Strange question isabella, not least for a question about unity to suggest dominance. Do you want to elaborate, or maybe simplify is a better word?

Landscaping the eastern part of a box-canyon.

The "walls" are literally walls. North Wall is a steep slope, East Wall is slight rise then gravity stack retaining wall, and the West side "wall" open (see photo). Western side is from the right side of the Pokeweed atop the crest to the third oak-stake from the right on the silt fence.

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The two existing "walls' are dissimilar, the concrete retaining wall and the plant covered North slope. Further the western "wall" will be some type of fence, as I don't own western flank of the box canyon, I'm left with the open area to design some type of "wall", but it will be dwarfed by the other two walls.

How can unity be achieved here? I'm thinking with similar plantings and a pathway...?

Trying to digest this. Is this the untamed panoramic view from a porch or patio? How did you invision using the canyon space - in gardens or recreation space or both? Is the black plastic'd trench buried pipes or a dry creek spillway? First off, a major brush clearout might change the prospect.

The October 19 Conifers Forum thread "in garden design layout keep it simple" might give you some ideas. Beautiful photos - many years of planning and work were involved to achieve stunning results, to be sure.

duluth, I couldn't find the referenced thread. Thought I'd like to see it.

Maro

Here you go.

Here is a link that might be useful: Keep it simple thread

Thanks, kitchenkelly, the Luddite in me shows when I try to post links. That link (plus the entire conifers forum) is going to prompt me into doing a lot of conifer research over the long winter months ahead.

Well, I'll be. There it is, right there! Hmmm -- I searched "keep it simple" and "Oct 19" in the Conifers forum and got nothing.

Thanks, kk and duluth.

From the third oak stake... so you have about 18 feet of width to work with, a pile of ties in the corner, and two imposing "walls". A handball court comes to mind, but that's probably not what you are looking for ;)

To answer the question, which wall should dominate for unity, that answer may be conditional upon how unity is defined. Unity can be achieved by similar materials, forms, colors, heights... anything similar.
Which wall should dominate may be a statement directed more towards viewing unity as achieved soley by materials, whether inorganic or plantings.

If you provide more information on the function of this area then the desired form of how unity can be designed may be more apparent.

The envisioned use for this space is for a "secret garden". Originally my design focus was on how this area was viewed from the top towards the house. I recieved comments on designing this area from a different view, which I thought was a good idea.

The view from this angle is just leaving the cultivated area of my backyard and entering the box canyon area. The envisioned use for this area is for a secret garden and for an extension of my walking paths garden the garden for the "walk".

The other ancillary use for this area will be for feeding wildlife - squirrels, birds, and butterflies (maybe a skunk or vole - NO DEER allowed). Restoration of wildlife habitat and food sources is at a premium, but will not limit plant selection.

The current plants are pokewweds, jewelweed, and Virginia creeper up the retaining wall.

My original queery was based upon the dissimilar materials used in the "wall".

The only non-material similiarity between the walls is their height and being planted or plant covered. Maybe that's what I'm looking for is a screen of graduated plants to bring the "wall" down to the bottom floor of the room?

I am a bit confused as to what land can be planted and who owns what. However, your clearly stated purpose is to use this space as a wildlife area. Why is it necessary to tear apart a perfect wildlife mini-ecosystem to install a manufactured one? The 'bones' are already in place with two walls that do not match but are well disguised by present vegetation. Tinker with those slopes and you are inviting additional erosion problems. Trim and control what is there presently. Carefully dig into the tangle of vegetation all types of Clematis to scramble over the slopes and shrubs. The presence of Jewel Weed suggests that there is some moisture moving through the slopes. Work with the open space designing for your stated purpose of paths and wildlife attracting plants.

Seems to me that Isabella wants this to look good to human as well as to wildlife eyes. But first she is trying to decide what kind of fence to put in, I think.

I'm not sure unity is something the eye will seek here. In particular, the fence will serve a purpose that is so different from the purpose served by the other two walls that it need not look similar. It will need to be contoured to the landscape, and that should integrate it enough, I would think.

I certainly agree with Nandina's concern about erosion; limiting that would seem to be a primary objective as you work.

KarinL

Isabella suggests she wants a fence/wall. Just where is it to be placed and what is its purpose?

