Step One: Constructing the Plan Landscape architect Pete Pedersen and his wife, Vicki, would like to transform their backyard into an area where their children can play and the adults can relax. Their woodland retreat will include a winding garden path, sitting area and softly curving stairs that lead to a small landing. To achieve the desired rustic atmosphere, host Ken Bastida and Pete offer the following recommendations:
- Avoid straight lines and sharp edges in the paths and borders, and install a curved staircase for a less rigid, more natural look.
- To create the illusion of being far from civilization, use plants to hide buildings and reduce traffic noise.
- Border the garden path with a rock retaining wall. To avoid using mortar, cut into the hill at an angle, and build a staggered rock wall leaning into the rise. This wall will also prevent the hillside from sliding.
- To build the staircase, purchase salvage pressure-treated 6" x 6" Douglas fir beams.
- Use a 5/8-inch bit to drill four pilot holes in each beam, and hold the steps in place with two-foot pieces of rebar, making sure that each step is 10 to 12 inches deep.
- Fill the stairs, pathways and landing with layers of inexpensive decomposed granite. Wet and stamp down each layer before applying the next.
Tip: Use a circular saw with a carborundum blade to cut the rebar to size. This type of blade can usually be found in hardware stores and home-improvement centers for $3 or less. The best equipment for the job is a bar cutter that can be rented for approximately $20 a day.
Step Two: Planting a Woodland Garden
To age the featured garden, the designer partially buried rocks in the dirt and added low-growing plants beneath the edges of the stairs and below the rocks. The woodland effect is further enhanced by the addition of shrubs and plants for the canopy. The selected plants are
- Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), Zones 6-9
- Tasmanian tree fern (Dicksonia antarctica), Zones 9-10
- Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), Zones 4-8
- Red cestrum (Cestrum elegans), Zone 11
- Dwarf blackberry (Rubus calycinoides), Zones 7-9
- Mock orange (Philadephus), Zones 5-9
- Vinca, or periwinkle, Zones 4-11
- Hosta, or plantain lily, Zones 3-8
- Viburnum (Viburnum davidii), Zones 8-9
Step Three: Furnishing a Woodland Garden
Landscape contractor Alain Joske suggests adding simple accessories and furnishings to complete the Pedersens' forestlike expanse. Ken adds a table made from weathered bamboo and another constructed from a tree stump, and a small fountain is installed to mimic the wilderness and block traffic sounds.
Step Four: The Finished Product
At a cost of less than $1,000 and in just a few weekends, a previously useless space has been transformed into a beautiful woodland environment.
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