Garden Design Ideas

I’m a horticulturist with 10 years of experience working on all type of properties ranging from small homes to 1st class museum collections. I want to share my expertise by working with property owners to help upgrade and maintain their landscapes. I currently write a newsletter that covers seasonal maintenance tasks, pest and disease issues, and design ideas.

I’d like to be doing evaluations of existing landscapes, quality checks on new installations (you’d be surprised at how many things can go wrong!), and teach gardening classes.

I don’t want to be acting as a contractor, rather be working as a referer or liaison between my clients and landscapers. I want to be a client’s advocate, not a servicemagic.com paid referal service where landscapers pay for leads or give kickbacks.

I’m open to all any suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

A Northeast Gardener

I would like to find the right plants for my garden

i just bought a house built in 1867 and discovered that there are brick paths and brick patio so i am removing the soil by hand so not to damage the brick the yare is small and i put wooden privarcy fense all the way around and now i want to garden in what is left of the grass area. but i has searched the web for free help on design ideas and i can’t find anything that is free. i can not afford to hire a landscaper to do the work for me so i wanted some ideas. does anyone know of any helpful sites that i might try?

Do need someone help him to design and install the garden,in Bay Area of Ca

pictures would be ideal

i am completing my entry for the 2009 BALI a wards and am trying to write a description for our entry but am struggling a little.

the project was carried out in the garden of a townhouse property and comprises of a raised patio area with raised, rendered planters around the raised patio with integrated seating. The rest of the garden is laid to lawn and aggregate areas with an unusual stepping stone pathway and lots of suitable planting.

does anyone have any useful input or excellent garden decsription skills or give me a clu how to make my description stand out from the bog standard.

if i had apicture that would be 100x easier than traying to explain but if anyone if good with words please have a go at helping me out!!

thanks

I have been digging a hole in my yard for a water garden that I am going to construct, but the soil is rock hard and in-organic and because of the hole’s location in between two huge trees there are thousands of roots from small grass roots to huge 6″ thick or bigger roots from the trees. I’ve been using a hoe to loosen the dirt for shoveling and to cut the roots, but it’s becoming an extreme physically enduring project. Are there any other low-budget methods to get a hole dug? Remember, I need to dig a hole to match my measurements and designs for a water garden, not just a big hole.

Note: A water garden, in my case, is a small man-made pond with fish, aquatic plants, frogs, etc.

I’m looking for a virtual planner to design a garden that is all done on computer. Any sites i can check out?

I’m looking to make an easy to maintain container garden using a large Roman-esque pot. I’m looking for some design ideas that include height in the center with a mound and edging flora. Plant choices that include color and/or fragrance would be excellent as well. This container will sit in a semi-shaded area on the front porch in Southern California.

What are some good internet references or books that I can refer to ?

Thank You.