Garden Design...A "Quick-Start" Guide

Garden Design 'Quick Start Guide' only $1.99

2012-07-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

Learn my concepts for garden and landscape design and construction. Shown here are the introduction page and the first page of the sections on garden design, planted beds, and three common items you should never use. Plus, you will receive sections about hardscape design and construction and some great ways to add the finishing touches.

Garden Design 'Quick Start Guide'

Order Today...only $1.99 + tax. Reg. $4.99

Click "Buy Now" and your copy will be emailed as a PDF file within 24 hours.

Quesions or comments? Email me at: dpearl1@hotmail.com

Symphony of Succulents In My Garden

2012-07-07T20:44:00.000-07:00

Of course, the Euphorbia cotinifolia is not a succulent. Like many Euphorbia species it has wonderful color and is easy to grow in frost-free climates. We planted one and have fallen in love with it.

For your purple passion the Euphorbia cotinifolia, (above) Caribbean Copper Plant, is a superb purple foliage plant for frost-free zones. A perfect alternative to the sometimes difficult to grow Japanese maples. This one was planted May 2012 from a 5 gallon container in our garden in San Diego. In six short weeks it has grown more than six inches. You can see the inconspicuous small white flower in the inset above.

“Look, Ma. No water!” (almost)… These succulents in our garden in San Diego belong to the Echeveria (blue-gray rosettes) and Sedum (dark green ground cover) species. All were planted in April 2012 and have thrived. It is surprising and pleasing to see how quickly they have grown and put on their showy floral displays. The variety and colors available in the Echeveria species is sure have something to please every gardener.

They need very little water. Even the container at far right merely needs a modest drink once per week during our warm July days.

Garden Design 'Quick Start Guide' 60% Off!

2012-07-04T12:56:00.001-07:00

Sale Extended

Now thru July 15

'Quick Start Guide' only $1.99 + tax.
60% OFF

Regularly $4.99

Click "Buy Now" Button Below

Thank your America for your interest and support of the 'Quick Start Guide' to home garden and landscape design.

Questions or Comments Send us an email

New dition of A 'Quick Start Guide' available

2012-07-02T11:01:00.004-07:00

"Your ideas are terrific!"

Mike Nowak - radio and TV gardening expert

Order Now...Only $4.99 + tax.

Click Pay Pal "Buy Now" button below.

Your copy will be emailed to you as a PDF file within 24 hours.

Full refund if not fully satisfied.

Thousands of copies of our 'Quick Start Guide' to home garden and landscape design have already been distributed. All prior owners will be automatically emailed the all new updated edition and any future

editions.

You will learn how to quickly design colorful and environmentally friendly gardens and select easy care, low maintenance plantings. And find out about the three things you should never use in your gardens. We demonstrate that hardscapes will make or break your gardens, and how to add those charming finishing touches.

Order Now

Comments or questions: Email us. We will respond within 24 hours.

Sale! 50% OFF 'Quick Start Guide' thru July 1

2012-06-25T13:11:00.001-07:00

Order Now

Garden 'Quick Start Guide' is 50% OFF Thru July 1, 2012

Only $2.49 + tax

Reg. Price $4.99. Full refund if not completely satisfied.

CLICK 'BUY NOW' BELOW

See full details about our acclaimed resource for home gardeners and landscapers.
Garden Design 'Quick Start Guide'

Questions or comments?

Selling your home? 'How To' tips from Barbara Corcoran

2012-06-23T09:36:00.001-07:00

Well known real estate expert, Barbara Corcoran, is seling her own home in Pawling, New York. She appeared on the "Today" show while at her home in a segment where she gives some very good tips that home sellers should follow before listing their homes.

Here were my "take always" from her appearance: (Here is a link:Barbara Corcoran is selling her own home)
1) Toward the end she says, "I hope a gardener buys my house" after taking us on a walk through her 'Secret Garden."
2) She hired an inspector before she listed the home and repaired the minor things. She says that for every $1.00 she spent on these repairs buyers would want $3.00 deducted from the price.

Here is another YouTube video from Barbara Corcoran where she tells now important landscaping is to making a good first impression:

Making a first impression with nice gardens.

The bottom line here is that gardens and landscaping truly are key factors in making a home attractive to buyers.

Garden Design 'Quick Start Guide' only $4.99

2012-06-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

Click on video above.

