Elegant espaliers
description
Transcript of Elegant espaliers
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Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants Project SOUND - 2010
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Elegant Espaliers: CA Natives in a Craftsman Style
Garden
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
December 4 & 7, 2010
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Last May we visited the Victorian Era
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Henry_Treffry_Dunn_Rossetti_and_Dunton_at_16_Cheyne_Walk.jpg
Increased wealth, manufactured goods and exotic ‘stuff’ characterized the Industrial Revolution/Victorian Era
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Edwardian Gardens were very much a
revolt against the Victorian style
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3002/2930975253_e3036b0a45.jpg?v=0
Edwardian Style Garden – ‘Back to Nature & Country Gardens’
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But there was an interesting revolutionary movement afoot in England in the mid/late 1800’s …
http://designinspiration.typepad.com/design_inspiration_planet/books/
... a direct revolt against many of the ‘bad
aspects’ of the Industrial Revolution in England
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The Arts and Crafts Movement
Began in England in the 1860s as a reform movement.
John Ruskin (1819-1900)
Movement’s philosophical leader
Most influential Victorian writer on the arts and architecture
Member of the Pre-Raphaelite Movement/Brotherhood.
Believed the decorative arts affected the men who produced them. The machine dehumanized the worker and led to a loss of dignity because it removed him from the artistic process and thus, from nature itself.
http://www.oldukphotos.com/london_famous_people.htm
"all cast from the machine is bad, as work it is dishonest."
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The Pre-Raphaelite
Brotherhood
Founded in 1848; a loose movement of English painters, poets, and critics
In its time it was a revolutionary as the Impressionistic Movement
Mission was to reform art by rejecting ‘the mechanistic approach adopted by artists after Raphael and Michelangelo’.
Believed that the Classical poses and elegant compositions of Raphael had been a corrupting influence on the teaching of art. Hence the name "Pre-Raphaelite".
Best known painters: Edward Burne-Jones Dante Gabriel Rossetti John Everett Millais Henry Le Jeune
http://preraphaelitepaintings.blogspot.com/2009/01/edward-burne-jones-le-chant-damour.html
Dante Gabriel Rossetti: - La Ghirlandata
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The Brotherhood's early doctrines were
expressed in four declarations:
to have genuine ideas to
express;
to study Nature attentively, so as to know how to express them;
to sympathise with what is direct and serious and heartfelt in previous art, to the exclusion of what is conventional and self-parodying and learned by rote;
and, most indispensable of all, to produce thoroughly good pictures and statues
Henry Le Jeune
A Young Lady Sketching in a Landscape
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The Pre-Raphaelite Movement
Ruskin's book The Stones of Venice (1853) had a great impact on the intellectuals of Victorian England.
In it, he made a direct connection between art, nature, and morality - good moral art was nature expressed through man.
The English Arts & Crafts Movement developed from this idea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stones_of_Venice_(book)
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The Arts and Crafts
Movement
William Morris (1834-1896)
English textile designer, artist, writer and socialist
Associated with both the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement.
Took Ruskin's ideas about nature, art, morality and the degradation of human labor and translated them into a unified theory of design. By doing so, Morris successfully wedded aesthetics and social reform into the Arts and Crafts Movement.
Chief contribution to the arts was as a designer of repeating patterns for wallpapers and textiles, many based on a close observation of nature.
He was also a major contributor to the resurgence of traditional textile arts and methods of production.
William Morris -
La Belle Iseult
1858
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William Morris founded Morris & Co. in 1875
The goal was to create design that was... " for the people and by the people, and a source of pleasure to the maker and the user."
Medieval Guilds were the model for the ideal craft production system – provide honorable work for the craftsman
The forms of Arts and Crafts style typically rectilinear/angular, with stylized decorative motifs reminiscent of medieval, Japanese and Islamic design
http://barnyardgazette.blogspot.com/2009/04/william-morris-arts-and-crafts-movement.html
http://www.victorianweb.org/art/design/furniture/25.html
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Common themes of The Arts & Crafts Movement 1880-1910. Rejection of Classical/
Italianate architecture, and the revival of the Gothic Style.
Rebellion against industrialization and mass production by machines.
Leading figures believed in a socialist or utopian society, striving for good quality of life for all, including art for the people, by the people.
http://www.ukmodernfurniture.co.uk/softfurnishi
ng/artsandcrafts.html
http://www.blog.designsquish.com/index.php?/site/2009/03/
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Common themes of The Arts & Crafts Movement
Nostalgia for the medieval age - seen as the golden age of creativity and freedom.
