Monday, February 21, 2005
We're fast approaching our start date for installation of the garden. Today we met with Richard, Lee, Melissa and Jerry of Buckland Sheetmetal who will be fabricating and installing the gutters and downspouts to discuss final details and timing for installation. Task one: Where are the downspouts located and where do they empty? The decision was made to eliminate one of the two downspouts intended for the front, as it was too visually distracting to the house facade. One downspout will suffice, so we will tie our twin bioswales together under the entry walk with a drainpipe. That may affect our planting scheme slightly, as it will now take more rain before water will reach the far swale. The wetter loving plants like sedges need to go into the first swale, those not so needy into the second.

We have been working on an attractive alternative to the rain barrel as a water cachement system for our backyard downspouts. We saw an interesting idea in Horticulture magazine recently that caught our eye and we thought we'd co-opt it. We've since been on the lookout for a metal culvert 3' Diameter x 8' Long that would accommodate up to 455 gallons of water - much less than what will be coming off of the roof, but better than a 55 gallon drum. The idea is to set this culvert on end and plumb a faucet at the bottom to gravity feed water through a garden hose for summer watering. It was decided to catch the water from the garage roof as it has a smaller area than the main house, and the culvert could be located in the area between the house and the garage. A shade tolerant climbing hydrangea will attach itself to the culvert without additional support while improving its looks.

The lawn has been degraded during the renovations. The option of using sod was rejected because installing a "perfect lawn" leads to the inclination to keep it that way with the use of chemical fertilizers and herbicides - not very "green". The solution: renovate it by thatching, core-aerating, applying compost and overseeding. Keith Hopkins of Protime, a local lawn seed company donated seed. Herbicide will not be used in the areas where lawn is being eliminated. In order to retain topsoil and the nutrients it contains, and in the interest of reducing the energy it takes to transport excess soil off site, we will be using the technique of sheet composting to keep the lawn from re-sprouting. We all need to start accumulating newspaper without colored inks to place under the compost to kill the grass.

Installation begins on Monday Feb. 28th. The landscape team will be talking about the design and installation process at the weekly open house on Saturday, Feb. 26 from 9-11. Hope to see you there!!

Jan. 11, 2005
We met with Suzy Hancock and Peggy Acott of Portland Nursery about the possibility of getting plant donations. We made an irresistible presentation of the EarthAdvantage 1909 House project, and they agreed that it would fit into their educational mission. We made up a plant list based upon the design and current availability at the nursery. Since having winter interest plants is a primary aim for the March reopening of the garden during the Tour of Remodeled Homes, we needed to make sure that there was a strong evergreen presence along with other winter interest plants. Portland Nursery also agreed to lend us pots and furnishings for the reopening. We're all very excited about this collaboration. With the plant procurement under control, we proceeded to make a list of other details that need to be addressed so the installation can proceed smoothly:

• Connect with Friends of Trees about getting special street trees and any necessary permits for the parking strip. There will be a Tree Planting Ceremony with the neighborhood on March 5, 2005 to replace a large tree that once stood on the site.
• Connect with a local Arborist to find fresh wood chips for the path to the woodland sitting area.
• Look for a suitable water storage unit to manage the backyard downspouts, allowing homeowners to take advantage of the winter rainfall in the summer.
  
• Plan to promote the 1909 House in our booth #1154 at the Yard, Garden and Patio show on Feb. 18-20 at the Oregon Convention Center. The Garden Design Studio will be offering FREE LANDSCAPE DESIGN SKETCHES to our visitors. Come see us there!!
  
• We're getting excited about our presentation of the Landscape Design Process at the Saturday, Feb. 26th - 1909 Open House from 9-11AM.
  

We're sure this is just the start of numerous details to consider.

Jan. 6, 2005
Amy and Kathryn met with Anna to present Lee's bid. We discussed the possibility of installing lighting and irrigation and those are things that may happen in the future. It looks as if the garage renovation is going forward but the driveway redesign may not happen (it was not included in the bid). Anna informed us that the concrete contractor mistakenly poured the footing for the deck stairs in the wrong location. They had not checked the design! In considering the importance of correcting the mistake, we discussed at some length why we had changed the configuration of the existing deck and stairs. Our idea was to change the direction of the stairs from the driveway to the backyard in order to improve the view from the driveway while making more of a courtyard entry. At the same time we improved the relationship between the indoor and outdoor living spaces by lowering the deck and opening it to the backyard. Anna said she would have the footing removed.

Jan. 5, 2005
Amy & Kathryn met with Lee Stevenson, Stevenson & Assoc. Landscapers, Naturally to review his bid for the landscape installation, and to talk about timing and some of the details. We discussed the construction of the bioswale making sure that any overflow from the downspout disconnect will be directed away from the walkway and sidewalk. Lee is checking to see if we can get a donation of basalt boulders, stepping stones, river rock and gravel for the bioswale and pathways. Other donations of soil and plants all need to be coordinated as soon as possible. Alternatively, Lee is checking into the availability of recycled concrete. We realized that recycling the existing concrete edging in the backyard might require a design modification as the sections are each 2' long and we want a gentle curve to the shape of the beds. We agreed to present the bid to Anna at Arciform soon so that scheduling can begin.

