A Slice of Paradise in Jersey City
This terrace project installed in Jersey City overlooks the Hudson River and has fierce winds and nearly all-day sun to contend with from its southeastern exposure. To increase the degree of challenge, there was no outdoor faucet from which to install an irrigation system.
I chose purple plum trees, bamboo, and alberta spruces for the foundational "bones" of the garden. All of these plants tolerate heavy wind and all day sun.
The low-lying flowering plants were more sheltered from the wind by the outer walls of the terrace, so we were able to use bright red petunias, yellow ever-blooming dayliles, colorful coleus, and trailing vinca major to create a lush and graceful effect.
I chose chocolatey dark brown copper planters to go here because they matched the color of the terrace walls and the customer's furnishings both indoors and out. I love the modern, sleek feel of these simultaneously dark and shiny planters.
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Leaving it up to the Super?
I get asked all the time whether or not it's okay to let the super or a building maintenance person care for the newly installed plants in the landscape of a New York City apartment building. I have to wonder if these people would entrust their pets or possibly even their children to the building maintenance staff? Probably not.
It's always better to seek professional help for your garden maintenance tasks by hiring a landscaper or gardener to make routine maintenance visits. As long as the garden has an irrigation system, once a month maintenance visits from April-November should be enough to help nip any potential plant problems in the bud before any major problems can occur. A professional will fertilize your plants at every visit to help keep them thriving and blooming, prune and train plants, resolve any pest or disease problems, and make adjustments to the irrigation system as the seasons change.
For people who don't have an irrigation system, more frequent visits (once or twice a week), should be scheduled if you need help in keeping up with the watering (for container plants especially, since they tend to dry out much faster than plants in the ground). It can actually be much cheaper in the long run to go ahead and install an irrigation system for this reason.
With the right maintenance strategy, your plants will stay healthy and thriving throughout many seasons of enjoyment. From a practical standpoint, it may save you money on plant replacements to leave the maintenance in the hands of a professional.
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Dripping with Enthusiasm
I'm in love with these dripping multi-colored glazed ceramic pots. They come in lots of incredible colors and they have such an earthy, vivacious feel to them. I find them very hard to resist. As with any ceramic pots, you should check to make sure the ones you purchase are suitable for outdoor use and come with drainage holes already drilled.
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