Forgive the above post. What I really would like to know is now that the season is winding down what have you come away with. Every season brings challenges and one of mine was the above mentioned hillside. I feel confident with the design but time will tell. There was some disappointment that I've been told to blame on mother nature. What did anyone find this season that is possibly a fad or great new trend in design. And what I also would like your thoughts on is are you finding people who want the WOW factor without the huge $$$ factor. For me the $$$ factor was a road block. Can't blame people for that, however why are people so suprised about the cost of a nice landscape? Or maybe they are right the cost keeps getting larger every year. So how did every one meet the challenges of design on a budget? I know it is prematuure but I know I have things on the drawing table for the upcomming season. Including my own. So I would love to read your reflections and thoughts for the new season. Have a happy bountiful harvest and please share what you see as new and up and comming in the landscape design.

I'm just doing my own home. I have a 100' driveway that I'm making an informal allee out of--both sides have widely spaced mature oaks (meaning over 60' high) and maples. Side by neighbors has forsythia (need renovation) and daffodils and muscari (need dividing). Other side has yews (I'm pulling them out). Have taken out younger oaks, etc., on neighbor's side and added pink and white flowering crabapples as understory trees to provide light screening that won't get any taller than 30'. (This is the north side.) Will be planting other side with daffodils, muscari. Next year, will get astilbes for sure on both sides while I'm still debating on the fall season for the same space. Loropetalums will form a hedge to replace the deer-chewed, too low, and too wide yews and provide year-round screening against headlights.

Beyond the first 100', there's a curve with two more sections of driveway just on the neighbor's side. It's about 50' long, and I'm ordering 7 hydrangea paniculatas and have 3 pyracanthas for the space, but it requires some topsoil to address some bad drainage there.

Then I'm doing the front of the house, too.....

It's kinda tiring.

reyeuea, haven't been here in awhile. Been busy. I love what you are doing. In my opinion people don't use Astilbe enough. In mass they will give you a wonderful show. Also love the understory trees as well as the bulb plantings. I big undertakeing but well worth it. Post pics if you can. Hydrangea is a nice touch. Good luck with the drainage. It sounds as if you have this well in hand. You also sound as if you like that layered look. So do I. I just have to screen out a street light so I get this. Happy planting!!!

Well the plan was to focus on building a terraced veggie garden on the far side of the drive. I planned to use railroad ties two tiers high. It turned out to be way to expensive by the time I hired labor and retal equipment. So some of my select cut trees from my wooded area became the erosion control and clay from my future root cellar became half of the "soil" and compost I'm making became the other half of the "soil". I'll be continuing with this project into next year since I didn't have enough compost or tree trunks to finish this year. But of course as I was doing that I realized that the driveway bed I was clearning of trees could use some landscaping so I started a blue and purple garden. So far it has a mature cypress, baby birds nest spruce, Dwarf red crepe myrtle, irises, ice plant, balloon flower, and dark purple lilies.

So far i'm loving the process, although the weeds get away from me from mid july through august.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/54573258@N05

Railroad ties and a veggie garden?!!!
Aren't you concerned about the toxicity of the RR ties leaching into the food you eat?