Fences, Drainage Solutions, and More

The first improvement is this cedar privacy fence along James' property (figure A). The fence varies in height from eight feet, to serve as a backdrop for an evergreen bed, to four feet, to provide privacy without completely shutting out the neighbors.

Fencing also makes plants stand out. Compare how this pine looks when planted out in the open (figure C) with the same tree planted in front of a fence (figure D). Notice how the fence defines the tree and makes it "pop."

To create your own dry creek bed with stone, dig a trench roughly 18 inches deep and three feet wide. Next, line the trench with stone to mimic the look of a natural stream (figure F). "At the end of the stream, I built this simple bridge from 2- by 6-inch rough cedar lumber to cover an existing storm drain that was really ugly" (figure G). James recommends dressing the creek up with additional accent stones, some boulders here and there and, of course, some plants.

James' stone wall meanders for 170 feet and serves as a border for a brand new bed. But before he can think about planting anything, there are more drainage issues to deal with. "This bed takes a tremendous amount of rain from my neighbor's gutter," explains James, "and rather than have that water gush right out into the bed, I've rigged a method of diverting and re-distributing its flow."