silver plains project ~ region ~ front yard silver plains project ~ region ~ front yard

first impression

The front yard is being developed as an invitation / introduction to the array of wonderful native material being planted on the site. This region has a range of moisture conditions, from moist to dry, which facilitates making it an opening overture to the whole project. A mix of flora from many of the different regions on the rest of the site can be presented here.

Terrain changes and a path across it have the front yard split into four sub-regions:

ell  •  thumb  •  slope  •  triangle  

ell

We hope to one day move the front *man door* to the west side of the dwelling unit and to replace the unused overhead door (covered by a tarp) with a wall half way up and a window in the top portion of the opening. Relocating the main entrance will make the area adjacent to the front and (front) west side of the dwelling unit “L”-shaped.

This ell is quite warm in the summer as sunlight reflects off the building and heats the ground. While some will thrive, many species will not grow here. The ell also has a mix of moisture conditions due to runoff from roof and driveway which make parts of the area moist (even moist / wet in summers with high rainfall), while a few spots tend to dry out and bake in the sun. Excess runoff water is directed through winding furrows into a mini-culvert through the path which is parallel to and about 4 m from the front of the building.

Material in the ell, close to the driveway, must be either short (or plants that die back in the fall) to allow for snow clearing. A vine has been included at the southeast corner of the dwelling unit, which will eventually cover part of the front of the building.

thumb

The thumb is an extension of the tallgrass region of the site — the east yard — into the front yard. Much of the thumb is being planted with many of the same tallgrass species as the east yard, plus a few others, and a higher density of wildflowers for variety. Shorter material is planned for the strip alongside the driveway.

The thumb collects a lot of snow, all of which has to melt in the spring.

The depth of the sub-region provides a place for water until a culvert through the path on the east side of the thumb opens and snow melt drains to the east yard.

slope

The north face of the south dike slopes into the thumb. Once a window is installed in place of the overhead door, this stretch of dike will be part of the view from inside the dwelling unit. While a couple of grasses are being planted here, the plan is to have a lot of wildflowers on the slope for a splash of colour.

triangle

The triangle is in front of the southeast corner of the dwelling unit; it greets the rising sun. It has been planted primarily with prairie sage — which is considered to be sacred by local aboriginals — and a few others to keep the sage company.

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