Tuesday, May 31, 2022

18th-century Garden Techniques


See the methods colonists used to help plants flourish in spite of the weather. Colonial Williamsburg gardeners Wesley Greene and Don McKelvey take us through the Colonial Nursery, located in the Historic Area across the street from Bruton Parish Church, to show us the 18th-century tools that enabled colonists to keep fruits and vegetables protected over the winter.

707-678-8200
Dixon Landscape Materials
150 East H Street
Dixon CA 95620

Saturday, May 28, 2022

Gardening History : 18th century


In the 18th century gardens were laid out more naturally, without any walls. This style of smooth undulating grass, which would run straight to the house, clumps, belts and scattering of trees and his serpentine lakes formed by invisibly damming small rivers, were a new style within the English landscape, a "gardenless" form of landscape gardening, which swept away almost all the remnants of previous formally patterned styles. The English landscape garden usually included a lake, lawns set against groves of trees, and often contained shrubberies, grottoes, pavilions, bridges and follies such as mock temples, Gothic ruins, bridges, and other picturesque architecture, designed to recreate an idyllic pastoral landscape. This new style emerged in England in the early 18th century, and spread across Europe, replacing the more formal, symmetrical garden à la française of the 17th century as the principal gardening style of Europe. The English garden presented an idealized view of nature. They were often inspired by paintings of landscapes by Claude Lorraine and Nicolas Poussin, and some were Influenced by the classic Chinese gardens of the East, which had recently been described by European travelers. The work of Lancelot 'Capability' Brown was particularly influential. Also, in 1804 the Horticultural Society was formed.

Gardens of the 19th century contained plants such as the monkey puzzle or Chile pine. This is also the time when the so-called "gardenesque" style of gardens evolved. These gardens displayed a wide variety of flowers in a rather small space. Rock gardens increased in popularity in the 19th century.

India: In India, in the ancient times, patterns from sacred geometry and mandalas were used to design their gardens. Distinct mandala patterns denoted specific deities, planets, or even constellations. Such a garden was also referred to as a 'Mandala Vaatika'. The word 'Vaatika' can mean garden, plantation or parterre.

Read more, here.

707-678-8200
Dixon Landscape Materials
150 East H Street
Dixon CA 95620

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Flagstone : Early Sunset


This is a colorful addition to enhance your space. Patio 1"- 2", 1"- 2" Select

707-678-8200
Dixon Landscape Materials
150 East H Street
Dixon CA 95620


Sunday, May 22, 2022

Garden of the Month - Katherine Greenberg


Katherine Greenberg’s garden was inspired by the oak woodlands, grasslands, and chaparral of the surrounding valley and the redwood forests of the East Bay hills. She started developing the 1.3 acre garden in 1980 after building her home on a Lafayette hillside. Mindful of the need to conserve water, Katherine selected California native plants that are natural companions in the wild and suited to the climate and conditions of the site. Once established, the plants receive little or no supplemental irrigation...

707-678-8200
Dixon Landscape Materials
150 East H Street
Dixon CA 95620

Thursday, May 19, 2022

Gardening History : Cottage gardens


Cottage gardens, which emerged in Elizabethan times, appear to have originated as a local source for herbs and fruits. One theory is that they arose out of the Black Death of the 1340s, when the death of so many laborers made land available for small cottages with personal gardens. According to the late 19th-century legend of origin, these gardens were originally created by the workers that lived in the cottages of the villages, to provide them with food and herbs, with flowers planted among them for decoration. Farm workers were provided with cottages that had architectural quality set in a small garden—about 1 acre (0.40 ha)—where they could grow food and keep pigs and chickens.

Authentic gardens of the yeoman cottager would have included a beehive and livestock, and frequently a pig and sty, along with a well. The peasant cottager of medieval times was more interested in meat than flowers, with herbs grown for medicinal use rather than for their beauty. By Elizabethan times there was more prosperity, and thus more room to grow flowers. Even the early cottage garden flowers typically had their practical use—violets were spread on the floor (for their pleasant scent and keeping out vermin); calendulas and primroses were both attractive and used in cooking. Others, such as sweet William and hollyhocks, were grown entirely for their beauty.

