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Smoke and Oak Railroad Located in Pennsylvania This image from Charlie Zimmerman does not use Photoshop—everything was captured live with his camera. First, he used a garden hose to add enough water for a reflection in the shot. He then added a single off-camera light to help illuminate the train so it wouldn’t get washed […]
How to build a pondless waterfall: In considering the infrastructure of garden railways, waterways come high on the list of those items that are best built early in the process. It’s hard to beat the sight and sound of moving water or the mirrored allure of a pond. However, I won’t deal with ponds in […]
Last year we visited Las Vegas’ hot garden railways, which were set against a vast arid moonscape, or so it seemed to this New Englander (now gardening in northern California). As I looked closer, I saw beautiful gems of silver-blue, coral, and sage-green set in a sea of khaki. Diverse in color and texture, all […]
Whether you’re building on a hillside or on the flatlands, terracing your railway may scale down some problems while increasing interest. If you’re starting with either a boring, flat yard or an unstable slope that’s fit only for goats, we’ll look at some grading methods that allow better access to trains, ease of maintenance, conservation […]
Latin name: Bacopa ‘Snowstorm’ Common name: Snowstorm bacopa Plant type: Annual Flower color: White Plant size: 3″ tall by 18″ wide USDA Hardiness Zones: 9-10 Cultural needs: Moderately moist, part sun This easy to grow, annual flowering plant offers relatively small-scale features to garden railroaders around the country. Often used for hanging baskets and container […]
Common name: Creeping milkwort, chapparal pea, box-leaved milkwort Latin name: Polygala chamaebuxus var. grandiflora Plant type: Perennial USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-8 Plant size: 4″ (possibly mounding to 10″), spreading very slowly to 2′ wide Cultural needs: Well-drained, moist, acid soil; sun or bright shade; slow-release evergreen/acidic fertilizer If we didn’t wait so long to get […]
Five ways to make your plants thrive Whatever the emphasis you put on the garden part of your railroad, wouldn’t you like knowing the results of your work will be worth the effort? Understanding a few basics about plant needs and soil conditions is a good starting place toward achieving the results you want. 1. […]
A beginner’s guide to plants For many railway gardeners, the “garden” is the most challenging aspect of a garden railroad. Like all living things, outdoor plants have unpredictable habits; growing, changing, moving, and sometimes even dying on us for no apparent reason. Latin names, horticultural terms, and gardening techniques can be confusing to a beginner. […]
When developing the landscape for a garden railroad, one needs to consider the role of water in shaping the topography. Even in the flattest areas, streams and rivers carve their way across the land. Where there are hills and mountains, these waterways often gouge out ravines and rocky streambeds. It is these topographical features, giving […]
Soil is the foundation of the garden in more ways than one. As goes the soil, so goes the garden. Soil is much more than just dirt. It is a mix of fine rock particles, organic matter, water, air, and microorganisms. How plants perform in your garden and the things you do to encourage them […]
Latin name: Juniperus communis ‘Compressa’ Common name: Dwarf Irish juniper Category: dwarf conifer Needle color: blue green Growth rate: 1″-3″/yr. USDA Hardiness Zone: 5-9 Cultural needs: sun and well-drained soil This upright and very narrow form of common juniper is a perfect complement to garden-railroad designs because of its distinctive form and small-scale features. Narrow, […]
Latin name: Solenostemon scutellarioides Common name: Miniature coleus Growth rate: Varies Plant type: Annual Cultural needs: Full sun to partial shade, moderate water Coleus plants aren’t just for windowsills and border edging anymore. Hundreds of exciting varieties are now available from specialty growers, offering an amazing array of colors and textures for gardens everywhere. Miniature […]