Artists and craftsman were viewed as equals - art was no longer a separate or superior activity.
Revival of craftsmanship, honesty in construction, and truth to materials – no fakes or cheap, gaudy mass-produced items
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~matc/math5.pattern/lesson8art.html
Because of the cost of hand
production, the English Arts &
Crafts style was only available to
the wealthy
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Not surprisingly, the Arts & Crafts
Movement also influenced garden design
Large or small, [a garden] should look both orderly and rich. It should be well fenced from the outside world. It should by no means imitate either the willfulness or the wildness of nature, but it should look like a thing never to seen except near a house. It should, in fact, look like part of the house.
William Morris
Hopes and Fears for Art 1882
http://www.hewnandhammered.com/hewn_and_hammered/2006/03
/book_review_gar.html
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Gertrude Jekyll: an influential Arts & Crafts garden designer
Wrote 14 influential books, and co-wrote many more.
Her writing included practical advice, but also had an almost poetic description of the enjoyment of gardening – as spiritual practice, not just manual labor.
http://www.gertrudejekyllgarden.co.uk/
The close alignment of work, beauty and meaning was a key principle of the Arts and Crafts movement, of which Jekyll was a central figure.
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The English Arts & Crafts garden
Famous architects of the day viewed house and garden as a unified whole. The distinctions between ‘indoors’ and ‘outdoors’ were blurred – gardens were a harmonious extension of the house.
Gardens were a venue for reform and innovation, an opportunity to express integrity and beauty, and a chance to move beyond the artificiality of the dominant Victorian paradigm.
Rejecting Victorian orderliness and ostentation in favor of naturalism and informality.
While certainly not “simple”, the overall effect is an inviting one of comfort and ease rather than grandeur.
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But what happened when the Arts &
Crafts Movement crossed the ocean?
Younger nation – less rigid social structure; ‘land of opportunity’
‘Melting pot’ of many cultures – with their own distinct crafts traditions
Less industrialized/ urban than England
Different materials (woods; native plants; etc.)
So, the American Craftsman Movement was influenced by the English Arts & Crafts Movement, but later (1900-1920’s) and distinctly American
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The Craftsman Movement: Arts & Crafts American Style
Much influenced by Morris – key figures visited him/his colleagues
Was both a social & design/stylistic movement – but the components were uniquely American
Focus on architecture and home furnishing crafts: furniture, pottery, printing, other decorative arts – not so much textiles
‘The Craftsman’ magazine played a key role in popularizing the Movement
Key figures: Elbert Hubbard – Roycroft Studios Gustav Stickley
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Craftsman Style furnishings are becoming
popular again…
? People furnishing their period
cottages – or parallels with our
times http://www.mydesignsecrets.com/2009/05/15/the-craftsman-style-home/
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In America, the Arts & Crafts movement inspired some influential architects
American architects like the Greene brothers in Pasadena, Frank Lloyd Wright in Chicago and many others drew inspiration from the Arts & Crafts/Craftsman Movements
Rediscovered the value in hand crafting buildings and their contents using natural materials and creating a more holistic life style for their occupants – very Arts & Crafts
Designers often designed both the building/home and its contents – the two were seen as inseparable
Once again, the Craftsman style – with all of it’s handwork – was really a style for the well-to-do
http://www.alpinestcraftsman.com/
A. Tichenor house, Long Beach, 1904–05
Greene & Greene - Pasadena
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Gambel House - Pasadena
Green & Green gardens freely combined elements from different sources, using stones in a Japanese manner, laying mission-style padre tiles in brick-edged terraces, and integrating existing orange groves.
This synthesis of local and exotic traditions, of the naturalistic and the formal, remains a remarkable achievement in the history of the California garden
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By the early 1900’s, many families wanted to
own their own homes & gardens – and those
homes needed to be close to work
http://catalog1.lapl.org/cgi-bin/cw_cgi?fullRecord+5905+968+22179+20+0
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Differences between the American Craftsman
& English Arts & Crafts
Much more available to the mass market in America – even in the beginning.
Machines were used, but craftsmen were still able to assemble and finish the furniture, which lowered the cost and made it affordable to the common man.
The grain of the wood was much more emphasized, along with the forms of the pottery.
