It’s time for the second installment in the transformation of my front slope.  If you remember back to my Field Notes post in May, I introduced you “Mt. Davenport”, my Southwest Minneapolis front yard slope.  Failing turf and unsafe mowing conditions had become a serious problem for me and my husband.  We decided to bring in Field Outdoor Spaces to help us create a space that was beautiful, functional, and safe.  In this segment, designer, Shannon O’Halloran discusses her design process for the hardscape portion of  the plan.  Enjoy!  ~ Ann Davenport

By Shannon O’Halloran

Wall stone selected to match the stone surrounding the front door

There are many steep front slopes around the Minneapolis area.  The biggest hazard and maintenance issue is mowing the grass on the hill and keeping the turf alive.  This is a challenge because of the speed at which water runs off the slope eroding the hillside.  The question becomes this, if you remove the turf can you keep the erosion of the hillside from continuing?   Will you be creating a larger maintenance issue?  I believe the time spent on maintenance will be the same as if you mowed the turf on the hillside but it will be far less dangerous.  Picking plants that will hold the soil on the hillside will help with erosion.  Creating a design which incorporates rock outcroppings and small walls will slow down the water runoff and allow larger shrubs and trees to be planted, creating visual interest and layers of plant material on the hill.

Boulders for the rock outcroppings

Including the house in the design process is an important factor.  The materials selected can complement the house color and style.  In the case of the Davenport’s front slope hardscape design, a light wallstone was chosen to match the stone around the entrance of the house.  Large boulders were selected to compliment the blue-gray house color, and an accent of wallstone to match the house color.  This combination of material and color really brings the house into the landscape.

A section of finished wall using the 3 different types of stone

In creating a design for the slope, the rock walls and outcroppings were placed to create planting pockets that move the eye around the landscape.  A boulder “goat path” was included up the slope to increase accessibility to plant material thereby making weeding, watering, and general maintenance on the hill that much easier.

In order to help address issues of runoff and redirect some of the water which historically ran across the top area of the yard and down the slope, a space for a small rain garden was included in the design.  Water from the downspout on the corner of the house is directed into the rain garden where it can infiltrate back into the ground.  The old sidewalk is replaced with flagstone steppers and a bridge over the rain garden allows for continued access around the house.  The second downspout on the front of the house was retrofitted with an oak rain barrel which collects additional runoff from the roof which can easily be used to water plants.

In a future segment, I’ll address the design plan for the remaining area at the top of the slope and foundation plantings.

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By Carolyn Johnson

Summer is finally in full swing.  It sure feels like it with all this heat, doesn’t it?  We are now noticing in the garden, the effects of our cool and rainy spring.  Some things to watch for right now in your garden include magnolia scale, Japanese beetles, and cutworm on creeping jenny.

"Wooly" covering of the magnolia scale

Magnolia Scale:  We have seen evidence of scale on magnolias recently.  The scale is shiny and smooth, and often covered with a white, waxy coating.  Branches can become heavily infested which results in weakened or dead wood.  Scale creates a substance called honeydew which is excreted on the plant’s foliage and branches.  Sooty mold, a dark fungus, then develops on the honeydew on the leaves, thus detracting from the ornamental value of the tree.  You can rid the plant of scale by scratching them off (though you would have to remain diligent about this practice), applying horticultural oils in late August, or systemically spraying in late August or early September.

Japanese Beetles: We have begun to spot these insects on ornamental

The Japanese beetle up close and personal

plants in the past week.  The beetles are shiny, metallic green insects with tufts of white under their wing covers.  Most beetles tend to congregate and can do large amounts of damage by chewing on leaves and flowers of your prized roses.  Don’t think they are limited to roses for feeding, however.  Their taste palette includes more than 300 species of plants ranging from trees to shrubs to non-woody plants, including annuals.  The most effective method of controlling Japanese beetles is to hand pick them off your plants and drop them into a container with soapy water.  There are some contact sprays out there, like insecticidal soap, but if the beetle isn’t hit directly with the spray then it will not be controlled.  If you notice a large infestation of Japanese beetles, you may want to check your turf.  The beetles start as grubs in your turf and can cause the turf to die.

Cutworm and feeding damage on creeping jenny

Cutworm: We have been noticing a lot of cutworm damage to the creeping jenny ground cover as well.  It’s seems to be worse this year than in the past and possibly due to the wet spring we’ve experienced.  The leaves are practically chewed to nothing leaving the stems of the plant looking very sad, indeed!  We spread a natural product called Diatomaceaous Earth that you can find at your local garden center.  The product has an abrasive feel that when the exoskeletons of pests, such as cutworm and slugs, cross over the product it causes the insects to dehydrate and die.

We hope this gives you a few things to be watchful for in your gardens.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

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By Ann Davenport

Chickweed's "daisy-like" flower

At first glance, I wouldn’t call chickweed a horribly offensive weed.  In fact, it is kind of cute…in small doses.  However, this year it seems as though there are no “small doses” of chickweed.  Everywhere I turn, I see it forming a groundcover-like mat in the garden.

Common chickweed, Stellaria media, is an annual weed that produces thin, long stems that sprawl along then ground.  It is a weed with shallow roots, making it easy to pull.  However, when pulled, the stems appear to stretch a little than easily break.  Kind of an annoying habit when you think about it!

Despite its annoying habits, common chickweed is relatively easy to control by hand pulling or cultivating.  Get out there in your garden and go after it when you are feeling patient and wanting to pay attention to the small details.

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