Tag: Michael Parkey

Landscape & Gardening

What Greets Me Every Morning

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This was shot from my bathroom window while leaning way out and freaking my dogs out.
This was shot from my bathroom window while leaning way out and freaking my dogs out.

It’s a view that never fails to start my day with a smile. I’ve recently photographed my backyard gardens and will be posting those photos soon. There’s been numerous setbacks over the last few years. The summers of 2011 and 2012 were brutal to this newly planted paradise, and then there was the drip irrigation system that took a couple of years to adjust and learn what each plant required. Then there was this last winter’s extended freezes that killed my Blue mist flowers, Pink Skullcaps, and most of the Zexmenia. My entire backyard is planted with Texas hardy perennials, but not many of them can survive multiple long periods of time where the temperature never gets close to or above 32 degrees Fahrenheit. And then with an extensive cooler-than-usual spring, plants were late in growing and becoming available to buy at local nurseries. It took forever to acquire the replacements I needed.

Hopefully this view will be given a chance to survive for a few more years, because the constant heartbreak with our Texas weather extremes and the constant labor of rebuilding has worn me out. On a positive note: I have planted Texas tough plants and have installed drip irrigation, so the current water restrictions will not be a problem.

Landscape Architect: Michael Parkey

Landscape & Gardening

Remember My Bald Patch?

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Nine newly planted Pink Preference Autumn Sage.
Nine newly planted Pink Preference Autumn Sage.

Pink Preference Autumn Sage (Salvia greggi ‘Pink Preference’). Remember this bald patch? It had become obvious that the Texas betony was not going to thrive, and my landscape architect Michael Parkey started to think about what would be a good replacement. We had also hoped to do the switch in the autumn, but timing wasn’t on our side. Last week he called me with his choice, and in trying to locate this cultivar, I discovered that it’s hard to come by. It’s one of the more vigorous autumn sages and with its complimentary coloring was the perfect replacement. Nicholson-Hardie was able to find one grower located near Oklahoma, who had gallon pots of which I needed nine. But since Nichoson-Hardie would have no shipments from this grower until the fall and there was a chance they might sell out before then, the grower suggested that he could bring them with him in a few days when he came to Dallas for an Arboretum event.

After picking them up, planting needed to happen ASAP. Waiting for September was not an option, because plants have a better chance of surviving our summers planted in the ground. They might look anemic right now, but next summer they should be about two feet wide by three feet tall. I forgot to mention that Autumn Sage is another native Texan that will attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

Landscape & Gardening

Bald Patch Blight

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At least this sad section is hidden from public view.
At least this sad section is hidden from public view.

Yes, that’s right, my back garden has some issues. This Texas betony is less than perfect and refuses to perform as advertised. After all it is a Texas native. Some of you may have heard it referred to as Scarlet betony or Scarlet hedgenettle. From what I have read this plant does not like having continually wet feet and prefers dappled shade. Unfortunately, our past spring has been extremely wet. But since it does like heat, it may recover this summer. Besides the surrounding plants have the same drainage requirements and are thriving despite our wet spring. As for the lack of dappled shade in this spot, my landscape architect doesn’t see this as a problem. If by fall, this area has not shown any improvement, then a substitute will definitely be needed. Originally, Michael had specified Salvia darcyi for this location, but it’s a Holy Grail kind of plant, the kind that requires a quest to find.

Landscape & Gardening

Backyard Jumble

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My Texas Lilac Vitex is surrounded by White Gaura, and Powis castle artemisia.
My Texas Lilac Vitex is surrounded by White Gaura, and Powis castle artemisia.

Texas Lilac Vitex. Sometimes called the Chaste Tree, this specimen is really a shrub and not a tree, but over time it can be pruned into a tree-like form and be quite spectacular when in bloom. I’ve been told to allow a few more years of growth to happen before breaking out the clippers. Though the Vitex isn’t native to North America, it has naturalized and thrives in our hot and dry Texan environment.

Surrounding the Vitex are wands of white to pink flowers called White Gaura or Whirling Butterflies, and the silver gray foliage belongs to the Powis castle artemisia. Currently the artemisia is trying to swallow up the Gaura, and I’m continually cutting it back to allow the Gaura more breathing room.

