Eight months of weekends - landscape gardening

Sunset, April, 1989

Doing most of the work themselves, the owners turned this garden around dramatically

Eight months separate the before and after pictures you see here. Wasn't this an impossible time frame for a working couple who did most of the work themselves and could dig in only on days off?

Not at all. Careful planning and plant selection geared for quick impact gave this remodel in Inglewood, California, a finished look almost immediately.

October. First came a day with a landscape architect. Though the most costly part of the job, this yielded the greatest benefit: an overall plan for the yard and a list of planting ideas. With a plan in hand, the owners could plot a logical sequence of events --including ordering materials ahead of time rather than working on one corner one weekend, then moving to another space the next.

The plan provided three basics: the shape of the decks, the division of the space into two levels with raised beds surrounding the lower area, and the shape of the main lawn and its surrounding beds. The owners set up a sequence following this basic pattern: hardscape, earth moving, irrigation, then plants.

November. Just after Halloween, the old patio, with its curved retaining wall, was removed and the soil cut back so it would be under the new deck edge. Other bits of concrete work around the yard were also removed. And so was a giant overgrown old rubber plant, which came up only

after a weekend-long fight,

The few remaining trees (see plan), neglected for years, were pruned and reshaped. A screen of cypresses was topped to half its height, letting morning sun into the garden.

Next came instant and much-needed privacy: lattice screens placed above an existing stucco-faced block wall. Readymade 2- by 8-foot and 4- by 8-foot lattice panels fit into frames that were mounted to sills bolted to the top of the wall.

The main (upper) deck went in over Thanksgiving. Stairs and lower deck weren't done until the lower yard was regraded.

December. The owners prepared for the new year by coaxing the railroad ties into place, These form the retaining wall between the two levels and also the sides of the lower-level raised beds.

January. By the Super Bowl, soil from the lower section had been thrown behind the retaining wall above, bringing the yard roughly to its two final grades.

February. Ten cubic yards of commercial compost arrived just before Valentine's Day. The raised beds took about 3 yards; 5 went into amending soil for other beds and the lawn, with 2 saved for the vegetable beds.

March. With soil amended and regraded, the stairs and lower deck could be put in place. At the same time, bare-root fruit trees and some roses went in.

April. The owners disturbed the grade to cut lines for four sprinkler circuits and a new hose bibb at the corner of the garage by the potting table-60 feet from the house line. Regraded again, with irrigation in place, the yard was ready for big plants. All the major ones--flowering maple (Abutilon), lavender starflower (Grewia), Lythrum, Lycianthes rantonnei-were planted from 5-gallon cans. Double marguerites and fuchsia 'J.D. Fredricks' came in 2-gallon cans.

May. Annuals filled in spaces around larger plants. Drip lines service the beds: annual beds got laser-cut drip tubing, while larger plants got spot emitters.

The sod lawn, 'Marathon II' tall fescue, finished the garden, providing instant gratification as each slab was placed on the perfectly primed soil.

June. A post Memorial Day bonus, the potting table has a 2-by-4 frame mounted to a 2-by-4 on the garage wall and supported by 4-by-4 legs; 2-by-2s form the work surface.

The table includes a recycled sink that draws off a gate valve at the garage hose bibb. Cold water runs to an inexpensive single-lever faucet; the drain runs to a gravel sump.

The stylish wardrobe of a well-dressed salad depends on accessories-flavorful oils and vinegars, and perhaps some mustard. Coordinating them with quality basics--crisp leaves and tender vegetables-is simple.

You need choices, not a recipe, to dress a salad well; below, we explain the process in four easy steps. Select good-tasting, fresh oils for smoothness, and distinctive vinegars for tang; start a collection. Pick and choose among them, combining to your own taste with other seasonings, such as Dijon or other fancy mustards, capers, anchovy paste, fresh and dried herbs, and mixtures such as pesto.

The Basic Green Salad

1. Start with cold, crisp greens, enough for one person or a crowd. If you like, rub the salad bowl with a cut clove of garlic before adding greens. Mix in some minced fresh chives, other fresh or dried herbs, thin cucumber slices, or any favorite salad condiments. Have ready olive oil, red or white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard (optional), salt (or seasoned salt), and pepper (preferably freshly ground). 2. Add oil, a spoonful at a time, and mix to coat salad. The amount depends on your taste and diet. About 1 tablespoon oil per serving gives rich flavor to most salads, but if you're watching calories, you can dress a salad with much less oil; just see that everything has a shiny coat.