Walls had rich wood tones or earth-tone paints. Very little wallpaper was used, mostly just as borders.
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Today, we tend to think of ‘Craftsman’ as
a design/aesthetic style
The Arts and Crafts/Craftsman movement had more to do with the creation of the Art Object than with the Art object itself.
http://www.horizon-custom-homes.com/catalog/item/1584762/5216880.htm
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In America, the goal of ‘good, honest craft for the common man’ became reality
Stickley’s ‘The Craftsman’ was an important vehicle
In 1909, he stated that his magazine "stands firmly for the development in the country of a national arts and a style of architecture which shall be a true expression of the character and needs of the American people, for a form of industrial education which will develop self-reliance and initiative and foster creative ability, so that men and women alike will be able to earn their own living under any and all circumstances, and to do the best work that is in them-a training which inevitably will make for more reasonable and healthful standards of life and work both for the individual and the nation."
http://www.pdfclassicbooks.com/home-garden/home-
design/stickley-39-s-the-craftsman-magazine-all-31-
volumes/prod_24.html
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‘The Craftsman’ supplied
instructions for the
‘common man’
Designs for simple houses – bungalows -that could be built inexpensively by the homeowner or local builder
Home woodworking projects
Garden ideas
Think ‘Sunset Magazine’ with an artistic flair
http://clermontstatehistoricsite.blogspot.com/2010/02/what-style-is-it.html
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In America, the goal of ‘good, honest craft for the common man’ became reality –
the ‘Craftsman Bungalow’
The success of the Craftsman bungalow was because it provided a solution to the desire of many families to own their own modest home.
http://www.oldhouseweb.com/blog/opposite-coast-bungalows/
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The ‘Craftsman Bungalow’ revolution
Once “kit” home manufacturers like Aladdin and Sears began to offer bungalows through their catalogs, their success was assured. Prospective homeowners could have an entire home shipped to their town by train.
With the help of a couple carpenters, the homeowner could build a practical, simple, attractive little home for a sum that was manageable by huge numbers of Americans.
Mass production, however, meant that the fine carpentry and detailing present in the Craftsman homes were modified and distilled into more generic equivalents. Nevertheless, kit homes were generally built of good quality materials that have held up extremely well over the last century.
The essential difference between the Craftsman "style" and the derivative
bungalow is the level of fine detail and workmanship.
http://www.antiquehomestyle.com/plans/sears/1923sears/23sears-avalon.htm
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‘Mission’ vs ‘Craftsman Style’ bungalows
Craftsman Style: direct descendent of the English Arts & Crafts movement
Mission/Spanish style:
Architectural styling based on churches built when Spanish Missionaries moved into California – but incorporate some Craftsman elements too.
Featured thick adobe walls, stucco siding, parapets, and red tile roofs.
Ornamentation was detailed in geometric patterns, ornamental drainpipes, arched dormers, and other details reminiscent of these early churches.
http://anartisticabstraction.blogspot.com/2010/03/whats-difference-
mission-style-vs-arts.html
http://www.thevictorianhouse.com/freeplans/houseplanmonth0803.htm
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‘The Craftsman’ and other books and
magazines offered garden designs for the
Craftsman Bungalow
Many are again available – as reprints or on-line
Useful guidelines for the homeowner who faced some challenges:
Lack of knowledge of gardening/plants
Limited budget
Small lot size/proximity of neighbors
http://www.buildersbooksource.com/cgi-bin/booksite/24032.html
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Craftsman style homes call for Craftsman
style gardens
Remember: the movement saw little distinction between indoors & outdoors – was viewed (and used) as a unified whole
http://archometrend.blogspot.com/2009_03_01_archive.html
The design garden principles are useful for anyone with a
smaller home & garden
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Guidelines for a Craftsman Style garden
1. Keep it simple
2. Keep it informal/comfortable – a garden to be used
3. Keep it in scale – don’t overwhelm the house
4. Use well-designed hardscape features consistent with the architectural style
5. Use fences & screens for privacy
6. Use plants in a manner that respects their nature
7. Make the most of limited space
http://www.violetcrownrealty.com/listings.html
8. Feature the gardener as craftsman – the importance ‘creating’ the garden
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http://laplaces.blogspot.com/
Simple, informal &
in scale
According to Stickley, informal gardens are “less expensive, better adapted to small spaces, and more in harmony with our [America’s] somewhat primitive landscape….”
