A small Toronto front raised garden re-design in Roncesvalles
I love these kinds of projects: The client knows exactly what plants to buy given how much maintenance will be committed, I transplant them with a design in mind and get paid right away!
The client, Tanya, was fed up with the front raised bed she inherited when she moved in. There is an existing medium sized crabapple, a small weeping red cut-leaf Japanese maple, some clumps of grape hyacinths and an old rose that she hated.
Here's a picture showing what I mean:
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| Roncesvalles Village Toronto new garden installation before |
She wanted a more contemporary look so advised me to remove the rose (and the few large weeds) and to come up with a lower maintenance garden design. The combination of full sun, contemporary look and lower maintenance automatically suggests, to me, ornamental grasses and, with regular watering, some sedges ( Carex cultivars).
We came up with a plant list which includes Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis × acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’), Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica ‘Red Baron’) and Variegated sedge (Carex "Ice Dance"). Originally I suggested using my favourite grass, Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’) but she decided on the Blood Grass instead. This was a brilliant move as the tips of the Blood Grass relate to the Japanese maple's burgundy leaves.
A few hours later...
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| Roncesvalles Village Toronto new garden installation after |
I decided to reuse the grape hyacinths since the bed would have no early spring colour otherwise and recommended to Tanya to plant several dozen daffodils this fall to boost the garden's early spring curb appeal.
I applied a 3" layer of black (dyed) mulch to reduce the amount of weeds germinating and lessen the need for regular watering (after the perennials become established.)
Here are more "before" and "after" pictures of the garden from various viewpoints:
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| Roncesvalles Village Toronto new garden installation before |
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| Roncesvalles Village Toronto new garden installation after |
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| Toronto new garden installation Roncesvalles Village before |
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| Toronto new garden installation Roncesvalles Village after |
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| Toronto new garden installation Roncesvalles Village before |
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| Roncesvalles Village Toronto new garden installation after |
Tanya was very happy with the new cleaner look, in no small part due to removing the previous homeowner's prized rose. I was delighted with her lack of remorse!
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