About this episode

Jeff Epping discusses the design and maintenance of gravel gardens, sharing insights from his experience and his new book.

In this episode Jeff Epping goes into depth discussion how he has designed gravel gardens at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Epic Systems, and more, and in this episode he walks you through the entire process, start to finish. He covers site selection, how to build the edge and lip that hold the gravel in place, the exact depth to install, how to plant into it, and the watering schedule to get plants established before you wean them off. He also shares the spring cleanup routine that's the one piece of yearly maintenance the whole system depends on. We also discuss Jeff's new book, The Gravel Garden, that profiles over 20 stunning gravel gardens across the country. Beyond the gritty details of grit, Jeff gets into design: why he always starts with woody structure before adding perennials, how formal elements like clipped evergreens can ground a wilder planting style, and the core principles he returns to on every project, from his own front yard to sprawling corporate campuses. Enjoy the show!

People in this episode

Host: Jared Barnes

Guest: Jeff Epping

Topics covered

• gravel gardens
• landscape design
• plant care
• maintenance routines
• botanical gardens

Keywords

• gravel gardens
• landscape design
• planting techniques
• watering schedule
• spring cleanup

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Epic Systems

Books & works: The Gravel Garden

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