Landscape & Gardening

The New Front Garden

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The front bed is deeper now.
The front bed is deeper now.

Larger planting beds and less grass means less maintenance. With the exception of three Turk’s Cap shrubs, the front garden is now complete. Because of the newly extended beds, the removal of the not-so-hot-looking plants, the transplanting of some of the original perennials, and the addition of shade tolerant perennials, I’m hoping that I won’t need to be putting in the insane amount of maintenance hours that have been required over the last few summers. Looking at the above and following photos, you may think that things look a bit tiny and insignificant. Just you wait. In July or August, I’ll be taking new photos, and you will definitely see a big difference.

Landscape & Gardening

And So It Began…

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frontgarden_2236

During last week’s deluge, the front garden makeover finally commenced. The conditions were far from ideal, but the forecast had predicted sunny skies, and the work had already been postponed for too long. Michael Parkey had marked all existing plants with colored tape — the orange tape indicated complete removal, the white tape designated transplanting, and the blue meant that the plant was to remain untouched. The Hadden Landscaping crew made fast work of the demo despite the bog-like conditions, and the irrigation crew was able to come the next day to install the new drip lines and sprinkler heads.

Since this makeover is not as extensive as the backyard garden, I’ve decided that I will combine all the front transformation phases into a future single blog post. So expect another post with a lot more photos sometime towards the end of next week.

Landscape & Gardening

And Here’s the Plant Menu

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Click on the image above to get a much larger version.
Click on the image above to get a much larger version.

The proposed plantings for my front garden. If what they say is true, and La Niña will be with us through May, then now is the perfect time to transform my front garden. This will give the new plants plenty of time to become established before things heat up into the triple digits this summer. All of the plants listed above in the drawing are suppose to do well in shade, be okay with too much water and/or too little water, and endure extreme heat and cold.

I recently learned some heartbreaking news about my existing Miscanthus sinensis ‘Adagio’ . They are the three large white circular masses you see in front of the water feature (actually to the left of the pond in the above drawing). There is a mealybug native to China with no known natural predators that is killing off these ornamental grasses locally. And nothing can be done about it. By pulling the grasses apart and looking down into the crown, we found one nasty critter, which indicates the whole group is probably infected. So my three clumps will gradually decline over the next few years. They have been so glorious for the past ten years. Boohoo.

When the project is close to beginning, I will post a photo of how the garden looks now and over the next few months keep you up to date with the transformation. But first we need to send these construction drawings out to bid.

Landscape & Gardening

Here We Go Again!

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If you click on it you’ll get a much larger version of Michael Parkey’s construction document.
If you click on it you’ll get a much larger version of Michael Parkey’s construction document.

The front garden is about to get a makeover. Today I’m showing you the planned changes and additions to the existing layout, and tomorrow, I’ll show you what plants have been specified.

It’s been ten years since the initial design was implemented, and because of the increasing shade from tree canopies and the recent years of weather extremes, a lot of the original perennials have fizzled. For some time now, the basic structure has been looking sparse and rather dilapidated, and I was increasingly having to rely on seasonal annuals in greater quantities to make up for the loss of the original plantings. This became way too labor intensive for me, and I wanted my life back.

Both of the major planting beds will be expanded. This additional depth will now allow us to introduce larger plants that can provide a fun mix of varied heights, colors, moundings, and textures, while at the same time reducing the amount of grass lawn.

Note: When I say “us”, I mean my landscape architect Michael Parkey and me.

Landscape & Gardening

The Big Reveal!

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This view is looking southwest towards the alley.
This view is looking southwest towards the alley.

A longtime dream has finally come true. Thank you Michael Parkey and Hadden Landscaping for the best looking backyard ever! Today the copper path lights are being installed, so you will not see them in this post’s photos. Don’t worry, I will be doing a photoshoot of them sometime in the near future. Except for the front gates, everything has been completed and is now ready for drive by viewings, and don’t be surprised if you spy me on my back screen porch sipping a cocktail and enjoying the view.

Note: You can click on each photo for a much larger version.