July 07, 2004 - 12:47 p.m.
I'm working on a long-term gardening plan.
My townhome doesn't have much yard space and we're working on eradicating all the grass from the 30 sq ft strip of front yard, rearranging the flagstones into a more attractive patio in back, and arguing on whether or not to chop down the scraggly barberry bush and replace with something more attractive or trim it down and try to save it.
I've been combing through the gardening books my father gave me a few years ago, trying to come up with a list of possible plants that will stay within or below a 3'x3' range and have a hardiness in zone 6. I'm hoping I can create some kind of plan for the front yard by the end of August for fall planting.
The fences along the sides of the backyard seem perfect for espaliers, if I can just decide on what to plant. The garage wall is a little more tricky. There's a good 8 to 10 inches of concrete and drain between it and the grass in back. Planting anything along that line will cut into the yard. I've seen some nice pots that can be mounted to a wall but I'm not certain I want to drill into the siding of the garage.
If anyone knows of a good book for planning yards and gardens in small spaces, let me know.