Welcome to my garden in San Diego. We finished this project in only three days with "a little help from our friends." Our 'Quick Start Guide' shows you how to create wonderful gardens that are full and colorful, easy to maintain, and need much less water. You will save lots of money and your gardens will be the envy of the neighborhood.

Click "Buy Now" below. Order your copy of the 'Quick Start Guide' for garden and landscape design today. Only $4.99 + tax.

This project was designed and finished by us a few years ago. It has been featured in a major regional gardening magazine. The 'before' photo (at bottom) shows a an uninspired back yard. The finished gardens have transformed this home into a delightful retreat to enjoy.

Gardening 'Quick Start Guide' ... now only $4.99 + tax.

Order your copy now.

click the "Buy Now" button below

You will learn how to design, plant, and create your perfect, easy care gardens.

Satisfaction fully guaranteed. Full refund if not 100% satisfied.

Here are five key concepts I have learned, practiced, and presented to many groups during my 20 years in the creative business of garden and landscape design, landscape contracting, and the lawn and garden profession:

1) Have a plan...have a theme. Create 'outdoor living spaces.'

Learn the elements of design used by landscape and garden design professionals. These easy-to-follow ideas will guide you to wonderful gardens for your home.

2) Planted beds are everything. Large beds are good. Large lawns are not so good!

See the most important things to do in your garden...and some urgent "Don'ts" that many people forget.

3) Three things to never use: plastic lawn edging, gaudy colored stone, and forced concrete block retaining walls.

This might be obvious to some, but we see way too much of these. They are costly, often unsightly, but simple to avoid. We show you the best materials you should consider using.

4) Hardscapes will make or break your garden.

The stones, patios, garden walls, and other elements you choose truly will make your gardens memorable...or forgettable. We show you many ways to create fantastic hardscapes.

5) The finishing touches...objet d'art, objet trouve.

The little treasures that tell everyone that this is your garden. We help you find and place them,

The concepts shown above are appropriate for gardens and landscapes everywhere. We have worked in climates from the hot deserts of Arizona, to the American Midwest, to Southern California and San Diego.

Here's what the major media has said about us. . .

"Your ideas are terrific"
Master Gardener Mike Nowak on his gardening program on WGN Radio AM 720 Chicago. Mike is a media celebrity and a wonderful gardener: http://www.mikenowak.net/

"An old world feeling that makes you think the luxuriant growth has always been there."

"You leave the subdivision behind and say Bonjour! to a garden involving all five senses."
Chicagoland Gardening Magazine

"The most spectacular gardens you're going to see.". . . . . . "fabulous garden!"
NBC Channel 5 News Chicago

We truly believe that environmental responsibility should begin at home. By taking care to create landscaping and gardens that require a minimum of water, avoids plastics and other 'artificial ingredients', and uses little or no pesticides, you'll save time, money, and enhance and preserve your own piece of our planet.

In the weeks ahead be sure to click back in for the full story as we fully develop each of the above 5 Key Concepts. You will clearly see how your gardens will benefit. You can quite easily create lush and colorful gardens that are easy to maintain, will save you lots of money, and be environmentally friendly. And, be the envy of your neighborhood!

Your PDF file with your "Quick Start Guide" will be emailed to you within 24 hours. Available through PayPal. Be sure to enter your email address correctly in your PayPal account. Sorry...no regular U. S. Postal Service orders can be mailed. This offer is delivered via email only.

Your satisfaction is fully guaranteed. Full refund if not satisfied.

You must notify is within 24 hours of delivery for refund.

Email me with your comments and suggestions: dpearl1@hotmail.com

See us at the San Diego Fair in Del Mar

2012-06-09T10:32:00.001-07:00

Visit our award winning display in the Flower & Garden Show at the fairgrounds in Del Mar. The show runs June 8 thru July 4.

Meet us, landscape designers David Pearling and Bianca Romani, on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the fair in our garden display "Pathway to the Planets."

Our garden display won the Walter Anderson Award for The Most Practical Landscape.

Let us help you create the landscape and gardens of your dreams. Using the five key concepts from my 'Quick Start Guide' (see link at right) your home will be the envy of the neighborhood.

To reach us directly... call my cell phone 630-863-5712

Or email me at dpearl1@hotmail.com

Call us now to schedule your free in-home consultation.

