Session One: What Do You Have? What Do You Want?
January 25th, 2003by Susan Cantlon, Dave Muylle, and Gary Novak
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Basic Landscape Techniques and Plants for the Eastside Homeowner
Why do we landscape our homes?
Our homes become more beautiful and interesting when we integrate them with the land. Landscaping also helps us look forward to the seasons. It helps us participate in the neighborhood, which in turn, makes us feel good about ourselves and our home. We become aware of what other people are doing around us with their property. A well landscaped lot encourages us to fix other things, raises property value, and makes us feel like part of the community.
Characteristics of the EastsideThe Eastside's environment is marked by compacted weak top soils, clay, and mature trees. There is sporadic drought during the summer, no persistent snow cover during winter, frequent freeze-thaw cycles, and relatively high watering costs. Tall houses on narrow lots are common in the area.
The typical Eastsider has a low to moderate income, and may be a first time home owner who inherited a garden from previous residents. Many Eastsiders have a do-it-yourself approach to projects and take on several at once.
Job and family concerns may leave little time for gardening. Homeowners might also be concerned with investment return. For these reasons, residents will want to keep it simple when planning their garden. An ideal starter garden is:
Basic Gardening Techniques
These are the four basic steps in establishing a garden. Keep in mind the two major factors for a successful garden: where you plan on planting it, and who is going to take care of it.
First Steps for the Novice GardenerCreate a bedFirst, choose a location and lay the bed out. In your selected area, cut away the grass and weeds so it is just bare earth. Add compost material, which can be partially decomposed leaves, grass and organic table scraps. Another option is using screened top soil with compost material. Once this is done, you can turn over the soil with a spade or rototiller.
When choosing the location for a bed, decide carefully the type of sun exposure you want: full sun, partial shade, or full shade. This will determine the type of plants that will thrive in your garden.
Plant Selection
Look at what is currently growing in the area. Do not bother with temperamental and demanding plants, or plants that are not fit for your climate, as they take too much work to grow. Take away the plants that use chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides. And last, take away the plants that require careful water management, that need to be kept uniformly moist. These usually require well drained soil, which is rare on the Eastside. The "Thugs"Thug plants are usually drought resistant, super hardy, and have very rapid growth. They tend to be problem free and easy to propagate. ShrubsTrees10 PerennialsPerennial plants are non-woody plants which grow and live for more than a single year. Perennials usually produce one or more flower crop each year, depending on the variety. Each blooming period may last anywhere from a week to a month, or longer. Here are ten popular perennial plants to get you started:
Planting PerennialsPotted perennials should look healthy. Don't buy plants that look diseased or have insects. After buying them, plant them as soon as possible.
Dig a hole in a prepared bed, then knock the plant out to check for pot bound roots. If the roots are bound, cut them into a ball. Plant it so that the dirt comes to the same level on the stem as when it was in the pot. Water the plant immediately and continue regularly until it is established.
Plant CarePerennial plants require little care. Weeding can be done with a small hoe or by hand. Mulch, containing compost, shredded leaves, bark, and grass clippings, is a good way to retain moisture and deter weeds. Little watering is needed if the plants are placed correctly. Be sure to add compost each spring.
Move plants if you don't like their position, or if you suspect they are getting the wrong amount of sun exposure. Pinch or trim the buds from some plants to encourage compact growth- early bloomers as soon as you can, and late bloomers on or before the 4th of July.
We Could Change a NeighborhoodWith carefully done landscaping, we can create a beautiful environment. It also helps create a strong, active community, based on sharing and helping one another. This gives us the opportunity to build pride in our community and the lives that we're living together. The entire neighborhood can be enhanced.
Improving Your Home's Facade
“After you keep out the rain everything else is aesthetics.”
Exterior Design
What did your house look like when it was new?
Research.......old photos, similar houses in your neighborhood.
Dont be afraid to 'over improve'
Value not only includes return on investment, but it gives you increased enjoyment and efficiency.It gives you a sense of pride, and you contribute to neighborhood aesthetics
“What we ourselves have built we are at liberty to throw down. But what other men gave their strength, and wealth and life to accomplish, their right over it does not pass away with their death.”
Case Study: 1415 Vine Street
This home was built in 1922, and was orginally a 22x24 bungalow. The design was typical of Eastside homes.
Aluminum siding was first installed in 1962, where the trim details were covered. Along with the enclosed porch, new D/H windows were installed in the 1960's. A new paint job was also added along with the other aesthetics to the house.
1415 Vine during the 1940's was almost a completely different house compared to the completed project in 1997.
When doing tasks such as removing aluminum siding, and patching and restoring wood siding, remember to keep a clean job site.
Case Study: 225 Rumsey Street
225 Rumsey Street was also a typical Eastside home with the flare out eaves design. The home originally had wrap around porches, and the original wood siding was covered with asbestos in 1947.
The house was washed, primed, and painted after being uncovered (see video clip below). The overhangs were rebuilt, and walls were blown full of insulation. The removal and reinstallation of siding eliminates unsightly holes in the walls. After the interior molding work was done, the project was comleted in 2001 (seen on the right).
Case Study: Duplex Project at 1521-1523 Vine St.
1521-1523 Vine St. was built in 1895 with additions in 1910 and 2001. Improvements in the 1950's included 'Insulwood' over wood clapboards.
Before the improvements, the windows were badly rotted and sized differently. The old rear porch was built on the ground, with no footings for extra support.
The old siding was replaced with new concrete fiber siding, which included cement, sand, and cellulose fiber. The advantage to this new siding is that it does not absorb moisture and has the clean honest look of wood siding.
As part of the improvement project, the trim details were replaced and wood "fish scale" shingles were added with cedar trim. The horizontal element of the water table marks a transition from earth to building.
New gutters were installed with an authentic design element. They give depth and a shadow line, and follow the classic gutter systems of Kalamazoo.
The new decking options used treated lumber, with authentic tongue and grooves. The newly added porch skirting had elevated posts, and they were reproduced using cedar parts.
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Discover
valuable and practical ideas for recreating and enhancing your home's
porch, windows, color schemes, and landscaping.
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