“…In fact, a formal garden would be quite out of place with such simple, unpretentious houses as those we design. ”
http://www.mygreenlake.com/2010/03/cr
aftsman-garden/
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Use well-designed hardscape features
consistent with the architectural style
Craftsman design prized architectural detail and a strong linking between house and site - so hardscaping elements define a Craftsman garden more than its plants.
Keep it simple: - Remember, the Arts and Crafts movement – progenitor of the Craftsman Bungalow style – valued simple materials honestly worked
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Use well-designed hardscape features
consistent with the architectural style
A Craftsman-style wooden arbor or pergola, a distinctively designed slate or brick pathway, or a hand-forged gate ‘make’ a Craftsman garden – and within your budget.
You can craft your own – even from original plans – or purchase from available vendors/builders
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Use period designs, incorporate distinctive construction details and use Craftsman
inspired hardware.
Wood: Use materials which blend with the
surroundings. Use woods stained medium to dark brown to
match the wood used inside the home and in other garden structures.
Construction Techniques: Simple, elegant joints to highlight the superior craftsmanship; distinctive shapes of the period.
Metalwork: The style is enhanced with simple authentic looking hardware, such as iron strapping, copper accents and strong simple gate pulls.
Lighting: Outdoor Craftsman porch and patio lights can create an elegant nighttime ambiance.
© Project SOUND http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/DLDecArts/DLDecArts-
idx?type=div&did=DLDECARTS.HDV22N06.I0024&isize=M
http://www.mygreenlake.com/2010/03/craftsman-garden/
Original design sources
are readily available
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http://www.sunset.com/garden/backyard-projects/outdoor-landscape-makeovers-00400000054442/page22.html
The right design elements can transform
a Craftsman Bungalow’s front garden
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But lets turn to a common predicament in
bungalow (and other small) gardens
Narrow areas present unique challenges for the home gardener.
Fortunately, we can use some ideas from the Craftsman Bungalow garden to transform these difficult areas
http://www.northwestbotanicals.com/portfolio_chcraftsman.htm
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Craftsman bungalow gardens have fences
Fences (an almost ubiquitous facet of Craftsman gardens) should be selected to complement the house
This usually means some type of wooden fence – stained or painted medium/dark.
Styles consisting of simple, handmade pickets, or ones with wide boards featuring cut-out designs or lattice were especially popular.
http://www.penick.net/digging/?cat=9&paged=46
http://craftsmanremodel.com/photofinish_exterior.html
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Several other guidelines relate to design
for small spaces
6. Use plants in a manner that respects their nature
7. Make the most of limited space
8. Feature the gardener as craftsman – the importance of ‘creating’ the garden in a manner that enhances the gardeners creativity
http://www.northwestbotanicals.com/portfolio_chcraftsman.htm
And that’s where the ideal of espalier/narrow screens comes in
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Vines & Climbers provided beauty and
practicality in small Craftsman gardens
Vines and climbers were often grown over arbors…but not
always
http://www.ironaccents.com/49-gar262.html
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http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/~joel/g148_f09/lecture_notes/craftsman_arch/sd_bungalow1.jpg
They were also grown
vertically for shade or
to hide a bare wall
Espalier:
‘The art of growing woody shrubs/trees in 2 dimensions’
Plants are pruned & trained to grow in a very narrow space
Narrow screen: Plants are hedge-pruned to
form a very narrow (and often tall) hedge
http://www.allposters.com/gallery.asp?aid=45319956&apnum=870360&LinkTypeID=2&PosterTypeID=1&
DestType=7&Referrer%20=http://www.artsparx.com/bungalowstyle.asp
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http://www.allposters.com/gallery.asp?aid=45319956&apnum=870360&LinkTypeID=2&PosterTypeID=1&
DestType=7&Referrer%20=http://www.artsparx.com/bungalowstyle.asp
http://www.gardendesignonline.com/gardendesignonline/design/
Espalier can be
formal or informal
Choice depends on the style of garden/house
Both require regular pruning and training
Both require choosing the correct plant species – not all woody shrubs/trees can be espaliered
Most of the CA natives that can be espaliered work best as informal espaliers
© Project SOUND
Why not just use
native vines?
Espalier provides: More variety of plant material Larger size
http://bammorgan.blogspot.com/2008/04/payne-foundation-garden-tour.html
http://freshdirt.sunset.com/places/
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‘Roger’s Red’ – Vitis californicus x ? Wine grape
What to do with that chain link fence?
