Outside
The shower needs to drain into either the home’s graywater system or a French drain, consisting of a large pit filled with several feet of gravel that filters the water as it returns to the soil. (Expect to replace the gravel every five or six years.) Needless to say, you want to direct the drainage away from the foundation and basement, and if you plan to use soap in the shower, away from plants as well. If possible, situate the shower to take advantage of the site’s attributes, such as views or rock outcrops. “If there are natural amenities as part of the site, that’s all the more fun you can have with it,” says Regan.
Hutker Architects SaveEmail First step: The most important thing to consider when planning an outdoor shower is the location. You want it to be somewhere that gets direct sun, not only because it makes the act of showering more pleasant, but because it’ll keep the shower walls and floor drier — and that’s critical to preventing rot and scum. For that same reason, don’t place the shower under a roof overhang or tree (which could also cause debris to accumulate on the shower floor). The other big consideration is privacy. Locate the shower away from probing eyes or add an enclosure that assures privacy (but maintains air circulation). If your house is two stories or is flanked by windows that could look down onto the shower, consider a louvered roof that prevents views in but still allows views out. “If you want to experience the outdoors, you want to find a way to create privacy that doesn’t take away from that experience you’re looking for,” says Campbell.
US $ Cost range: A simple shower with hot and cold running water, like this one, can cost less than $1,000 to install. A moderate setup with a fancier enclosure can run anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000. And a more elaborate shower can cost $4,000 to $8,000 or more. Typical project length: A simple installation can be done in two weeks; allow six to eight weeks for more complex projects.
‘Toyama Nishiki’. This small maple begins the season with white foliage tinged with pink and green. The white and green variegation holds well through the summer. This maple is mounding in habit and grows to a height of 6 feet. Placing it in a lightly shaded area will prevent leaf scorch in the warmer months.
‘Ukigumo’. This Japanese maple is commonly known as floating clouds, due to the large amount of white in its foliage and its horizontal branching habit. It is a small, nonmounding maple, reaching a height of 10 feet and a width of 8 feet. Like Butterfly, it will get scorched when planted in too much sun, so plant it in a site with light shade or morning sun with afternoon shade.
Butterfly’. Butterfly is probably the best-known white-on-green variegated Japanese maple in the trade. It is a tree with dense foliage and a green trunk. Butterfly is a slow-growing cultivar, reaching a height of 9 feet tall. Because its foliage is primarily white, it can easily get scorched in sunny locations, which makes it a perfect candidate for shade. Its light color brightens up a shady corner of the garden. Butterfly occasionally sends out new shoots clad with green foliage. These are best pruned away in fall or winter to preserve the integrity of the tree.
Jay Sifford Garden Design SaveEmail ‘Shishigashira’. We have looked at mounding, cascading and weeping Japanese maples that do well in partial or light shade. Two classic upright cultivars are worth considering, the first of which is Shishigashira, a small upright tree with an outstanding structure that reaches a height of 15 feet. Shishigashira has the richest heritage of any Japanese maple cultivar. It is named after a mythical lioness in Japanese drama and is commonly known as the lion’s head Japanese maple. Its clumping, curled foliage habit, along with its rich golden yellow autumn foliage color, has earned it this nickname. I enjoy planting one of the dwarf globe-shaped maples, such as Kiyohime, underneath it for contrast.
‘Viridis’. This Japanese maple is one of my all-time favorites. Its classic form and lacy foliage resemble those of ‘Crimson Queen’, the mounding red Japanese maple that immediately comes to mind when you think of these trees. Viridis reaches 5 feet tall and wide in 10 years and sports yellow foliage in autumn. When the tree reaches its 10-year size, proper pruning can be done to accentuate its structure.
‘Kiyohime’. This dwarf maple is similar to Murasaki Kiyohime but has a denser, tighter habit. It can be pruned in fall or winter to accentuate this habit and is a prime candidate for bonsai. Placing Kiyohime in close proximity to similarly shaped boulders creates interest and juxtaposition in the garden.
Ryusen’. This is one of the few truly weeping Japanese maples. Its name translates as “dragon spirit,” Its green leaves are arranged in an upright fashion on long branches that frequently run along the ground. For this reason, Ryusen is a perfect choice for planting above a retaining wall or hanging over a pond. This tree reaches an average height of 6 feet.
‘Mikawa Yatsubusa’. This small maple is considered by bonsai experts to be one of the top three cultivars in regard to shape and branching. The leaves are slightly larger than those of other small Japanese maples, emerging bright green before changing to a fresh medium green for the summer. The fall color is a yellow-orange. The leaves grow in clumps and are slightly shingled atop one another. Since Mikawa Yatsubusa grows slowly to 5 feet in height, it makes an excellent choice for container planting.
Loving the silhouette; the slanted roof with the 'box' infront.
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