Landscaping our atrium
We moved into our atrium model back in november and are finally tired of looking at the dead plants when we eat our meals (we have a 4/2 model that has a galley kitchen/multi purpose area behind the two car garage.) Does anyone in Terra Linda (or anywhere with a similar climate) have any suggestions for some hardy, good looking plants that are compatible with the modern home) . I bought the Private Landscapes book which looks great but I'm not sure that we are capable of the upkeep on gardens that look like that (we have two small children)...so i'd love to hear from some real people (or see some pictures?). Thanks in advance.
Japanese garden design is highly appropriate for your eichler, or any mid-century modern home. As you may know, Eichler's architects and many other architects in the 50s and 60s were influenced by 19th century Japanese design (1800s). The great thing is, there are many books today that detail Japanese gardens, making it easy for you to DIY. Your local home improvement store and your local book store can provide you with some great resources. Also, Japanese gardens offer some great plant which will work well in your artium.
Check out Barry Brisco's Eichler for a tour of his landscape: http://www.totheweb.com/eichler/landscaping.html
Good luck. We expect pictures when you finish!
We are located in Terra Linda. Our atrium is a bit on the Japanese side. We have two Japanese maples that do wonderfully and the colors in the fall are beautiful, although they do get burnt in the hot August/September sun. We put in a variety of plants, many of which couldn't take the heat, but we have a variety of ferns that are always lush and green. THe drip system mists them daily. My husband doesn't like them too much, but they always look good. We also have some short little clumpy grasses that look good. It is totally no maintenance. If you want exact plant ideas, write back and I will send you a list.
