US-31 Torch Lake Transformation

Our "High Contrast/Low Maintenance" landscape designs are catching people's attention. How do we know? Well, for starters, our phones are ringing off the hook this season and most of the conversations start out like this...

Yes, we know exactly what you mean! Our latest project located along US-31 fits that description to a tee. ​Our task, install a new front lawn with additional landscaping to help block the noise & dust from the road that's relatively maintenance free, visually stunning with year-round interest. Topsoil was trucked in and the Pillywiggins went to work contouring a berm & seeding the lawn by hand.

Uh-oh! Somebody drove through our newly seeded lawn - 2 days in a row! Bad driver or bad manners? It's hard to say. There are plenty of both in this world. Either way, it was only a minor inconvenience. ​​Jason is persnickety about his grass seed. He was onsite every morning before heading off to work tending to the new lawn until it was well established. He was able to make repairs before any real damage was done. The new lawn filled in nicely without any trace of the tire tracks.

​We ran the main irrigation line throughout the berm but we were still working with the homeowners to select the perfect plants for their project. So, we applied mulch before planting to prohibit weed growth & add visual appeal until our plants arrived. Let's face it. Without plants or mulch, a berm is nothing more than a big ol' pile of dirt. There's not much appealing about that.

Nursery stock began arriving by the truckload late Friday afternoon. The largest load (perennials, shrubs & trees) arrived bright & early Saturday morning. We were so excited to see our purchases we had the truck unloaded in record time, by 8:00 a.m. It was all beautiful nursery stock. What a great way to start a Pillywiggin's day!

These plants will be split between (4) new landscape installs but seeing them all together filling my sideyard... WOW! I'm sure Jason saw the gleam in my eye & realized my little gears were turning. I barely had time to admire the plants before he began carting them away. 

I wasn't the only one excited. Jason was so anxious to get started on the berm he had all the plants sorted, his trailer loaded & ready to roll by 9 a.m. Install #1 would be completed TODAY! Here's a look at how we laid out our design that's sure to inspire our DIY & weekend gardener readers. Jason had this project in the books by 4:00 pm Saturday afternoon.

​To create successful "High Contrast-Low Maintenance" landscape designs it's important to select plants suitable to your site conditions in contrasting colors, sizes, shapes and textures.

​We chose drought tolerant plants hardy enough to withstand their close proximity to the road. (Many perennials are unable to tolerate the salt & snow from the plow trucks.) We also looked for deer & rabbit resistant plants. We wouldn't want to attract our furry friends to the roadside.

​Shrubbery

• Center Glow Nine Bark: Emerging foliage is rosy red with a yellow center maturing to deep burgundy. Summer bloomer with light pink buds that open into clusters of white flowers which turn to bright red fruit. Red defoliating bark adds wintertime interest. Attracts birds & butterflies.
• Gold Thread False Cypress: Soft, weeping, thread-like needles in brilliant chartreuse provide year-round color. Easy to maintain with minimal pruning. Deer resistant & urban tolerant.

Perennials

• Karl Foerster Grass: Bronzy-red flower spikes early to mid-summer turn to feathery plumes that last throughout the winter. Attracts birds. Deer & rabbit resistant.
• Big Bluestem Grass: Gray to blue/green foliage transforms to green with alternating deep red foliage in the summer & matures to a coppery-red in the fall. Attracts birds. Deer resistant & drought tolerant.
• Walker's Low Catmint: Gray/green foliage with fragrant, prolific violet blue flower spikes. A showy, water-wise ground cover.
• Autumn Fire Sedum: Late season bloomer with rosy blossoms that age to a coppery red.  Attracts butterflies.
• Stella D'Oro Daylily: Fragrant bright yellow blooms early in the summer with more following later in the season. Attracts butterflies. Great for erosion control. Rabbit resistant.

Transformation Complete!
This berm is going to be a show-stopper once it fills in.

Look for our signs on your daily commute.
And watch Pillywiggins Garden grow along US-31 in
​Eastport, Torch Lake & Elk Rapids!

Pillywiggins often go unnoticed, but their gardens never do!