by Kirk Walden
On May 16, 2020, the Travis County Master Gardeners will host our 10th “Inside Austin Gardens Tour.” We will be opening five personal gardens plus Extension’s Demonstration Garden for the public to tour. Our recurring theme is “For Gardeners – By Gardeners” in order to show the public what each gardener achieved by using native and adapted plants in their landscape, allowing for less water use, less fertilization, and less chemicals, even in areas with deer populations and poor soils. Each month we will feature one or more of the gardens and some of our wonderful tour sponsors.
For details on our upcoming tour, and to purchase tickets, go to https://www.insideaustingardens.org
How can two busy young professionals with an active two-year-old daughter maintain a pleasing outdoor environment? Yogini Prajapati and Deepak Surana found the answer: control the scale to control the maintenance.
When they began their redesign of the L-shaped, urban-size back yard in early 2019, they were determined to create a low maintenance space for entertaining and relaxing, as well as a play area for their daughter. They covered the original crushed granite patio with artificial turf and reset the stoned area to form a larger hardscaped adult terrace. A custom swing beckons guests and provides a ready view of the play area.
The adjacent play yard was outfitted with a six-inch layer of kiddie mulch for safety. It holds a slide and swing set, a sandbox, a flower chalkboard on the fence, and music wall—all within a tightly defined space. Up-lights extend play time into the evening.
The side yard boasts vegetables and herbs for home consumption. Dotted throughout the garden are a variety of low maintenance plants in-ground or in containers. Clumping bamboo adds privacy. Big blue liriope, variegated ginger, and abelia add texture and color.
Yogini Prajapati and Deepak Surana now have a functional family space to enjoy with a minimal amount of effort.
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