march 17^2000»
d ddòirt y
Whatever your gardening challenge, professional help abounds
in the queer community
•
by
O rlana G reen
The next step for Morgan is
the final plan, plant lists and
material specifications. One
advantage of using a designer is
that he or she can recommend
particular varieties of plants
suitable for your precise situa
tion. You may be certain you
want roses, but do you know
which ones are fragrant repeat-
bloomers and are also pest
resistant?
For those so inclined, Mor
gan can also include a feng shui
consultation.
O nce the final plan is com
plete, clients sign a contract
and then the process of bring
ing the drawings to vertical life
begins.
PH O T O BY KATHY
(fe ttin a d>òown an
*
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Morgan often recommends
native plants because they are
ecologically correct, require
less m aintenance and
watering, and are more
resistant to bad bugs.
T h e lucky lesbian couple with this waterfall in their back yard enlisted their family to help
create it. It took eight hours of digging, then Don Davidson took over and did the masonry
. pring is erasing w inter in a burst of
pastels and strange green things are
sprouting in your so-called yard.
T h ey could be weeds or rare native
perennials, and you’re wondering if you
f you have any kind of special problem—
such as a steep slope, poor drainage or over
grown mature trees and plants— you
might want to opt for a thorough
approach.
should buy some instrum ent of
destruction or try to figure out
the m athem atical mysteries of
fertilizer. (1 8 -6 -1 2 ? )
Thankfully for the novice
and seasoned gardener alike,
the queer com m unity is abloom
with gardening and landscape
professionals to help solve any
For a typical home on a
standard-sized lot, a design
Don Davidson shows off his rock-hard paths
from Morgan mns between
One problem he often sees with gardeners
$500 and $1,000, which includes an hour of
who have focused all their attention on annual
consultation with the landscape installer.
and perennial beds is that their landscapes lack
Though she doesn’t do installation, she can
structure and flow, the larger shrubs and trees
recommend qualified contractors, and she is
that frame a garden and provide “bones,” a
also available to supervise the entire
backdrop for the showier flowers.
process.
Caine teaches free classes most Saturday
mornings at the nursery on topics such as drip-
dry plants, container gardening and using
plants to create walls. (See resource list for
T IP :
more information.)
If you w ant to do
Caine charges $125 for his first consulta
everything yourself,
you may be able to
tion, and a typical home landscape design runs
hire a designer for a
from $ 8 0 0 to $ 1,000.
few hours o f consultation
As a way to save money, he suggests you
to get you headed in the
measure and inventory your own yard, then
right direction and avoid costly
sketch your plot map yourself.
0
m istakes. Morgan charges $45 per
hour plus mileage for consultations.
green— or brown— dilemma.
If you are clueless about how to
Continued on Page 2 4
proceed, or you don’t have the
time or interest to do it your
self, then a garden designer may
be your salvation.
T h e training designers
receive varies widely, reflecting
areas of specialization. A n experi
enced, self-taught gardener may
be able to dash off some rough
sketches and work with you to
develop a pleasing result. Som eone with
m ore formal training in landscape design
will be able to do actual blueprints for
landscape installers. A person with a horti
cultural degree will be an expert on plant
selection, and a landscape arch itect will be
able to draw plans for m ajor overhauls and
construction of your dream gazebo or mul
tilevel deck extravaganza. Som e designers
also install plants and features, while o th
ers just design and subcontract the rest.
Understanding your options will help you
ch<xx»e the right designer for your own pri
vate Eden.
ith a degree in landscape archi-
|! tecture and 20 years experience
It as an estate gardener, John
Caine has been the designer for gay-
owned Joy Creek Nursery for the past
five years.
Before (inset): How most yards look without expert
“A garden is a system,” he says,
help. A fter: How the same front yard looks in autumn
“and my goal is to solve problems.
after Ena Morgan had her way with it
W hat do homeowners value— priva
cy, serenity, color? My job is to pre
sent a multitude of possibilities,” he says,
Ena J. Morgan is a landscape designer who
adding that proper circulation is crucial.
believes in starting with plenty of information.
She interviews her clients, has them fill out an
extensive questionnaire, and she does a full site
evaluation that includes soil analysis plus
checking for issues concerning sightlines, expo
sures and drainage. Then she measures all
existing structures and plantings to create an
accurate base map.
Morgan then distills all this input into a
preliminary design, which she presents using
her library of plant materials to help clients
end up with flora that reflects their tastes. She
tries to incorporate a peaceful area into all her
designs.
“People with stressful jobs especially need a
sanctuary space,” she explains. “Size is irrele
vant; it’s what you do with it.”
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Installing gravel or stone paths throughout
your garden, even behind large beds, is the
key to enjoying year-round gardening.
Mud is the number one reason people don't
work outside during the rainy season.
Caine explains that a garden “is made up of
three things: mass, space and circulation.”
Then he quickly adds that each garden also
needs a work area. Trying to do without one is
“like building a house without a kitchen."
Queôtionô
ouróe i
• W hat activities
do I want to
enjoy in my yard?
• Do I need to
coexist with dogs
who dig?
• How much time
will 1 really, truly
spend on
maintenance?
• Am I willing to
invest time in
learning about
plant care?
• How important is
year-round visual
interest and
color?
• Do I want to
provide wildlife
habitat?
• How badly do
1 want to block
the view of my
neighbor's
bathroom?
• W hat’s my
budget?