Plan before you plant Plan before you plant (January 09, 2004)

Course helps budding landscapers get their gardens growing

by Lorraine Sanders

F ran Adams likes a challenge. When she moved into the Palo Alto home where she has lived since 1976, Adams saw just one flaw in her new environs. And she planned to fix it with food.

"It didn't have any garden. We had this sort of game of doing the entire yard as edible landscaping. We had over 50 plants in the yard. Even the groundcover was edible," she said. "Many people were totally unaware that the entire yard was edible."

The trees were dwarf cherry trees. Thyme, strawberries, chamomile and rosemary covered the ground. Vegetables abounded. And this was before edible gardens were trendy, Adams added.

Several years later, a trip to a San Jose iris garden sent Adams gardening down a new path.

"It triggered a memory that my mom would grow like 50 kinds of iris," Adams said. That prompted Adams to start growing irises at home. At its peak, the iris population in her yard included 200 varieties and covered 300 square feet.

"A lot of people think of me as the iris lady," Adams said. "But I've cut back now. I have about 100 kinds. I just love the way they look. It's like watching fireworks when they bloom."

Adams, who will be teaching Garden Design for Homeowners for the fifth time during the Palo Alto Adult School's winter session, has been gardening since she was in charge of the family asparagus patch at her childhood home in Wichita, Kan. Regularly accompanying her architect father on his visits to job sites gave Adams her early education in landscaping, architecture and how they complement each other. From her mother, a botanist and avid conservationist, Adams learned about plants and developed her interest in designing gardens that use land and water responsibly.

"I can't remember a time I didn't (garden)," she said. "People have always wanted me to. It's kind of odd that I ever did anything else."

Adams has a colorful bouquet of former careers. The soft-spoken landscaper studied at Stanford as an undergraduate, obtained her masters in anthropology from Yale, and spent 10 years writing and researching psycho-linguistics and labor migration. She also worked as a ceramic artist and became a computer programmer in the late 1980s. In 1990, Adams turned her lifelong love of landscaping into her own business, A Sense of Place.

"To do a good job at designing a garden, you actually need all these skills. Landscape design is the first thing I've done that is really compatible with who I am in all ways," Adams said.

In her upcoming course, Adams will focus on good design principles and give students practical skills they will need to plot and plan their own gardens, understand the garden installation process, and communicate with contractors and landscapers. Much like a studio art class, Adams begins teaching the color wheel, texture and form. For their first assignment, students will bring in a pot with three plants they choose to illustrate maximum contrast in color and texture. "Once you've done it on a small scale, you can think about how to do it at home," Adams said. She will also ask students to break into groups and head outdoors to measure an area for a fictitious garden. Working together, students will learn techniques they can use when they draw plans for their home gardens. Next Adams will address style and function, from details such as planning paths and the placement of water faucets to choosing an appropriate garden style for a house. Students will learn Palo Alto's different architectural styles and the gardens that complement each style.

"For a really ultra-modern house, you wouldn't want to put in a cottage garden, which is supposed to be a colorful sort of jungle look," Adams said. For a modern house, Adams suggests abstract and minimal styles embodied in Japanese, Southwestern and Mediterranean gardens.

Adams will also help students select plants, lighting, and paving and carpentry materials. Later in the course, the class will discuss methods for using drainage, irrigation and soil preparation. A guest speaker will teach the class about low-maintenance planting. The class will also take a field trip to Gamble Garden. Adams has her game plan for the class, but says she is always willing to accommodate her students.

"We adapt to their interests. One class was particularly interested in getting a big plant vocabulary. We ended up spending time in each class on each plant category," Adams explained.

If you're a homeowner working with a tiny or awkward space, Adams says not to worry. Palo Altans seem to have a knack for making the most out of their yards, regardless of size.

"Our houses are so large and so close together," Adams said. "I remember my mother visiting and she couldn't believe how much people were making out of small spaces in Palo Alto. She was impressed." With careful thought and planning, small spaces can offer just as much as large spaces, Adams said, especially if you choose a Japanese garden or other style appropriate for maximizing small spaces. Adams believes that landscaping is about connecting a person to nature and the outside world, whatever size you have to work with.

In addition to letting her create budding landscapers, Adams also looks forward to the course because it allows her to be a teacher, a common profession in her family. Adams always thought she would end up teaching, and she loves the chance it gives her to relate to people in a new way. Also, she says her personality is especially helpful to inquisitive students.

"I'm a quiet person," Adams said. "Apparently, what sets me apart is that I'm willing to answer questions and listen."
What: Garden Design for Homeowners When: Tuesday, Jan. 20.-March 9, 6:30-9 p.m. Where: Palo Alto High School, Room 807 Cost: $89 Info: Call Palo Alto Adult School at (650) 329-3752 or visit www.paadultschool.org.

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