Water Feature Ideas? Here We Go Again....

Now that we have planned the flowerbed, anyone have suggestions on an easy water feature project? 

Just for Tai and Felix!

We did it!

We decided to substitute lobelia a bordering annual for the pricey hosta's! We are going to stick with the plan from the website with one minor change, so we can stay on budget.  Kristie can add hostas per year going forward.

15 hostas @ 15.99 = $309.85

15- 6 packs of lobelias @ $3.99 = $59.85

Grand tally $452.32 which allows for contingency

How much is this gonna cost?!

Budget is a major factor in any project. Our goal for this project was to keep the 8 ft long x 6 ft wide space looking lush and beautiful for under $500 dollars. Here is the price breakdown from our research at Home Depot and Shelmerdine's.

Dense Yew-          2x $23.99
Boxwood-             5x $14.99
Liatris-                  6x $  5.99
Hydrangea-           6x $10.99
Rhodedendron-     3x $15.99
Creeping Thyme- 20x $ 2.99
Japanese Maple-    1x $54.99
Hosta-                  15x $19.99

Grand Total-            $702.32 

Clearly we are OVER budget! We decided to cut down on most of the Hosta's and opt for some cheaper annual bedding plants this year. Not only will it add a splash of colour, it will add some interest and give us a mini gardening project annually.

Home Depot Visit



 Due to time constraints we decided to visit Home Depot instead of the previously mentioned Shelmerdine's.  Almost all the plants that were on our planning diagram were available.  For budget purposes and to complete the plan we called Shelmerdine's for a price on three items that were not available at Home Depot.  A Home Depot associate (Madeline) also walked us through the process of implementing our plan.  We found out we don't need to purchase any tools, which is a bonus for our tight budget.  Madeline suggested to use landscape cloth before we place our Mulch, but we decided we don't want the added cost or task of cutting the cloth and placing our plants. 

http://www.shelmerdine.com/indecfm

Such a lovely variety!!

These are the plants that are included in the sample plan we found.  We are happy the variety is colorful!

Iris

   Japanese Maple

Lady's Mantle

Liatris

Climbing Hydrangea

Boxwood

 Creeping Thyme

Hosta

Rhododendrum

Sample Plan

We found the below website and a sample planting plan.  The rectangle bed on the right looks like it is the size and shape we want.  Questions to ask Shelmerdines' are how much these plants cost and are there any alternative plants we can use that will acheive the look we look. 

Plant list:
A - Dense Yew
B - Boxwood
T - Liatris
Q - Clematis Vine or Climbing Hyrdrangea
R - Rhododendrun or Holly
P - Creeping Tyme
O - Japaneese Maple or ServiceBerry Clump
S - Hosta


http://www.landscapemanitoba.com/front-yard-landscape-design-a-sample-shopping-list-3

Before the Nursery...

Before we set out to the nursery we thought it would be a good idea to do a little background research ( as to not look like complete fools when we get to the nursery!)
A few websites that we have included in this post offered some great stepping stones...like a shovel! Who knew!

http://www.gardenality.com/Articles/11/How-To-Info/Planting/How-To-Plant-A-Flower-Bed/default.html

http://landscaping.about.com/od/perennialflowers/ss/planting_beds.htm

This you tube video offered a wealth of first timer info!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdhjSVtyLoU

Winnipeg Hardiness Growing Zone

According to the map on this link, Winnipeg is located in the hardiness growing zone 3a.  I'm still not sure what that means though...

http://www.veseys.com/ca/en/learn/reference/hardinesszones/manitoba?veseys=d2l887eggi5oauilol6pi7p294

Here we go!

After our brainstorming session we realize we have a lot of unanswered questions.  We have decided to research online sources first and then visit a local greenhouse called Shelmerdine's.  Actually seeing the plants will be more useful than looking at pictures.  Also the staff at Sherlmerdine's should be able to help us out pricing materials, which are not as readily available online. 

Brainstorm Session

Double click on the image to see a larger version

Where to Begin?

Chantalle and Kristie have decided they need help with planning a small flowerbed project in Kristies' yard, that Kristie can later create. (synthesis stage of Bloom's Taxonomy)  At first this may sound simple; dig up the grass and plant some flowers.  After our brainstorming session there are many areas we need to consider.  Please follow us on our journey learning how to plan an attractive flowerbed. 

If you have any suggestions on plant usage, where to get materials and so forth please post a comment.