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* Vine Maple – Acer circinatum
© Clayton J. Antieau.
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* Vine Maple – Acer circinatum
SW AK & southwest British Columbia to northern California
In CA, in the Cascade and N. Sierra Ranges
common component of coniferous forest understory and along moist stream banks
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?256,257,258
http://www.ippswr.org/home/ippsna/Denver/PPT-PDF/Buzzo.pdf
http://www.pennine.d
emon.co.uk/Arboretu
m/Acci.htm
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Vine Maple is almost a vine in shady
forests Size:
10-30+ ft tall
15-35 ft wide
Growth form: Multi-trunk large shrub/tree
or more vine-like – depends mostly on available light
Form of old plants often quite unique & beautiful
Moderate growth rate; long-lived
Foliage: Typical Maple leaves – palmate
Winter deciduous
Roots: can crown-sprout
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© 2003, G. D. Carr
http://www.pennine.demon.co.uk/Arboretum/Acci.htm
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Flowers: pretty, small
Blooms: spring (Mar-May)
Flowers: Typical for Maples
Bright red & cream-colored
Quite small – it may bloom without your noticing
Seeds: Typical samara of Maples
Bright orange-red color in summer-fall – really showy
Vegetative reproduction: Natural layering (rooting of
older branches that touch the ground)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Acer_circinatum_03684.JPG
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Vine Maple grows
in moist forests Soils:
Texture: any well-drained
pH: slightly acidic (5.5 to 7.5)
Light: Afternoon shade or even more
shady
Great plant for under tall trees – pines, firs
Water: Winter: need good water
Summer: best watered weekly in warm weather – Zone 2-3
Fertilizer: likes a rich soil with plenty of organics; fine to fertilize (2/3 strength/dose)
Other: organic mulch a must
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/acci1.htm
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/acci1.htm
© Project SOUND
Vine Maples
brighten dark places
As an attractive accent plant – green foliage, red samaras & fall foliage color (maybe)
Along stream banks – for a woodsy look
In large pots – can even bonsai
As a tall informal or semi-formal screen
As a narrow tree in shady areas (like side-yards)
Espaliered along a wall, fence or large trellis
Susan McDougall @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database © 2003, G. D. Carr
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‘Monroe’
Very deeply dissected leaves
Looks like Japanese Maples – good for Asian-themed garden
http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/forums/showthread.php?t=7254
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‘Pacific Fire’
Very red bark
Yellow-orange foliage in fall – may be some red leaves in cold climates.
Widely available from commercial nurseries
http://www.portlandnursery.com/plants/nati
vePicks/natives_acer_circinatum.shtml
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http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/acci1.htm
http://humanhabitatrestoration.com/drive-byforestpark2.htm
Espalier with Vine
Maple
Note plant characteristics Grows in shade – typical of
shrubs/vines that can be espaliered
Open – almost vine-like – growth habit
Pruning: Start right away – good shape
begins early Selectively prune out branches
that are ‘wrong’ for the design Viney plants look best as
informal espaliers Vine-like shrubs may be woody
enough to need little/no support
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/82479320@N00/2366664105/
http://www.californianativeflora.com/plants/western-redbud/introducing-cercis-occidentalis-western-redbud/
Western Redbud - Cercis occidentalis
Species with open and dramatic
growth patterns can be trained
into unique, informal espaliers
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* Vine Hill Manzanita – Arctostaphylos densiflora
© 2006 Steve Matson
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An adaptable Manzanita Soils: Texture: quite adaptable –
more so than other Manzanitas – takes clay soils
pH: any local; slightly acidic is best
Light:
Full sun to part-shade
Water: Winter: tolerates seasonal
flooding
Summer: likes to be fairly dry – Zone 1-2 to 2 once established
Fertilizer: likes poor soils; fine with organic mulch
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‘Sentinel’ cultivar
8-10 ft tall & ft wide; upright habit
Very ‘garden-tolerant’
One of the easiest Manzanitas to grow
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/arctostaphylos-densiflora-sentinel-manzanita
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‘Howard McMinn’ cultivar
5-8+ ft tall & wide
Readily available
Very tolerant or garden conditions; long-lived (50+ years)
Often trained as a small tree
‘White Lanterns’ is more dense
http://www.wildscaping.com/plants/plantprofiles/Arcto_HowardMcMinn.htm
http://www.nativeson.com/images/plants/arctohoward.jpg
http://www.elnativogrowers.com/images/Photos/arcdenhm_lsp_shrub.JPG
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‘Howard McMinn’ as
an informal espalier
Species/cultivar should have a naturally open growth pattern
Choose your plant carefully – the basic structure is already be established by the time you purchase it
Time taken in the choosing will be amply rewarded
http://www.plantsystematics.org/imgs/dws/r/Ericaceae_Arctostaphylos_densiflora_18888.html
http://www.seasidegardencenter.com/natives.html
© Project SOUND
Selective pruning – removing all branches
that don’t grow where you want them
Need to start the first year – literally once it’s safely in the ground
Remove entire unwanted branches above the collar
Poorly spaced branches
Branches growing out or in wrong direction
http://camissonia.blogspot.com/2010/02/more-
manzanitas-in-bloom.html
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2010/0
6/emily-green-dry-garden-bark-trees-shedding.html
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Fremontodendrons make lovely espaliers
Often espaliered along dry walls in England and Pacific NW – the only way they can be successfully grown
Fremontodendron x ‘California Glory’ makes an excellent espalier.