I feel so left out. My internet security system does not like isabella's photo, so I can't see it. It calls it "malware" and blocks it. Anyone know what that means?

A fence could act as the west "wall", keep out deer, and mark my property. Compared to the heights of the other walls, a fence would seem so puny, but necessary to contain and direct the eye. I'll post a preliminary design shortly. I don't think a fence going up the slope would add much (and yes it is a treachous place to stand).

The Red-line, below, is the property line. The land to the right of it is the area to be landscaped, once I get over my design block.

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Well keep us posted on your progress...

I was joking about the handball court, but a fence or wall as high as the other two walls would give you a very alley like look. A fence in the low-land and taller plants near the slope would help to tie in the "walls".

As a design principle unity is needed, but taken to it's extreme application you will get a formal symetrical garden. That seems to be where you were headed or getting designers block with. This area doesn't really say formal garden, especially if wildlife habitat or feeding is a goal.

Do you really want to feed the skunks?

What a pity that you don't own the whole canyon. Any chance of buying the other half from the neighbour?! How well do you get along with the neighbour? If you can't own the whole thing for whatever reason, is it possible that you could manage/garden the area jointly with the neighbour? As Rhodium says, a fence down the middle of that would make it very alley-like. Nandina's vision of a cleaned-up area with clematis scrambling up the slopes is a far more attractive alternative - for you, your neighbour and the wildlife! If you need a fence to keep deer out, the appropriate place for it would seem to be between your currently cultivated areas and the canyon. I'd make it as transparent a fence as possible to not obscure your view into the canyon. This strikes me as a situation where 'borrowed' - or shared in this case... - views is the desirable relevant idea rather than a concern with fences. My neighbour to the north has 'got into' gardening in the last two years and has created a large bed backing onto one of mine along a 4' chainlink fence between our properties. Both our gardens now look much bigger and, while she prefers somewhat warmer colors, the two gardens blend quite seamlessly. That sort of approach would seem to be ideal for this situation if you can work with the neighbour agreeably and keep the fences out of the canyon entirely. Any chance of that?

Thanks for all the helpful insights!

I've tried to add them to my plan for this area (left side corresponds to the Nroth wall-face of photo). The shrubs on the north wall slope will be red-twig dogwoods for slope stability, food-source, and winter color. Clematis will be grown over these for more color during the year. Hydrangea Tavida's and Limelights will be along the retaining wall for their spikey globe form and winter seedheads.

A paddock style fence will be along the property line in order to borrow the views from the rest of the box canyon. Facing this will be smaller annabells and PJMs. One servicebaerry (purple colored on rendering) will be added to step down the slope face into the canyon floor.

Evergreens (green giants ) will be added for bird habitat and for screening the backyard from views and for framing the house. Evergreens are placed to avoid being in s straight-line screen, while adding a twist to the path and forming the entrance to this "room".

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Redtwig dogwoods will also be added to the slopes along the pathway leading down to the canyon floor. These will be for more food sources and to add in similar planting materials for unity and framing the house from winter views from street level.

At the end of the path will be a small seating area/arbor of some type. But the path leading to a dead-end doen't seem to do much for me. Other than a rapelling rope or rock climbing wall hand-hold on the retaiing wall the path will have to stop here.

Design drawing and legend? is a little hard to see without the glasses, but it looks do-able. You seem to have satisified your design objectives.

I like the rock climbing wall idea to scale the retaining wall. Circular or flowing paths are always more fun to walk on and encourage discovery. A dead end is simply viewed, and you move on.

This are looks a little tight for all of the plant material you suggest on your drawing, so consider an court-yard area or lower height plantings.

Look at some Dutch landscape designers work to get an idea of how smaller spaces are landscaped. Their designs are for more like heavily used backyard, not a wildlife retreat, but they more offer some more inspiration.

At times a designer is faced with an 'in-your-face' immovable problem that requires some creative thinking. It sounds as though you might be able to secure three or more strands of grape wire across the wall at intervals and espalier a seedless grape on them. Good eating for you and the birds. Or, another possible espalier plant could be one of the crab apples that holds it fruit all winter. Attractive and popular cold weather bird food. Think of the wall as a frame to support the interesting tracery of a selected plant. Fun to do with attractive results.