Garden Design II

This week will focus on Steps 6-8 and 10-12, the second half of the Site Assessment for Gardeners workbook. For this week's assignment you will be required to complete the activity 2.5 Existing Plant List* plus 2 additional activities of your choice from the list below. You will find instructions for each of these activities in the next few pages of this lesson. 

• 2.1 Compaction 
• 2.2 Drainage 
• 2.3 Soil Characteristics 
• 2.4 Wildlife Interference

1. Use the same base map (property site sketch) that you submitted last week and include any revisions if needed based on instructor feedback. Or, if you prefer you may use a fresh copy by drawing on a tracing paper overlay. New information from this week will either drawn on the map or written neatly on the side. Include your findings from at least from TWO activities of your choice from 2.1-2.4:

• 2.1 Compaction 
• 2.2 Drainage 
• 2.3 Soil Characteristics 
• 2.4 Wildlife Interference

2. Upload Activity 2.5 Existing Plant List (required) and label them on your base map. Add any existing plants in the proposed garden space that you plan to design for this course. If you are unsure about plant IDs, contact your local Cooperative Extension for help. There is also a list of online plant ID databases in the resources section of this course. Record information for all existing plants with one of the Existing Plant List Templates below or create your own. You will be submitting document this along with your base map in Assignment 2. 
Existing Plant List (Word)
Existing Plant List (pdf)

3. Submit your completed worksheet from the Site Assessment for Gardeners (pg. 59) workbook, with information you have collected the past two weeks. You will be submitting document this along with your base map and Existing Plant List in Assignment 2. 

➡️ Important! Depending on which activities you chose, use these labels your Base Map:

• 2.1 Compaction (indicated by an ‘X’ and C/PC for Compacted/Partially Compacted)
• 2.2 Drainage - 4 Sites Tested (indicated by a small solid square with a P/M/E for Poor/Moderate/Excessive)
• 2.3 Soil Characteristics - also record your findings on the worksheet in the Site Assessment booklet 
• 2.4 Wildlife Interference - also record information on the worksheet in the Site Assessment booklet
• 2.5 Existing Plants (circles showing rough area and symbol/number corresponding to the Existing Plant List)
• 2.5 Existing Tree Roots (hatched with a thin or ballpoint pen)

Keep in mind that we are requiring you to record the information on the base map in a specific way that may differ from the workbook instructions. You will upload this revised Base Map with the information you gathered from this week's activities along in Assignment Two.

* Not many (or too many) existing plants in your current landscape? If you are working off a blank space, list any plants in the surrounding area as their characteristics and requirements may influence the plants you choose later on. If there are too many to list, document the plants that border or might influence the new plants in the space as well.

After reading and doing each of the activities along with the completed worksheet (pg.59), you will submit all in Assignment Two here.