I'm thrilled to announce that my latest article, Front Yard Veggies, is out in the current issue of Fine Gardening Magazine (May/June 2011).
In the article I talk about the design process involved in the making of this highly visible front yard vegetable garden in NE Portland, Oregon. This vegetable garden is fully integrated with the rest of the ornamental garden that runs along the front of my client's property. I thought it would be fun to show some additional photos of this garden to give a sense of how the vegetable garden relates to the whole.
First here's an overview shot taken in late July when the garden is at its peak. The vegetable garden is to the left of the driveway, behind a street-side ornamental garden bed. (Click on the image to enlarge).
The raised beds are created with steel flat bar. Steel is one of the few materials (that I know of) that allows for the inclusion of curves in a bed design such as this one. When using steel for edging beds over longer or straight runs, you can typically set the steel flat bar into the desired shape manually. But the interior arc on these beds was significant enough that we needed to send it out to a steel fabricator to "roll" the steel into the smooth interior curves you see here.
I'm particularly fond of gravel for the floor of the vegetable garden -- especially when paired with the steel. I like the clean and tidy look it contributes and it captures heat well.
Also in the front garden, just a few steps to the right from the perspective of the first photo, is a robust mixed border with rich, textural plantings flanking a walkway to this lovely front porch.
The garden continues; book-ended on the far right by this venerable magnolia.
But wait there's more! A custom gate leads to a back yard garden that features plantings that are an intricate, yet surprisingly simple and soothing, arrangement of unique as well as common plants; creating a tapestry of color and bloom that unfolds and changes season after season.
Hope you enjoyed the tour! To read more about this garden and its construction, be sure to pick up the current issue of Fine Gardening Magazine. More photos of this garden and others can be found in my portfolio.
Credits and Thanks
Garden Design and Garden Coaching -- Darcy Daniels, Bloomtown Gardens, www.bloomtown.net ... that's me!
Garden construction, masonry and fabrication of the steel raised beds was done by Pete Wilson Stoneworks.
The lovely art glass piece pictured on page 63, a central feature in the garden, was commissioned by my clients and was made by the very talented local artisans, Greg Gabel and Mia Meyers.
Trovo Design/Bob Thomas added the dragonfly and repainted the client's existing gate as part of this garden's renovation.
I'm especially thankful for my clients' willingness to allow me share their garden with you all -- thank you Kristan and Ben Sias!
