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© Project SOUND Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants Project SOUND - 2010

Elegant espaliers

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This lecture was given in December, 2010 as part of the California native plant gardening series ‘Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden’

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© Project SOUND

Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden

Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants Project SOUND - 2010

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© Project SOUND

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.

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© 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

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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

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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

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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

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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?