Prune after flowering.
May want to provide support
http://www.seattlepi.com/nwgardens/75100_wingate20.shtml
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http://wildsuburbia.blogspot.com/2010/04/theodore-payne-foundation-annual-garden.html
http://www.answers.com/topic/espalier
Espalier requires
support – at least
early on
Branches may be too thin to provide support
Support structures can permit training the plant to a desired pattern – you attach the branch to the support so it grows in the desired direction
© Project SOUND
Many choices for
support system
Should be sturdy & durable Should be appropriate for
the garden design Should allow for future
growth
http://greenwalks.wordpress.com/2008/10/20/sidewalk-fig-espalier/
http://blog.doleaf.com/2008/11/28/anise-espalier/ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/victorygarden/grow/primers_projects/espalier/
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* Coast Silktassel – Garrya elliptica
http://groups.ucanr.org/mbmg/Al's_Corner/Garrya_elliptica_'James_Roof'.htm
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* Bearbrush/Fremont’s Silktassel – Garrya fremontii
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* Bearbrush/Fremont’s Silktassel – Garrya fremontii
In the Cascade Range & Sierra Nevada from OR to Madera & Monterrey Co.
A disjunct population occurs in the Transverse/Peninsular ranges in Riverside, Orange, and San Diego counties, California
On rocky slopes, rolling hills, or steep canyons from 2,500 to 7,000 feet in chaparral, foothill woodland, montane forest
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Garrya+fremontii
© 2010 Julie Kierstead Nelson
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Flowers are glorious
Blooms: early spring - usually Jan-Mar in western L.A. Co.
Flowers: Dioecious (sep.
male/female plants)
Flowers small & buff colored
On long, silky tassels – hence the common name
Nothing really looks like the Silktassels – super showy
Fruit: a small purple berry with 1-4 seeds ; eaten by songbirds & small animals
© 2008 Keir Morse
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Bearbrush is primarily
a chaparral plant Soils:
Texture: well-drained – sandy or rocky best
pH: better with slightly acidic (5.5-6.5)
Light: full sun to light shade
Water: Winter: needs adequate
Summer: fairly drought tolerant once established – Zone 1-2, with some water in mid-summer
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: re-sprouts from the crown or root after severe pruning/burning
© 2010 Julie Kierstead Nelson
This is the best choice for a
Silktassel in hotter inland gardens
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Why are Garryas so
good for espalier?
Evergreen
Good size – not too large
Interesting foliage and bark
Open growth pattern – natural growth is rangy
Will take the pruning and training required for espalier http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/4374971109/
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Garryas can be
formal or informal
espaliers
Note the regular growth pattern
The choice is up to you
http://eleanorathens.blogspot.com/2009/01/facade-greening-foundation-shrubs-and.html http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus2/facts
heet.cfm?ID=836
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Classical forms of
formal espalier
Very formal, named patterns
History dates back to Islamic & medieval gardens
Most often used for fruit trees with regular growth patterns – apples, pears, pomegranates, etc.
