102 Notable Nurseries, Episode 1
January 17, 2025
The Ripple Effect of Landscape Projects
W hile I wait for the Spring to finally get here, I’ve been thinking about past landscape projects that—to one extent or another—caused ripple effects I’ve had to deal with.
You may get a project done, but the work is not really done because STUFF happens that requires you to fix, maintain, restore, move around or rip out.
Landscape projects involve Live Nature, and you’re responsible for that life. Thing is, life changes, grows, dies off, or evolves. Sometimes it makes you crazy and exhausts you with extra work you didn’t asked for!
Take AP’s projects for example.
One of her years-long projects has been to stuff as many flowering plants into her backyard landscape as possible.
But many times I’ve heard AP say: “I need to make my yard lower maintenance.”
“Well,” I would tell her, “See all those plants with blossoms? Might help to remove some of them. Then you won’t be deadheading for hours every week.”
Good Lord, that yard was like an explosion in a paint factory—color splashed in every nook and cranny.
Beautiful! But OMG, the ripple effects! SO much work.
Now, AP has finally gone and done—or rather undone. She has made her yard more maintenance free by “weeding out” plants, and replacing pavers with a concrete sidewalk.
Thank Gawd! Those pavers were just one trip away from AP falling on her face.
What a smart way to remove a lot of ground plants. Some of which went into pots while others went to Plant Heaven: the Green Waste can.
AP’s growing horde of teeny tiny succulent pots was another years-long project. The ripple effect? Her collection got out of hand. So many teeny tiny pots!…Impossible to maintain.
So she got rid of the teeny tiny pots and combined her succulents into larger ones. This reduced her workload and made for stunning displays.
Of course AP could not bring herself to get rid of EVERY teeny tiny pot. (Baby steps…) And the other day we went nursery hopping and….yup, she came home with new succulents! Eye roll.
Now more examples from MY projects with ripple effects.
In December, 2023, I mentioned a fence that Mike started building that year.
It’s not really a fence…more of a privacy panel for neighbors down the hill from us.
Well, it’s finally complete! I stopped one ripple effect in its tracks by immediately applying a weather sealer to prevent greying in the Redwood.
So pretty.
At the pool one day, I was enjoying the view of the new fence through the damn bamboo, and noticed a Canna in bloom. So beautiful with that one blossom…
However, where the new fence ends sits an old fence with stupid panels. It’s been way too long since we did something about that.
Oh, Mike…..!
In his defense (which he doesn’t get much of), most of that old fence is hidden behind a row of redwoods. But other projects keep us from getting to it. Still…the ripple effect of UGLY is having to look at it!
In fact we’re in the middle of three other projects. They’re big ones, too. (I’m sure a blog post will be coming…someday.)
As part of them, in August 2024, Mike started the demo for this Wild Hog fence…
Can I ask….do all men like to demo and then disappear?! Because there this project sits as if he just walked away.
And I have to look at it whenever I come up the drive. Plus it detracts from my beautiful pots and greenhouse behind it!
I admit I’m the one who made the executive decision to leave it unfinished. We had to start on other project parts because one of them can’t be done without the others.
If you can predict ripple effects you can strategize to keep them at a minimum!
Good luck predicting. Remember that huge grey pot project from post #98? Mike had to move the heavy thing into place with his backhoe.
I had placed a pot insert inside to take up space. Then I added coil and planted a Cotinus coggygria ‘Winecraft Black’ (Smoke Tree), Gerbera jamesonii (Gerber Daisy), and Petunia x hybrid (Wave Petunia).
Beautiful!
One day I passed the pot and said to myself, “Where in the hell are all the flowers?”
I checked inside the pot and all the plantings, soil and all, had fallen down inside!
Apparently, when you install an insert into a pot and then place soil, perennials and a tree on top, then shower it with water, you get a ripple effect: the insert becomes too heavy. And if its rims aren’t wide enough to take the weight…well, CRAP!
You know how sometimes in the middle of a project, a second thought about your plan comes to mind? But because you want it done, you ignore that second thought and go ahead anyway?
Yeah well…bit me in the ass this time! I should have been better at predicting!
I knew how to fix the sunken insert, but I sat contemplating for a few days. As you know, I’d sooner do something myself than ask Mike for help and have to listen to his “words!”
I decided I would remove all the plants and soil, myself. Then I’d pull out the insert so I could build a permanent bench inside the pot for it to sit on. That done, I’d replace the insert, pile in the soil, replant the plants and….
YEAH, NO.
Oh Mike…..!
Turns out he’d already seen the problem but didn’t want to bring it to my attention knowing I would ask for help.
So I asked!
He said, “I’ll get to it when I have time to think about how to handle it.”
“Ugh,” I thought. Ripples on ripples on ripples. I know how long “think about it” takes.
Well Mike had it figured out only two days later. And we went to work.
He got some mill tape (used to pull wire through conduit—very strong stuff), drilled holes on each side of the insert rim, made loops, got the backhoe, hooked the loops to the backhoe’s bucket, lifted the whole thing out in one piece and set it on the ground.
Nice going, Mike!
But I won’t mention all the “words” that flew through all of this. Mine, either.
It’s enough to know some banter did go back and forth as I felt the whole operation needed more delicacy!
By chance there was a spare tire lying nearby that the grandkids had played with. We used that as a “bench” inside the pot.
It landed at the right height so that the insert rim was level with the top of the pot.
Viola!
I could rest now…at least in regards to the ripple effect that turned into a whole surprise project. (They’re the worst kind.)
About 20 years ago, I purchased an iron birdbath planter at a place I’ve mentioned (#8 & #12) called Antique Trove.
I installed it near a shady cherry tree and planted it with succulents.
Due to the unfortunate death of that cherry tree (#75), the birdbath succulents and other plantings lost their shade. I put umbrellas up to protect them while waiting for a replacement tree—an Olive—to grow big enough to supply some shade.
Well, it was a long wait—a ripple effect of loving that slow-growing Olive and choosing to plant it there.
You know the saying: “If you can’t beat them, join them?” So I stopped waiting and decided to move that heavy birdbath planter elsewhere.
Oh Mike…..!
See a pattern here? OMG, thank gawd he loves me.
He loves his backhoe just as much, which I should be okay with. He used it to easily lift and transport the heavy planter from its 20-year place.
I had forgotten how tall that birdbath was. Over the years, it had sunk into the soil. Why? Because “somebody” forgot to put a concrete paver down first. (Are you counting all the cause-and-effects in this story?)
Yes, that person would be me. I often make ripples I have to deal with later.
But nobody has to tell me twice. Mike placed the planter in its new location, and you can bet there’s a paver under it now.
It’s a relief to Save the Succulents and have that birdbath tucked under a shade-giving tree again. Though with my ripple-effect luck, this damn tree will die and put me on repeat all over again.
So exhausting!
Well…spring is coming, Readers, and you probably have some landscape projects in mind.
You’ve been warned.
