Thank you for showing us the excellent transformation of such a difficult space. Other ways to address such a situation would be to have it as an exhibition area for specimen plants (for us plant collectors) or as a veggie/herb garden as the sun conditions allow.

In a more visible area, an exhibition area would be interesting and, if fact, the north alley fence bed does sort of act that way at the moment. Since the narrow bed on the fence side is raised a bit, it does show off plants well. People passing through the alley are inclined to stop and look at things on that side, and the fence is convenient for displaying the vines. Since the honeysuckles and the Sweet Autumn clematis are both nicely scented, the narrow bed along the fence also makes it easy to stop and inhale...:-)

If one had a sunny alley( is there such a thing?!) that was also close to the kitchen entrance, I could also see it being used as an herb garden - but that was definitely not an option in this location because of the shade.

I think you've done a lovely job, and created a space that appears to be both functional and attractive. I'm curious about a couple of things - how do you now keep the part of the bed under the eaves watered, and do you find that plants want to lean out from the wall and obscure the pathway? I have had the latter problem with plants growing against walls that face all directions... even south! The leaning is what has driven me more toward evergreenery (which does less reaching for the light) rather than deciduous material, since "narrow passageways R us" around here. I try to keep my deciduous stuff where the light can get at it from several sides.

One other thing that appeals to me here is that you've got a space that's easy to garden - that is an advantage of narrow beds that isn't often mentioned given the landscaping preference for deep beds. It would be easy to swap a few plants in and out every year to change up the look a little any time the fancy strikes you.

Thanks for showing!

KarinL

Thanks Karin. I don't have too much of a problem with things leaning for the light, partly because the house side is largely planted with Beacon Silver and White Nancy lamium. It's so dry on that side that there isn't a lot of options for what will grow. I planted the lamium about 18" from the house wall so it would have a better chance of getting moisture when it rains, and then waited to see if it would spread into the dryest area against the house. It did, and completely and rapidly filled the dry area. I like the silver as a 'carpet' under the other things that grow there. It enhances everything nicely and lights up an otherwise dark area. It probaly helped with the establishment of the lamium that I dumped potting soil (from pots I used to grow peas) as the top layer of 'lasagna' the fall I created the bed. The potting soil had 'water crystals' in it and the peas would have provided nitrogen. I watered with soaker hoses in the first year but haven't watered since. All the columbine that is in the bed comes from seeds I scattered from plants growing elsewhere in the garden. I think they establish better re drought tolerance that way, so they have filled in back to the house as well and, because they are quite shade tolerant, aren't prone to leaning. The Eupatorium 'Chocolate' was planted, not seed grown, and I wasn't sure if it would be too dry there for it but it seems to be thriving. It certainly billows but I wouldn't say it leans. It's fairly shade tolerant too. Essentially I planted the alley with things that are either shade lovers or shade tolerant to various degrees so I think that was the key to avoiding the leaning problem. I'm always concerned about evergreens outgrowing their space and, since the space is so limited, I didn't include any. The alley isn't visible from anywhere in the house and in winter it gets completely buried in several feet of snow usually (except for the snow-blown path) so evergreens for 'winter interest' was not an issue.

Woodyoak,

Your bed looks so natural looking - it's beautiful. I especially like the little pockets of purple & silver that you've added here and there which really add interest to the border. The picture with the dog is precious...

Thanks GNG - there's a lot of silver in the beds because of the lamium; it's more obvious in person than in the pictures because it's hard to see the groundcover in the pictures. That little dog is precious - and a demon rabbit killer! Rabbits are an issue around here but we don't have too much of a problem in the backyard since she developed a taste for baby bunnies. She may look like a silly little lapdog but she's a ruthless hunter!

Lamium - a classic example of a plant that can be oh-so-right or oh-so-wrong depending on the needs of the space. That's why knowing how plants BEHAVE - not just when they bloom or how big they get - is so crucial to really good landscaping. When you combine that knowledge with an equally thorough understanding of the space in question, whether that happens in the mind of the homeowner or the landscape professional, you get stellar results, as here.

KarinL

Delurking to say that I just finished taking that same class at Guelph. The focus is on hand drafting - you develop one property's garden over the course, sending in your planning materials that normally no one else would see. All of it needs to be neatly drafted. I had a lot of fun with it, though it was very time-consuming and I went through a lot of tracing paper! As for the online participation there are forums for each module as well as extra topics, so it's well organized. The instructor encouraged participation strongly, and was good about responding to posts and talking about the design biz if you ask. (And if you have other questions about the class let me know.)

As for your alley - wow. I love seeing these transformations. I bought a bit of a "before" property last year and am struggling with where to begin, so it's very inspiring to see the process and end result.

I'm looking forward to the class although neat is not my strong suit! I read about the forum thing in the handbook they provide on-line. It sounds like fun for sure.... Thanks for popping in to tell me about it. I didn't realize it was one property for the whole course, although that certainly makes sense. Did you go on and take the second one too?

The T-square makes everything neat! I also own one of those plastic doodads architects use to make multiple guidelines for writing - that was a big time-saver, although its not on the supplies list.

I haven't signed up for the 2nd course yet. I might do it later, but need a break. Might take the plant ID class first to improve my plant-choosing skills. That part took longer than expected.

Anyways I think it was a great stepping stone for me as I'm primarily looking for tools to help me tackle my own yard. Now I have a process to follow. If I'm brave enough maybe I'll post some of my plans & "before" pictures later this winter.

Have fun with it!

Thanks for the tip about the doodad for writing - I suspect I'll need that! What was the split in numbers of people in the course between people taking the course for personal interest vs. those taking it as part of the program as a planned career option? Was it a big class? Can anyone provide me a more specific name of the doodad so I can look for it...?

Probably 60 or 70 people; a lot of them (at least half?) seemed to be in it for career purposes, which surprised me. Lots of horticulture and landscaping backgrounds.

I dug up the doodad - it is clear plastic and called "Ames Lettering Guide" (Staedtler 974 98). There is a rotating wheel in the middle with lots of holes. Make sure it comes with instructions! I've had mine for a while, but you can probably find it at art supply stores.