Ever-changing landscape shows couple's ingenuity

on September 03, 2008 at 2:22 PM, updated September 03, 2008 at 2:57 PM
The Chens introduce the element of water with this small bamboo fountain tucked among colorful phlox.


The tiles are lifted each fall and stored safely away from the elements, April said, explaining that they're replaced each spring in a different pattern, thus allowing the Chens to rearrange their garden as easily as one would rearrange the living room furniture. Every year the garden takes on a new and unique form, showcasing their creativity and transforming the mundane into the magical.

The Chens did away with their lawn long before it became environmentally correct to do so, recognizing the advantages of the practice. Doing away with a gas-powered lawn mower results in less pollution in the air and in nearby streams. Also, with the reduction in mowing, there is a reduction in the dependence on gas. The lessening of noise pollution is another welcome by-product, one the whole neighborhood can appreciate.


While the practice may seem to offer only a minute saving, if one were to multiply its implementation by a great number of homeowners, it would amount to a substantial difference in the "greening of the neighborhood."

One small corner of the Chens' garden is devoted to a vegetable garden where cucumbers, Bok Choy, tomatoes, Chinese string beans (yard-long string beans), Chinese melon, American melon, Japanese eggplant and collards flourish.

As participants in the Castleton Hill Moravian Church garden on Victory Boulevard, the couple learned about "Square Foot Gardening," which emphasizes the importance of making the most of a small planting area.

For instance, they utilize a roll of white hardware cloth, which resembles a mesh similar to hardware cloth, along with a horizontally placed three-quarter-inch pipe to support the cucumbers, Chinese "fuzzy" melon and yard-long string beans, keeping the plants up off the ground. Such vertical planting allows them to grow their produce more efficiently. These "green conscious" homeowners also maintain a compost bin, whre kitchen scraps are recyled and turned into gardener's "black gold."


Potted plants, which are easily moved from place to place can be found everywhere. Coreopsis, Stella D'oro day liles, marigolds, New Guinea impatiens, hibiscus, oleander, zinnias, Russian sage, campanula, balloon flower, impatiens, dianthus, hosta, "Live Forever" plumeria from Hawaii, euphorbia, geraniums, hydrangeas and gaura are featured players in the Chens' moveable, container-grown symphony.

Each fall, April and Paul Chen lift the 2-foot-by-2-foot teak tiles and bluestone that define their small garden and store them away from the elements. Come spring, they replace them in a different pattern so the garden takes on a new and unique form every year.

In the fall the hibiscus and oleander are "wintered over" on the second-floor sun porch that overlooks the garden and provides for a shady picnic area below. The picnic table doubles as a potting area during spring planting and houseplants like amaryllis, gardenia, and Christmas cactus summer over in a sheltered corner. A small shed for garden tools is conveniently located nearby.

Tucked away in a side yard are lamb's ear, more coreopsis, phlox, tiger lilies and a butterfly bush which attracts a host of butterflies to their oasis. Pachysandra is used as a ground cover, reducing weeding chores. Azaleas provide a riot of color in spring. A neighbor's Rose of Sharon adds a nice background to the Chen's perennial bee balm, rudbeckia and clematis vine, creating a "borrowed view."

Yard-long, Chinese string beans grow in a small corner of the Chens garden.


The addition of strategically placed garden ornaments like a fish statue purchased at the Chelsea market in Manhattan, a frog statue, and a Corningware glass blue daisy enhance the attractive setting, conjuring up additional pockets of interest to catch the viewer's eye.

April and Paul Chen have demonstrated that it is possible to include all the essential elements of a large garden within the constraints of a small area, and proven that it is not necessary to own a one-acre plot to showcase a lovely garden retreat.


Here are a few tips for your plants and garden using Epsom Salts:

* Houseplants: 2 tablespoons per gallon of water; feed plants monthly.

* Tomatoes: 1 tablespoon per foot of plant every two weeks.

* Roses: 1 tablespoon per foot of plant every two weeks. Also scratch ½ cup into soil at the base to encourage flowering canes and healthy new cane growth. Spray with an Epsom Salt solution weekly to discourage pests.

* Shrubs: (evergreens, azaleas, rhododendrons) 1 tablespoon per 9 square feet. Apply over root zone every 2-4 weeks.

* Lawns: Apply 3 pounds for every 1,250 square feet with a spreader, or dilute in water and apply with a spreader.

* Trees: Apply 2 tablespoons per 9 square feet. Over the root zone 3 times annually.

For additional information, go to:

Lee Gugliada is past president of the Great Kills Garden Club of the First District of the Federated Garden Clubs of New York State.