LANDSCAPE PLANTERS & ISLANDS |
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Island plantings are very effective for screening an undesirable view or to add some interest to an open lawn area. It's important to have the island in scale with the area around it, so that it doesn't appear to be only an after thought. |
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Below we see 'before and
after' photos of an island planted by Donnan Landscape Services during Spring 1999, using
Norway Spruce and Northern Bayberry, to provide a screen from a large playset in a
neighboring yard. This island planting was mounded and contoured, using 9 tons of
topsoil. The fast-growing Bayberrys (semi-evergreens) will rapidly fill in the gaps between the evergreen trees. Norway Spruce are fast-growing as well and can be trimmed to shape year round. Using Pines would have limited the trimming period to several weeks in early summer. The island is mulched with double shredded bark. |
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HIDING A PLAY SET |
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INSTALLING A RAISED BED PLANTING |
| There are definite advantages to installing 'mounded' plantings and raised beds. Initially, mounds can save extra digging into hard ground while also adding soil that provides a better growing mix. Raised beds also add interest to landscape plantings, taking them more toward 3D. Keep in mind that it requires a fairly large amount of topsoil to create an impact, especially over larger areas. Attention should also be paid to water drainage, ensuring that new mounded plantings don't cause problems with water run-off. Below are 'before' and 'after' photos of a mounded planting of Norway Spruce trees and Bayberry shrubs. |
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Links |
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