Not difficult, but require regular maintenance and choice of proper species
Many good books and on-line resources
http://www.edenwines.co.uk/Glossary_e.html
http://www.livingwallart.com/living-walls/pleaching-and-espalier/
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Supporting a formal espalier
http://www.espalierservices.com/parts.html
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http://www.calfloranursery.com/pages_whatsnew/whatsnewmar07.html
Many Ceanothus look better as informal espaliers or screens
Many have growth pattern not suited to formal pruning
Good choices for informal espalier/ narrow screen:
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus – species & cultivars
Ceanothus ‘Concha’ Ceanothus 'Dark Star‘ Ceanothus 'Julia Phelps‘ Ceanothus ‘Skylark’
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Those with more open habits can be
trained more formally
Ceanothus ‘Ray Hartman’
http://www.julieorrdesign.com/saratoga-landscape-design-makeover/kleckner-033
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Lakeside/San Diego Ceanothus – Ceanothus cyaneus
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Ceanothus_cyaneus
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Lakeside/San Diego Ceanothus – Ceanothus cyaneus
Endemic to south Peninsular Range (San Diego Co.), RARE
Dry shrubby slopes, chaparral to 1200'
Typically, in a dense, almost impenetrable chaparral with a mix of Chamise and other shrubs such as manzanita.
© 2009 Anna Bennett
Kate Sessions first brought it to
the gardener’s attention
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Characteristics of San Diego Ceanothus
Size: 6-15 ft tall
6-10 ft wide
Growth form: Mounded large shrub to small,
multi-trunk tree
More ‘open’ than some Ceanothus
Fast-growing; short-lived (to 15 years in gardens)
Foliage: Simple, opposite leaves – shiny
green above & pale beneath
Evergreen; pleasant looking year-round
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/ceanothus-
cyaneus?selected_image_name=Ceanothus_cyaneus-2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ceanothus_cyaneus_2.jpg
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Flowers are particularly showy
Blooms: Usually Apr-June in wild
Off & on from Apr-Nov in garden, with main bloom in Spring
Flowers: Medium blue (start out
darker)
Typical shape of Ceanothus
More showy than many Ceanothus:
Many, many flowers
Flowering stalks held above the foliage
Cultivars take advantage of nice flower characteristics
http://tchester.org/srp/plants/pix/lakeside_ceanothus.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:C
eanothus_cyaneus_2.jpg
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San Diego Ceanothus:
a plant of the S. Chaparral Soils:
Texture: well-drained – rocky or sandy is best. Will take some clays
pH: any local except pH > 8.0; fine with mildly acidic (5.5-6.0)
Light: full sun to partial shade
Water: Winter: supplement in low-
rainfall years
Summer: occasional water once established – Zone 1-2 – give some water in Aug (you’re the summer monsoon)
Fertilizer: likes organic mulch
© 2009 Anna Bennett
Other: tolerates heat better than
most Ceanothus
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San Diego
Ceanothus
As a foundation plant
In back-bed area – as an evergreen background
As a quick-growing (but short-lived) informal screen or hedge
To espalier along a wall or fence – has good characteristics
http://tchester.org/srp/plants/pix/lakeside_ceanothus.html
http://ohric.ucdavis.edu/photos/ornament2.htm
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Cultivar ‘Sierra Blue’
Ceanothus cyaneus X C. ?
Fast growing to 15 ft. tall & wide
Fine in sandy or clay soils
Longer lived in garden than straight species
Pretty much looks like C. cyaneus in terms of growth characteristics, flowers
Good choice for espalier
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/ceanothus-cyaneus-x-sierra-blue-ceanothus
http://www.yerbabuenanursery.