Read more, here.

707-678-8200
Dixon Landscape Materials
150 East H Street
Dixon CA 95620

Monday, May 16, 2022

Flagstone : Gray Quartzite


This natural flagstone is available in Patio 1"- 1.5"

707-678-8200
Dixon Landscape Materials
150 East H Street
Dixon CA 95620

Friday, May 13, 2022

Garden of the Week - Amy Whitworth and Lora Price


This design is a close collaboration between designers Amy Whitworth and Lora Price. The homeowner is an advocate for maintaining a landscape style befitting her neighborhood, and appropriate to her 1967 ranch home. Gracious lawn spaces are part of that aesthetic.

707-678-8200
Dixon Landscape Materials
150 East H Street
Dixon CA 95620

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

Gardening History : The Middle Ages


The Middle Ages represent a period of decline in gardens for aesthetic purposes. After the fall of Rome, gardening was done for the purpose of growing medicinal herbs and/or decorating church altars. Monasteries carried on a tradition of garden design and intense horticultural techniques during the medieval period in Europe. Generally, monastic garden types consisted of kitchen gardens, infirmary gardens, cemetery orchards, cloister garths and vineyards. Individual monasteries might also have had a "green court", a plot of grass and trees where horses could graze, as well as a cellarer's garden or private gardens for obedientiaries, monks who held specific posts within the monastery.

Islamic gardens were built after the model of Persian gardens and they were usually enclosed by walls and divided in four by watercourses. Commonly, the centre of the garden would have a reflecting pool or pavilion. Specific to the Islamic gardens are the mosaics and glazed tiles used to decorate the rills and fountains that were built in these gardens.

By the late 13th century, rich Europeans began to grow gardens for leisure and for medicinal herbs and vegetables. They surrounded the gardens by walls to protect them from animals and to provide seclusion. During the next two centuries, Europeans started planting lawns and raising flowerbeds and trellises of roses. Fruit trees were common in these gardens and also in some, there were turf seats. At the same time, the gardens in the monasteries were a place to grow flowers and medicinal herbs but they were also a space where the monks could enjoy nature and relax.

The gardens in the 16th and 17th century were symmetric, proportioned and balanced with a more classical appearance. Most of these gardens were built around a central axis and they were divided into different parts by hedges. Commonly, gardens had flowerbeds laid out in squares and separated by gravel paths.

Gardens in Renaissance were adorned with sculptures, topiary and fountains. In the 17th century, knot gardens became popular along with the hedge mazes. By this time, Europeans started planting new flowers such as tulips, marigolds and sunflowers.

Read more, here.

707-678-8200
Dixon Landscape Materials
150 East H Street
Dixon CA 95620

Saturday, May 7, 2022

Flagstone : Gold Quartzite

This golden flagstone is available in Patio 1"- 1.5" & 1.5"- 2", and 3/4"" Minus Stand Up

707-678-8200
Dixon Landscape Materials
150 East H Street
Dixon CA 95620

Sunday, May 1, 2022

Understanding the Land


Construction requires both study and observation, and the process varies in different parts of the world. Landscaping varies according to different regions. Therefore, normally local natural experts are recommended if it is done for the first time. Understanding of the site is one of the chief essentials for successful landscaping. Different natural features and phenomena, like the position of the Sun, terrain, topography, soil qualities, prevailing winds, depth of the frost line, and the system of native flora and fauna must be taken into account. Sometimes the land is not fit for landscaping. In order to landscape it, the land must be reshaped to direct water for appropriate drainage. This reshaping of land is called grading. Sometimes in large landscaping projects for example, parks, sports fields and reserves soil may need to be improved by adding nutrients for growth of plants or turf, this process is called soil amelioration.

Removal of earth from the land is called cutting while when earth is added to the slope, it is called filling. Sometimes the grading process may involve removal of excessive waste (landfills), soil and rocks, so designers should take into account while in the planning stage.

Read more, here.

707-678-8200
Dixon Landscape Materials
150 East H Street
Dixon CA 95620