscape Species (WUCOLS) rating

• Plant palettes• Sunset Western


Plant Research: How do I get to know this plant?

WaterSmart Plant Palettes


Plant Research: How do I get to know this plant?

Sunset Western Garden Book

Specific Plant Info• Water usage• Mature Size• Cultivars• Growing conditions



Find Your Sunset Western ZoneZone 24

• Mild maritime climate, mild winters, cool summers, rarely freezes

Zone 23• Warmer than Zone 24,

usually frost-freeZone 21

• A mix of maritime & continental influence, colder in winter

http://www.sunset.com/garden/climate-zones/sunset-climate-zone-san-diego-area-00418000067314/

Plant Research: How do I get to know this plant?Sunset Western Garden Book

Specific Plant Info• Water usage• Mature Size• Cultivars• Growing requirements


Explore Design as 2 parts:

Physical site design• How the space is arranged,

location of major elements

Planting design and placement

• How the space is filled with plants for effective design

Step 4: Design: Planting Design & Placement

Putting It Together: Size your plants• Draw at Mature Size to match Bubble Diagram• Avoid overplanting• Allow room to grow• Understand you may

need to edit and thin later


Drawing Plants in Scale• Pencil in the plants for your space:• At 1/4” scale = 1’- 0”

• 3’ diameter shrub drawn as 3/4” diameter circle

• 12’ canopy tree drawnas 3” diameter circle


Drawing Plants in Scale• Determine the mature size of the plant• Use the mature size• Find appropriate circle

on template

• Example: • Bush is 3’ at maturity• In 1/4 scale, use 3/4”

diameter circle


Drawing Plants in Scale


Anatomy of an Irrigation System

Step 4: Design: Irrigation


Pressure Test• Use meter on last head on valve

• Range should be between 25 psi and 40 psi

Sprays: Low Pressure


Donuts formed by poor coverage

Sprays: High Pressure


Misting


Pressure Regulation

At the point of connection (POC) At the head At the valve


Overhead or Drip?

Choose Overhead Spray for:• Large areas of turf replacement ground cover

(i.e. dymondia, Beach Strawberry, etc.)• The existing overhead system has good existing

coverage

Choose Drip for:• Small, oddly shaped planting areas• Mixing of plants with differing water requirements in

the same valve area


Advantages of Efficient Overhead Spray

• Simple to retrofit existing spray hardware • Can match precipitation rate of drip• Simpler to troubleshoot than drip• May provide better coverage for groundcover


Advantages of Drip Systems• Drip is the most efficient

irrigation delivery type

• Reduces weed growth by targeted water application

• Prevents runoff and erosion

• Low precipitation rate

• No trenching means less digging


Drip Retrofit Systems• Replace existing pop-ups with

retrofit such as Rainbird R-1800

• Use subsurface tubing with emitter valves, not micro spray and 1/4”spaghetti lines

• Cover with mulch


Advantages of In-Line Drip Emitters

• Provide consistent precipitation rate throughout line

• Less prone to clogging and damage than micro spray

• Easy to install


Filters

At the headAt the valve


In-line Drip


Irrigation Plan

• Create an irrigation plan based on your completed planting plan and hydrozones.

• Select a category of irrigation (rotor, drip, etc…)• Prepare a materials list and fill in spaces on your legend

(components and quantity).


What is a Controller Program?

• A set of instructions stored in the controller

• Different irrigation schedules• Irrigation days – how often?• Start times – at what time?• Water times – how long?


Water Efficient Control Equipment• Smart Controllers• Rain and ETo Sensors• Moisture Sensors

Smart Controllers Moisture Sensors

Rain and ETo Sensors

How much water does your

landscape need?

…. It depends.


• Soil Texture• Precipitation Rate• Plant Demand

Irrigation Scheduling: InternetBeWaterWise.com


1. Prepare the site

• Cut down tall weeds • Remove woody or invasive plants • (warm season turf)• Flag sprinkler heads• Soak the area with water

Step 5: Implementation: Turf Removal & Sheet Mulching

2. Edging, Mounding & Contouring

• Make room for the mulch: Cut lawn 12 inches away from concrete to 3” below concrete level.

• Create mounds with removed sod by facing turf side down or discard removed sod

• Grade as needed

Manual “Grubbing”Gas Powered

Sod Cutter


3. Ensure Irrigation of Trees and Large plants

• Add bubblers or drip irrigation if needed

In-line drip irrigation can be expanded as tree growsBubbler HeadDrip Irrigation


4. Plant Large Plants

• 5 gallon and larger


5. Add a weed barrier • NOT weed cloth (except under rock)• Newspaper or cardboard• Overlap by 6-8 inches• Cover all ground except where

there are plants

Paper & Cardboard Weed Barrier


Notify your neighbors first!

Weed Barrier: Newspaper & Cardboard


6. Layer • 1-2” of compost • 4-5” of Soil Building Mulch (tree trimmer’s chipped, etc.)• Pull compost and mulch away from plant crowns and trunks

Timing• Traditional: Allow 3 - 5 months

for composting to complete process, then plant

• Fast: Plant before completion by digging through layers

Sheet Mulching

(4”+)


• Rule of thumb for coverage:1 1/3 Cu. Yd. covers100 sf @ 4” depth

Know your Turf Type to Effectively RemoveTurf Type Dormant

SeasonActive

SeasonGrowth

formSeeds Common

TypesKill

Method

Cool Season

Winter Summer Small tuffs

Dwarf Tall Fescue (common locally), Perennial Ryegrass, Annual Ryegrass, Blue Grass

Sheet Mulch

Warm Season

Winter Summer Creeping Stolons

Bermuda grass, Zoysiagrass, St. Augustine Grass, Kikuyu grass

Solarization orChemicalFollowed by Sheet Mulching


Warm Season Turf Treatment Methods• Herbicides

• Cannot be killed with Chemicals when dormant • Spray herbicides when actively growing• Repeat application!

• Non-toxic herbicide products

Step 5: Implementation: Turf Removal

Warm Season Turf Treatment Methods:

• Complete Sod Removal• Sod goes to landfill,

cannot be recycled

Step 5: Implementation: Turf Removal

Contouring for Dry Stream

Step 5: Implementation: Contouring

Contouring Landscape Fabric First Cobbles Added

Completed

Step 5: Implementation: Sequence

Do It Yourself or Professional Contractor What is right for you?• Tradeoff: Cost vs. Labor + Time• Option: Be the General Contractor yourself

Installation or Repair:• California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA)

http://www.clcasandiego.org• Certified Irrigation Professional www.Irrigation.org • Contractors State License Board (CSLB)

http://www.cslb.ca.gov/Consumers/• YouTube Instructional Videos

Step 6: Maintenance: Irrigation

Irrigation Maintenance

• Adjust run time for season:• 1. Winter• 2. Fall & Spring• 3. Summer

• Check for leaks and fix leaks promptly• Flush drip systems and check filters to

reduce clogging• Adjust sprayheads to prevent

overspray on hardscape

Step 6: Maintenance: Plants

Plant Maintenance

• Amend soil with compost and mulch regularly • Remove weeds • Monitor plant health • Minimize the use of

non- organic chemicals• Start with a hard spray

of water• Use insecticidal soap

or other non-toxic pest killer

QUESTIONS?

Apply for the WaterSmart Landscape Makeover Series:

http://landscapemakeover.watersmartsd.org/ Presentation Slides at:http://www.watersmartsd.org/programs/watersmart-landscape-design-homeowners-workshop

design your watersmart landscape marked set by jgerman€¦ · show basic planting areas ......

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