We've put almost as much thought into our landscape plan as our entire house. Although we quickly came up with the initial design, deciding on specific plants has taken much more time.
Our landscape architect, Dustin Halverson, planned for a tree near the front windows on the southwest corner to provide shade and a sense of scale. After mulling about six tree options, we opted for a Swedish columnar aspen because its shape provides the height we need to tie the landscaping and the house together without impeding upon the structure.
There is much to consider when selecting plants for landscaping. Grasses vs. flowers, natives vs. cultivars, size and shape, bloom time, soil type and color all come into play. We're also committed to making our landscape a piece of our home's "green-friendly" design. We received a grant from the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District that requires a number of native plantings.
Stacy and I wanted plants that would work well with the lines of our house, having a similar sense of control and geometry. At the same time, we wanted these plantings to soften some of the lines and allow us to merge our home with the surrounding landscape.
We've picked a mixture of native and cultivars or non-native plants. In some cases, we've segregated the natives to specific areas such as the rain gardens. In other parts of the landscape, we've mixed the two, for texture or to create variety in height or color.
We had settled on a plan, but the day before the plants were to arrive, we started to second-guess some of our choices. Although we had found a great resource for native plants (bluethumb.org), we had not seen many mature plants in a garden or yard.
We decided to make a trip to the Watershed District building in Little Canada (call Shelly at 651-792-7965 to arrange a tour or go online to www.rwmwd.org), to look at their collection of plants in various stages of growth. We were introduced to several plants such as Culver's root, which we decided to integrate into our design.
Our trip validated many of the plant selections that Halverson had suggested, and proved invaluable in helping us find new options. We were also able to see how our small plants will blossom and grow into prominent elements of our design over time, and how the various combinations of plants will work together.
I'd recommend a field trip if you're going to make a substantial investment in your landscaping.
To learn more about the Hammonds' new house and to see photos and previous blog posts, go to www.startribune.com/newhouse. Or send e-mail to hammond@mojosolo.com.
