Landscaping 2
In the planting bed here, we see ‘Green Beauty’ Japanese boxwood (Buxus microphylla var. japonica ‘Green Beauty’, zones 6 to 9), allium (Allium ‘Globemaster’, zones 4 to 9), moor grass (Sesleria ‘Greenlee Hybrid’, zones 5 to 9), sanddune sedge (Carex pansa, zones 8 to 11) and iris (Iris germanica, zones 3 to 10).
Zinc spheres from England keep with the Chelsea theme and add year-round interest. “Once we had those in there, we could do a mix of boxwood balls, zinc balls and the allium balls,” the designer says.
River birch? Add a specimen tree. Create one or more focal points along your creek bed by adding a rare or colorful tree. If you are working with a large area, a trio of similar but not identical trees staggered along the bed can make quite an impact. Consider Japanese maples (Acer palmatum cvs, zones 5 to 8) or weeping and contorted trees to add that final layer of interest to your dry creek bed.
Plant the banks of your creek bed. If your feature lies in a wooded area, take a cue from nature and choose plants that will grow toward and lean over your creek bed. Ferns, rhododendron (Rhododendron spp and cvs, zones 5 to 8), sedges (Carex spp and cvs, zones 5 to 9), hostas (Hosta cvs, zones 3 to 8) and dwarf hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis, zones 4 to 8) are all suitable choices. If you live in an area prone to infestation by the woolly adelgid, you may want to forgo the hemlocks. When arranging your plants, remember to repeat specific plants from bank to bank, staggering them so that they aren’t directly across from each other. This will establish a rhythm to carry the eye through the space and give a more natural, homogenous look.
Ponds, pools and hardscapes can also create negative space. Here the reflecting pool and surrounding gravel at first seem to clash with the grass, perennials and tall trees farther back. But in reality this blank space helps us appreciate and enjoy — if not better focus on — the plants surrounding it. Without a space where we can rest our senses, we might soon be overwhelmed — it’s like catching your breath while running. Even just a bench can be an ornamental element that provides a visual and physical respite all at once.
Negative Space The use of negative space, in both landscapes and visual arts (like painting or sculpture), is a common design strategy. This is an area void of very much, if any, plant material; a place where the eye and body can take a break from the relative noise of flowers and leaves. Here you can see a pathway beneath low trees, and how the eye is drawn deeper into the landscape due to the element of absence — that’s a metaphor for experiencing a garden if ever I saw one.
Contrasting Texture Grasses provide easy texture and sound, and their colors often can’t be beat. Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) is a tall species that turns bright oranges, and bluestem goes for scarlets. Of course the seeds heads are often quite ornamental throughout the winter. When you place grasses among perennials and even shrubs, you can create excitement, as the relatively sharp, woody stems mingle with the soft, undulating fingers of grass. It’s exciting to play around with this sort of textural juxtaposition.
A lot of fall gardening seems to come down to trees — but there is opportunity for more. If the fall garden just comes from trees, we’re severely limiting our landscapes’ potential. Having a diverse structure supercharges autumn, and this means planting with trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses and ground covers. I love my elm, willow and birch for yellow color, my maple for red, my oak for orange. Understory trees like Virginia chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) and serviceberry (Amelanchier spp) provide orange and red, respectively. Then there are various species of Viburnum, dogwood (Cornus spp), and Itea shrubs for all kinds of color. Sedum and prairie smoke (Geum triflorum) provide lovely hues at ground level. When we think beyond trees, we can create a more multidimensional garden that really knocks our socks off — and not just in October.
Start by choosing plants that have the same basic needs for sunlight, water and soil, such as the drought-tolerant sun lovers in this Mediterranean-inspired garden. And consider including plants native to your area. You’ll find them much easier to take care of, and they’ll attract pollinators and other beneficial insects.
A more complex color approach with three main hues, in this case pink, yellow and purple, can be more of a challenge, but the result will be worth it. You can choose colors that are one-third the full circle’s distance apart on the color wheel, but using colors that aren’t quite directly opposite will create an unexpected twist.
Think about a color scheme. A flower bed filled with every color of the rainbow and then some will look messy unless you have an exceptionally good eye for color. So before you buy plants and seeds, decide on a color scheme. A good rule of thumb is to stick to no more than three main colors and add variety by varying the shades within each color. Not only will your flower bed look more cohesive, but you’ll also be able to narrow down good choices at the garden center that much more quickly.
Containers allow you to control the soil conditions in a discrete area, affording you the opportunity to grow water-loving plants in dry soil or those that prefer xeric conditions even if you have clay. Tip: Use a custom potting mix appropriate for your container plants. Drought-tolerant plants prefer a lightweight, cactus-type potting soil. I have also used a basic seed-starting potting soil successfully for succulents and lavender. The more traditional container plants, such as geraniums, prefer a mix with approximately 20 percent organic matter added.
