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 […]
Building a large-scale railroad outdoors requires varying amounts of earth shaping. Unless you are laying a pre-formed roadbed on a flat lawn, there’s going to be some digging and/or hauling of soil, at the bare minimum. The way you approach this may be as varied as there are individual ideas of what a garden railroad […]
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 […]
Pruning is a learned practice. No one starts out knowing how to best prune a woody shrub. All of us just have to take a stab at it and learn as we go. We make mistakes, try to forgive ourselves, then find that plants will forgive us and grow back as healthy as before. We […]
Common name: Maidenhair spleenwort Latin name: Asplenium trichomanes Plant type: Perennial Plant size: 3-12″ high x 3-12″ wide USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-11 Cultural needs: Moist, rich, well-drained soil or rock crevices; partial to full shade In the wilds of the Pacific Northwest, maidenhair spleenwort grows under overhanging rock ledges, in moist crevices at high elevations. […]
Common name: Grape hyacinth Latin name: Muscari sp. Plant type: Perennial Plant size: 5-8″ high and spreading USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9 Cultural needs: Moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil, full sun to part shade Late summer/early autumn is the time to pick up some bulbs to plant for spring blooming. Originating from the Mediterranean region, grape […]
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 […]