My projects...before and after

2012-05-29T09:25:00.002-07:00

Our volunteer carpet of Mexican primrose

2012-05-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

We'd like to thank our volunteers, Mexican primrose. Every spring we are treated to a fine display of pink flowering Oenothera speciosa. They come up by themselves by mid spring and for a few weeks this is our bouquet at our home in San Diego's North Park neighborhood. By early summer the plants dry up and almost disappear by themselves. Some minimal cleanup in the winter removes the dried growth in a few minutes and makes the beds ready for the following spring.

Delightful topiary garden in San Diego

2012-05-20T14:40:00.001-07:00

A New Patio Garden in San Diego

2012-04-01T10:05:00.010-07:00

These photos show the dramatic before and after transformation of a back yard garden located in San Diego's North Park neighborhood. Here you can see that the old patio was an outdated use of 12" x 12" concrete stepping stones. Alternating stones were stained darker to give a checkerboard effect.

The open soil area was a long neglected patch of bare dirt. The goal was to design a new 'outdoor room' that increased both the patio area and reduced the amount of concrete to the left to give more room for planting.

The concrete areas that have the orange paint marks were removed. This allowed for a lot more planting space adjacent to the back porch. All of the checkerboard pavers were removed and replaced with modern brick paving stones. A seating wall now partially encloses the patio closest to the home on two sides.

Here are some photos taken after the installation of the paving stones and seating wall had been completed. At this time the budget did not allow for a lot of planting. But the owners were able to get started on the planting right away. They love to garden and intend to fill in the open areas as time permits.

This project was designed by me and completed by Paving Stone of San Diego for whom I work as an independent designer. We also recommended that the open planted areas have the soil improved. The old soil, mostly heavy clay, was removed to a depth of six inches. An amended high quality top soil was added to these spaces. The new soil is wonderful to plant in.

Planting choices wisely include succulents and other low water use plants. And as important, no lawn! Lawns are extremely water thirsty and require vast amounts of maintenance time. You should eliminate as much lawn as you can.

This project was completed in only two days and ready to use immediately. The watering and maintenance needs will be minimal.

Please contact me if you would like more information or a design for your home.

2012-02-13T15:47:00.000-08:00

Gardening Observation:

A Tale of Two Redbuds - The eastern redbud tree, Cercis canandensis, is one of my favorites for its profusion of pink, branch hugging blossoms in the early spring. The redbud on the left was photographed by me in Joliet, Illinois on May 1, 2011. It is small - only pehaps seven feet tall. The one on the right was also taken by me in San Diego on Feb. 4, 2012.

I only recently learned that redbuds can be grown in warm climates like San Diego. The Sunset Western Garden Book lists it for all zones in the U.S. including the hot desert if given some shade. I do not not recall ever seeing one in Phoenix however during the time I lived and worked there.

In the Midwest there is hardly a more charming small to medium tree. It has a profusion of flowers in late April in the Chicago area. It grows 30 ft. (10 m) tall and as wide. When grown as an "understory" tree beneath taller varieties it has a fairy land look when in bloom. If you live in Joliet drive by the home at the corner of Westridge Rd. and Timbercrest Dr. in late April and you will see what I mean. This subdivision is south of Black Rd. across from the Rock Run Forest Preserve near I-55.

A drive along I-94 in southern Michigan between Kalamazoo and Ann Arbor in late April is sure to please. There are hundreds of naturally growing redbuds where the forest meets a clearing beside the road.

Unfortunately, redbuds have a higher than average rate of dying when first planted. Many do not bloom or leaf out the first spring after planting. For this reason we were reluctant to plant them when we were in the landscaping business in that area. They need rich soil and do poorly in the heavy clay found in many subdivisions.

Which brings me to the San Diego specimen shown above. It was planted late last spring in the newly installed median garden in Thorn St. in the Altadena neighborhood in North Park. I believe it is the 'Forest Pansy' variety. For neighborhood beautification the pavement was removed in this wide stretch of Thorn St. and a block-long garden median installed. It is a nice addition to this neighborhood where I live. Five redbuds were planted. Only the one shown shows any outward signs of life now.

I wonder if redbuds were an appropriate choice for this location. Perhaps crepe myrtle, Lagerstroemia indica, would have been better. The Sunset Western Garden Book does not list it for Zone 24 where I live but there are many that thrive nearby and throughout San Diego. I don't know why Sunset does not list it for Zone 24.