com/viewplant.php?pid=0641
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Cultivar ‘Cal-Poly’
Hybrid w/ C. cyaneus parent
Many of the best attributes of C. cyaneus
Fast growth
Needs pruning/training – good choice for espalier
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ceanothuscalpoly.jpg
http://www.theodorepayne.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=Ceanothus_cyaneus_'Cal_Poly'&redirect=no
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English & French gardeners must grow
Ceanothus against warm, dry walls
So Ceanothus can be shaped – informally or formally – into a hedge, screen or espalier
‘Blue Frost’ Ceanothus
http://bonsaitreesforsaleonline.com/grow-
bonsai-ceanothusblue-frost-for-shohin-
bonsai-tree-unique
http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/plantfinder/cea
nothus-california-lilac_1.asp
http://www.qualitycottages.co.uk/sup915.php
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Espalier with
Ceanothus
Choose species or cultivars with more open growth habit – except for informal espalier, which can be dense
Choose species that can take shaping
For a formal espalier, choose a plant with even branches
Start shaping right away – 1st year
http://www.gardenersworld.com/plant-detail/PL00001245/158/california-lilac
http://casaconiglio.blogspot.com/2010/04/ruth.html
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Training Ceanothus to narrow
screen or formal espalier
http://www.keith-allen.co.uk/garden/c.htm
Ceanothus "Ray Hartmann" and
Cercis Occidentalis
http://bammorgan.blogspot.com/2008/04/payne-foundation-garden-tour.html
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Lemonadeberry – Rhus integrifolia
http://www.sanelijo.org/about/images/lemonadeberry.jpg
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The Lemonadeberry hedge
Hedges or narrow screens require regular hedge pruning -
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Cuts that increase the number of new
outer branches: Tip-pruning and shearing
Tip-pruning (pinching) involves removal of the growing tip; stimulating the growth of lateral branches
Shearing (hedging)
A form of heading that makes no attempt to cut back to a bud.
Because plants chosen for shearing typically have many lateral buds close together, you'll usually end up cutting near a bud.
Shearing stimulates many buds to produce new growth - so you'll be repeating the job regularly after you start.
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=LawnGarden/PruningPlants
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Both Lemonadeberry & Toyon
can also be espaliered
http://tmousecmouse.b
logspot.com/2009/12/n
ative-plant-of-month-
toyon.html
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One last situation that could use an
espalier – the ugly wall
We need a better backdrop
And an espalier plant that: Is not too big (or
can be kept small)
Evergreen
Good flowers and/or fruits
Can be trained to a formal espalier
http://www.mymodremod.com/?tag=landscaping&paged=2
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Rhamnus species are appropriate for
smaller formal espaliers
http://www.flickr.com/photos/59782114@N00/247282539
Rhamnus crocea
http://www.ecnca.org/plants/Rhamnus_ilicifolia.htm
Rhamnus ilicifolia
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Coffeeberry - Frangula california
Formal or informal? why?
Screen or espalier? Why?
http://www.eol.org/pages/483223
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/rhamnus-californica
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Currants (Ribes spp.) can be trained and
espaliered
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Coastal areas and mountain ranges
R. indecorum : South Coast, Western Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges to N. Baja
R. sanguineun : Central & N. Coast
interior canyons and washes
Chaparral and coastal sage scrub below 6000'
White-flowered Currant - Ribes indecorum
* Pink Currant - Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum
White
Pink
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4450,4451,4489,4490
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White & Pink Currants
Showy flowers
Early: winter to spring
Cluster of bell-shaped flowers on drooping stalks
Fragrant!!
Provide early nectar source for: Hummingbirds Butterflies Bees & other pollinators
Sticky Purple berries
Edible – raw or cooked
Food for many birds (Dark-eyed Junco, Quail, Thrushes, Robins, Finches, Towhees and Jays)
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White- and Pink-flowered Currants make
nice shrubs
Size: 4-7 ft tall; 3-6 ft wide
Open branch pattern – branches are attractive red-brown when young
No prickles/spines
Grow at moderate rate; several ft./year at first
Foliage: fragrant, attractive, drought-deciduous
Can be trained – even into a formal espalier
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Ribes sanguineum glutinosum 'Claremont‘
might be just the ticket
Mature size: Height: 8 feet (2.5 m). Width: 6 feet (2 m).
Flowering period: Late winter to early spring.
Flowering attributes: extra large and long drooping racemes of pink flowers in early spring
Very vigorous and showy; tolerates clays; dependable .
http://www.rainyside.com/features/plant_gallery/shrubs/ribes-
sanguineum_claremont.html
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Think outside the box – you can include fruiting plants in your Craftsman style garden
http://katepresents.blogspot.com/2010/01/interesting-espalier.html
Above all, enjoy being a creative
craftsman in your garden
http://www.flickr.com/photos/foam/2973214097/
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Guidelines for a Craftsman Style garden
1. Keep it simple
2. Keep it informal/comfortable – a garden to be used
3. Keep it in scale – don’t overwhelm the house
4. Use well-designed hardscape features consistent with the architectural style
5. Use fences & screens for privacy
6. Use plants in a manner that respects their nature
7. Make the most of limited space
http://www.violetcrownrealty.com/listings.html
8. Feature the gardener as craftsman – the importance ‘creating’ the garden
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What is it about a grandmother’s garden?