This cobalt-blue pot is only 12 inches tall and wide, yet lives large thanks to its being placed in a raised garden bed. Notice how the colors of the container plants echo those in the border. When the orange daylily finishes blooming, the similarly colored coleus in the pot will continue the scheme. This small-scale design plays an important role in spanning the seasons. Tip: Make a visual connection between small pots and their surroundings with color or plant selection.
small purple is Amsonia 'Blue Ice'. see tags for other plants.
roses in an urn
center pot
Top white fence panels with lattice. Let's face it, white fencing can be hard on the eye, so soften it with lattice panels like these. Note the sweet autumn clematis (Clematis terniflora, zones 5 to 9), a great white flowering vine, on the brick pergola.
Install a white fence for curb appeal. A low fence like this is both playful and proper. Dressed with roses and fronted with mounding perennials, it makes a welcome entry from the street or sidewalk. The fence can be strung with greens and lights in the winter season.
Include contrast. “Always think about interesting contrast,” says Freda. Mix square and rectangular shapes with circular ones. Put spiky-leaved plants next to billowy ones. “It’s visually more interesting than if everything is similar,” Freda says. “If you have a square space, I’d do square planters, but then a circular table in the middle so there’s at least one counterpoint.”
Mindful of the clients’ concern about allergies, Kalina-Jones steered clear of aromatic plants, focusing instead on form and foliage. Plants were selected to provide interest year-round, in a display that varies with the seasons and attracts butterflies and bees. The large grass is variegated Miscanthus, which blooms in fall. Cascading down behind it is Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’. At the far end is a Kwanzan cherry tree (Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’).
aggressive - Goldenrod (Solidago spp). There are many species of goldenrod, and none cause hay fever. You probably know the aggressive self-sower Canadian Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), which is often along roadsides. Stiff Goldenrod (Solidago rigida) is somewhat less aggressive, but there are shorter and better-behaved species, like the grassy-looking Riddell’s (Solidago riddellii) and Zigzag (Solidago flexicaulis). All goldenrod species are highly attractive to beneficial pollinating insects.
Topiary. There is something so chic about topiaries. One or two can elevate the most basic space into something truly special. And if you have a patio or porch that does not get enough sun for a real plant, try the new fake topiaries — many of them are so gorgeous, no one would ever know the difference!
Groupings of tall ornamental grasses can be a softer way shield your space. Look for grasses that retain their vertical shape, such as the Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass planted around this pool. This species can grow up to 6 feet tall.
Edge gardens with boxwood for year-round good looks. Clipped boxwood can be simple or stylized. Used here as a hedge and cut to varying heights, it creates enclosure while framing the structure in a simple, elegant way.
Spotted Dead Nettle A good option for edging your containers in spring is spotted dead nettle. While it won’t bloom until May or June, its attractive foliage will look lovely spilling over the edge of your pot. The variety in this photo is 'White Nancy'. Botanical name: Lamium USDA zones: 3 to 8 Light requirement: Partial sun to shade Water requirement: Medium moisture Size: 6 to 9 inches tall and 2 to 3 feet wide
moss, rocks, japanese maples
drought proof-Gorgeous globes of sea lavender punctuate a constellation of African daisies and coreopsis in this garden, which is as colorful as it is drought proof.
Let drought-resistant plants – like this red fountain grass, salvia and sedum – grow wild in planter boxes. You’ll feel like you’re sitting in a field of wildflowers even if it hasn’t rained in weeks.
You can sometimes find pieces like this in salvage yards or antiques shops. I love how this sundial has been placed in a bed of ferns, its weathered patina contrasting with the verdant foliage.
I love the colors in this photo, the lavender plane at the bottom, the upright terra-cotta pots with tall grasses, the partial adobe framing with fencing that disappears against the background. It looks like redwoods in the background, so there's probably a soaring element to the space that's missing from the frame of the photograph. Someone did a brilliant job with this.
Use organic mulches. A 3-inch layer of mulch will help reduce water evaporation, stabilize soil temperatures, slow soil erosion and compaction, and reduce weeds. Mulch also adds color and texture to the landscape — include it in your planning process.
“The plants you can grow cost a fraction of those bought in garden centers, and there’s something delightful for all styles and tastes,” Ashley says. She recommends growing sunflowers (Helianthus annuus), sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus, USDA zones 6 to 11; find your zone), tobacco plants (Nicotiana spp.), cosmos and foxglove (Digitalis spp.) from seed.
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