OT: Arranging Hemlocks In My Garden

GaryS

I would do this or something close to it.

1) Keep them far enough away from the fence
so you can get back there and pinch and prune them.
2) Treat them as a 3 tree grove and you can root prune them every 5 years or so to keep them in bounds.
3) Widen the boarder and give it a slight mound that gently slopes off.
4) I don't know what the soil is like but give it a nice free draining mix and mix it with the existing soil.

That's supposed to read fence.

It's only a peliminary.

Attached Images

hemlocks corner01.jpg (39.4 KB, 98 views)

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GaryS

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Carl_Bergstrom

Wow! Great images and advice. Thank you to all for helping me out with this off-topic question!

I believe that the hemlocks will tolerate touching one another, but I will double-check this. And mounding the soil seems so obvious now that you guys say it. But I'd never thought of doing that! I'll definitely mound the area up. I'm thinking about a foot high - does that sound right to you? I was thinking that I'd want to let it slope back so that the soil line is about the same where it meets the fence - right?

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In love with trees

GaryS

OMC,

Just a little berm that slopes off to the fence, like you said. Play with it and see what looks the best. You can always move them around.

Basically your doing a little Japanese gardening and it's always more experimental than verbal.

Make it your own.

One thing to point out is that alot has to do with your viewing point or where you will view them from most of the time.

I'm not saying to mound them this high but....
you get the idea. I hope these diagrams help.

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3dgarden-space.jpg (62.7 KB, 90 views)

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GaryS

GaryS

Then follow the Golden Mean. The next 2 diagrams.

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sensory1.jpg (43.6 KB, 84 views)

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GaryS

GaryS

I know it's with rocks but it holds true for plants too.

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rhythm1.jpg (34.3 KB, 84 views)

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GaryS

bonsaial1

Love that Fibbonaci Sequence! Can't get enough of that!!

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A tree a day...thats all we ask.

GaryS

What's a Fibbonaci?

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GaryS

Carl_Bergstrom

Great diagrams, Gary! Can I ask what book they're from? You're right, I basically am trying to do a Japanese-style garden, and I completely don't know what I'm doing. I keep looking for books on the subject, but all the ones I find tell me what species of hosta to use for ground cover or how to make a damn bamboo fountain and don't tell me anything about design and layout. Those pictures you show seem to be exactly what I was looking for.

Interesting point about the viewing angle. As often as not, I'll be viewing from inside, or from a bench on the front porch - where floor level is about even with the top of the fence. Likewise good point about the proportions. I'll see what I can do - this may take learning how to control the rate of growth of these trees without outright topping them.

Thanks again for all the help!!!

-Carl

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GaryS

OMC,
I a landscape designer by trade so I'm always looking for books.

The book I got the pictues from is:

"Secret Teachings in the Art of Japanese Gardens" Design Principles, Aesthetic Values by David A. Slawson

Publisher- copyright- Kodonsha International,
Tokyo, New York, London 1987

It's the book I use for study. It was Slawson's doctorial dissertation and was expanded into a book.
I purchased it for $19.95 in soft cover and I would assume it's still available to order from
a book store.

It's a written history of the verbal secrets that were handed down concerning the Japanese garden and so forth.

Inside the Title page it reads:

You must never show this writings
to outsiders, you must keep it secret.

I made an exception in your case!

All seriousness aside....It's a great book.

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GaryS