Dec. 15, 2004

1909 HOUSE LANDSCAPE DESIGN DESCRIPTION

BACK YARD
Entry into the backyard is arrived at from one of two possible places. Entering from the driveway and garage, a transition space has been created with a courtyard feel integrating the porous nature of gravel with recycled concrete pavers found on site. This new space is one for pots, a comfortable chair or small bistro table with the backdrop of a new fence panel that separates the garage from the kitchen back door. A small window in the panel allows the homeowner to see who is coming around the corner. A section of overhead arbor extends from the fence panel for a small vine or hanging plant. From inside the house, a deck platform off the kitchen back door is even with the interior floor level allowing a smooth transition from inside to outside. A short run of stairs lead down to a mid-level deck that provides enough room for a small table and chairs out of the flow of traffic. Three broad steps continue to a gravel patio on the ground level. Planting beds for edibles surround this patio. A narrow conifer and woodland walk lead to a secret cozy place on the north side with a decorative fence panel that hides the compost pile beyond. A gate connects the backyard to the front while providing a way to hide the compost pile from the street.

Nov. 16, 2004
Kathryn & Amy met with Lee Stevenson, Stevenson & Associates, Inc., Landscapers Naturally (503 692-6636), and walked the site together with the conceptual plan. We studied the big shrubs in the front considering their general health and shape against the hours it would take to move them, determining after much discussion which were worth moving and which were not. The hydrangea is to be moved to the north side of the house in the front yard, far enough from the foundation to allow for optimal growth. We selected the rhodie near the front steps as the most vigorous with the best shape and will relocate it in the front. We talked about the cost and feasibility of breaking up the concrete driveway and will continue to explore that possibility. We will meet with Lee again once the plan is finalized and talk about the stages of the installation.

Robin Wang, The Redirect Guide, has given us names of companies interested in offering products:

• ORGANIGROW, Phil Gatehouse, 503 702-7510 Alaskan Organic Compost.
  
• WATERSHED GARDEN WORKS, Scott Edwards, 360 423-6456 Native plants, seeds and revegetation services.
  

Nov. 10, 2004
Kathryn & Amy met with Anna and showed her the conceptual ideas and sketches we had generated based on our earlier conversation and our response to the site.

We all agreed that the final plan should include the following sustainable features:

• Reuse plants and materials (many concrete borders and pavers) on site and salvage other recycled materials from other sites
  
• Edibles in both front & back yards
  
• Food, Water and Shelter for birds and other critters
  
• Incorporate native plants, placed in suitable habitats
  
• No invasive introduced plant species that might find their way into natural areas
  
• Low water use irrigation system (especially for getting new plants established - the first 3 years)
  
• Compost area for recycling vegetable scraps and yard debris
  
• Parking strip that allows for easy access from car to sidewalk with plants that are drought tolerant and interesting year-round
  
• A porous front walk of gravel allows for drainage while providing traction in icy winters
  
• Bioswales to act as "downspout disconnects" recharging groundwater and purifying runoff from the roof that will now remain on the property and out of storm drains
  
• Rainwater cachement system for backyard downspouts to hold roof water in reserve for use during the summer season of drought
  
• Break up and beautify the concrete driveway to offer better water percolation on site, keeping pollution from automobiles out of storm drains
  
• Backyard deck to be made of Starboard Composite Decking and Railing Systems

And the following functional features:

• View of forest garden from front porch
  
• Front yard to retain some lawn to integrate with neighborhood
  
• Generous and welcoming entry walk leading to new front porch configuration
  
• Several separate areas for backyard seating with improved sightlines
  
• Decorative fence panel to divide woodland sitting area from compost area
  
• Options for locating the backyard BBQ
  
• Easy circulation from inside kitchen to outside deck and ground level patio
  
• Clear and easy access to hoses and water spigots around the house

Oct. 19, 2004
Kathryn Leech & Amy Whitworth visited the property and made the following observations about the site conditions:
The existing front yard landscape consisted typically of a vigorous lawn and big shrubs along the front of the covered porch; 3 rhodies, hydrangea, 2 roses, all having been pruned awkwardly in the past and in somewhat stressed condition, the result of large plants placed too close to the house. Walking around the house on the south side, the driveway revealed a boring expanse of concrete with a roving edge. Cumbersome pavers and stone covered the irregular area between the concrete driveway edge and the house. We noted the adjacent lush and diverse plantings belonging to the neighbor to the south. We introduced ourselves and she gave us a tour of her property. We marveled at the magical water garden she had created in her back yard and dreamed about getting plant starts from her for this garden. As we approached the garage, we were faced with an awkwardly narrow space leading into the backyard. This would become a main entry point into the backyard once the garage was renovated; yet it provided no visual interest but the distant view of the neighbor's roof rising above the north fence. The rest of the backyard proved equally uninteresting consisting of a small rectangular lawn in poor condition with tomatoes, iris, dahlias and hydrangea in narrow beds along the west and north fence lines. The cedar deck provided ample living space but was disproportionably large, in poor condition and sat high off the backyard, with a railing around it that made no connection with the rest of the space. The highlight was the back neighbor's healthy Douglas fir tree that provided a pleasing native backdrop along the west fence. On the north side of the house we noted 2 gates in ill repair that separated the backyard from the front, the space between being used for storage.