As a garden lover I find it interesting that to redbuds at least spring comes to San Diego twelve week earlier than it does to the far southwestern suburbs of Chicago.

A "Perfect" Landscape Design

2011-08-10T19:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a landscape design we recently created for a client in Escondido, California.

She has a tired looking existing landscape consisting of mostly 3/4" granite and a few palm trees.

Instead, her goal is to transform her front gardens into an outdoor room entertaining space.

When we delivered her finished design, she said, "It's perfect."

Have A Plan On Paper

2010-02-25T10:12:00.000-08:00

Spring is just around the corner. Lets get ready to design your gardens now.

A garden plan on paper has several advantages. Your spaces, or "outdoor rooms," will have the best look and feel. A plan enables you to draw in your plantings at their mature size. This will help to prevent overcrowding or plantings too close your home or other structures.

The easiest to create a plan on paper is with your plat-of-survey. This document is typically given to you when you purchase your home. If you can't locate it, perhaps your county recorder of deeds, city hall, or mortgage company can give you copy. You can also hire a engineer to create one, but the cost might be several hundred dollars or more. You can also create a plat yourself by measuring your property and the buildings and putting this information on paper.

Many plats have a scale of 1 inch = 20 feet. This scale may be too small to easily create your garden and landscape plan. I recommend a scale of 1 inch = 8 feet (1" = 8') or even 1 inch = 4 feet for small properties. You can easily enlarge your 1" =20' plat to 1"= 8' by using a copier and enlarging by 250% (1/8" is 250% larger than 1/20").

Shown here is a sample plat-of-survey that in the days ahead we will develop into a finished garden and landscape plan. You should follow along. Using our techniques your gardens will practically design themselves. It's a lot fun!

Garden Design Blog Post Coming March 1, 2010

2009-12-15T10:28:00.000-08:00

Coming soon, right after the new year begins, we will post some great garden and landscape design tips for you. By using these ideas in your gardens you will have full, colorful gardens that are easily designed, easy to create, and easy to maintain. Plus...they will save you time, money, and be "green"...environmentally friendly. If fact, by using these ideas that I have learned in 20 years in the landscaping business your gardens will practically design themselves. Really! And, be the envy of your neighborhood.

Before we start, perhaps you should gather together a few things: First, a copy of your plat-of-survey of your property. Next, some snapshots looking both in toward your home and out toward your perimeter. Finally, an architect's scale and/or an engineer's scale and maybe a landscape design template. We'll say more about later about where you can acquire these.

So far so good? Email me any questions you have: dpearl1@hotmail.com

Look for the first installment early in March 2010.

A Quick Stone Patio

2009-11-07T09:06:00.001-08:00

Here is an easy stone patio that can be finished in half a day. All you need are 25 to 30 large, flat stepping stones approximately 18" by 24" each, give or take. You can buy these at many suppliers of landscaping materials. Just dig out any grass that you have and loosen the soil beneath.

You do not need to add any sand or gravel for leveling the stones. Large stones like these are stable enough on their own. After setting stones and leveling them with the loosened soil beneath you can fill in between with mulch or add more soil and ground cover plantings.

It is a good idea to enclose a space like this with some plantings behind. A mix of evergreens and some some flowering shrubs or perennials will finish it nicely.

Keep in mind that you need not locate a patio like this immediately off the back of your home. This patio and garden is placed at the back corner of a relatively small back yard. This "outdoor room" was created at the same home described in the post showing the front greeting pad at a home in Naperville, Illinois.

Front Entry "Outdoor Room"

2009-11-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we neglect the concept of creating outdoor rooms in the front yard. But in reality, this is an important element of design. Too often the front porches of homes are small and not very inviting. You can transform your entry by adding a garden enclosed "greeting pad." This is space for welcoming guests, entertaining small groups, or simply a place to relax and wave across your street to the neighbors.

Pictured here is a front entry garden we created for home in Naperville, Illinois a few years ago. The original entry was simply a 3 ft. wide concrete walk that led from the drive to the front stoop. The homeowners disliked this and desired a more spacious and lush entry.

We removed the old concrete walk and replaced it with brick pavers. To its right (as you walk toward the entry) we created a large greeting pad with more pavers.

The space was enclosed with a "seating wall" made of concrete block wall stones from the same company that makes the pavers. This L-shaped wall stands about 24 inches tall and each leg is perhaps 15 or 20 feet long. No mortar is used. You simply affix the top two courses, coping included, with a suitable adhesive. These kinds of walls can be completed rapidly and with little effort.

Even though I generally discourage the use of concrete retaining wall stones, their use in seating walls is a good way to use them.

Brick Front Entry

2009-10-23T07:51:00.001-07:00

Here is a photo of a simple and easy brick entry at my daughter's home. The same style and color of brick that was used for the back patio is shown here.

The upper left photo shows the the old concrete walk that we broke up with a sledge hammer and used shovels to dig out about 8 inches of soil to allow for the gravel base for the new pavers. That work was done by two people and only took an hour or so. The same landscape contractor we hired to bring in his Bobcat tractor for the back patio hauled away the old concrete walk and diggings from the front entry area.

Like the back patio...we designed and installed these pavers with the idea of not needing to cut a single brick. This is an easy project that two people can finish in a day. With time to spare!

If you want to know the specific brand, style, and color of brick pavers just send me an email to dpearl1@hotmail.com

Outdoor Rooms - A Back Patio

2009-10-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

Bear in mind that there are many kinds of "outdoor rooms." We will present others in future posts. This patio was designed by me and I helped install it at my daughter's home in Joliet. Along with me and my daughter, we had the help of her two sisters and two friends. The entire project was finished in a single weekend.

It is important to note that we hired a landscape contractor with his Bobcat tractor to excavate the site. He removed the old grass and 8 to 10 inches of soil. This allowed room for the gravel base for the brick pavers. We used his tractor to bring the gravel from the street where it had been dumped to the patio site. I strongly recommend that you not attempt this back breaking work yourself with a shovel and wheel barrow!

During the first day the excavation was finished, the gravel leveled and compacted with a rented compactor. That made the second day's work relatively easy. We merely had to set the bricks on a 1" layer of coarse sand. The sandstone retaining wall was set in place after the pavers were finished.

Future posts will talk about some ideas for how your patio should look...its shape, size, and brick style. But our patio was able to be completed so quickly due to the fact that not one single brick had to be cut. We purposely designed it that way. Brick cutting is time consuming, messy, and you have to rent a loud and expensive diamond saw. We will show you how to design your own patio to avoid any brick cutting.

You can see from the pictures that the patios consists of rows of concentric circles. Several manufacturers of brick pavers produce these in a number of colors and styles. There are four or five different brick shapes on the same pallet and the manufacturer will give you a "cheat sheet" that show which shapes and how many are needed for each circle as you work out from the center.

Complete details in future posts.

Colors of Autumn

2009-10-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

In the Chicago area we are enjoying spectacular fall colors. Here are two photos of some plantings that illustrate some nice groupings. While I had no hand in the design or planting of this driveway entry for this home in Naperville I believe these deserve to be pointed out. Many of my own clients are unaware of the autumn splashes that many plant species make for us.

Near the back of the first photo we find a service berry (amelanchier) with its red-orange hues. This same plant appears in the second photo. Note the cluster of ornamental grasses in the foreground. This entry has been further embellished with cornstalks, pumpkins, and chrysanthemums set on bales of hay.

The second photo shows a burning bush (euonymus alatus) in prime fall color. To its left is a grouping of Montgomery spruce. Behind are viburnums and a service berry (amelanchier).

Garden Design...Five Key Concepts

2009-10-07T15:46:00.000-07:00

Here are five key concepts I have learned, and preached, after 20 years in the creative business of garden design, landscape contracting, and lawn and garden products:

1) Have a plan...have a theme. Create 'outdoor rooms.'

2) Planted beds are everything. Large beds are good. Large lawns are not so good!

3) Three things to never use: plastic lawn edging, gaudy colored stone, and forced concrete block retaining walls.

4) Hardscapes will make or break your garden.

5) The finishing touches...objet d'art, objet trouve.

In the weeks ahead be sure to click back in for the full story on each of the above 5 Key Concepts. You will clearly see how your gardens will benefit. You can quite easily create lush and colorful gardens that are easy to maintain, will save you lots of money, and be environmentally sound. And hopefully, be the envy of your neighborhood!