Contrast with dark foliage. Combined with deep purple, dark green and burgundy foliage, chartreuse leaves add real drama to planting beds. In close proximity, bright leaves and deep, moody hues play off each other in this Seattle courtyard, highlighting the stunning differences in lightness and dark. Punctuating a border with splashes of purple and chartreuse foliage provides interest without relying on blooms.
5. Brighten garden beds. Chartreuse energizes a color palette of softer blues and gray-green. Here, the vibrant chartreuse color comes from the clusters of fused bracts around the blooms of Mediterranean spurge (Euphorbia characias ssp. wulfenii, zones 6 to 8). Like other Mediterranean natives, spurge grows best in well-draining soil and tolerates low to moderate water.
Cut stone: Cut stone works well with any garden type, from traditional to cottage-style. A wide variety of cut stones are available in hues and materials from desert gold granite to cool-toned bluestone, and prices can vary. Flagstone: Pathways made of irregular flagstones fitted together add texture to the landscape. Due to the time it takes to fit the slabs together, installation can be more expensive than for cut stone. Flagstones complement Mediterranean-, ranch- and desert-style gardens.
Project: Installing a walkway of pavers and pebbles Why: To create a welcoming front walkway, connect garden areas or provide an invitation to explore It’s a good project for you if: Pathways of pavers and gravel can be problem solvers in gardens that receive a lot of rain. Rather than running off a hardscape area, rainwater trickles between the gaps in the gravel and stays on site. “It you have drainage problems and need to maintain porosity and pervious surfaces,” says landscape designer Zach Hammaker of ZH Design, “nothing beats [gravel].” A walkway with pavers and pebbles may not be for everyone. Compared with a smooth surface, stone and gravel pathways can be more difficult to navigate for wheelchairs, walkers and strollers. Proper installation with a nice, firm base can make it much easier for wheels to move across the surface without sinking or jolting. “I can easily roll my full yard waste can over it,” says landscape designer Cathy Edger of Edger Landscape Design, in reference to a pathway made of gravel installed on base rock.
This blooming cestrum is at home in one of the planters outside the greenhouse. “They are native to temperate and tropical regions of the Americas, and the flowers are fragrant,” Lang says. “This plant winters in the south-facing dining room window and wows with red lilac-like flowers for many months.”
Young and Lang’s garden is designed for someone who loves to work in the soil. There are six categories of plants in the garden, and each group requires a different treatment in the fall. The trees are pruned by an arborist to control their size and ensure that they can tolerate heavy snow. Shrubs are also cared for in this way, although some shrubs are pruned in the spring. Lang says her mantra is, “Spring bloom, summer prune; summer bloom, spring prune.”
2. Edgy steps. Steps edged with wood treads are a classic way to navigate a grade change in a property. Swapping wood treads for strips of Cor-Ten steel placed vertically to contain gray gravel updates the design for a more contemporary look. Soften the edges with swirls of ornamental grasses.
A large planting of rudbeckia creates a dramatic effect with its deep yellow color.
Create and maintain defensible space. This infographic shows the recommended defensible space surrounding a home in California. Two zones make up the guidelines for the 100 feet of defensible space, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Zone 1: The home defense zone is within 30 feet of the house. Within this zone you want to remove all dead or dry vegetation, as well as any dead or dying plants, and keep tree branches at least 10 feet from your chimney and other trees. Relocate wood piles into Zone 2. Zone 2: The reduced fuel zone is 30 to 100 feet from the home, or to the property line. Within this zone make sure you cut or mow annual grass down to a maximum height of 4 inches. Create horizontal spacing between shrubs that are two to six times the shrub’s height, depending on the ground’s slope. Space trees 10 to 30 feet apart, depending on the ground’s slope. Remove all tree branches less than 6 feet from the ground. If shrubs are growing underneath a tree, allow clearance space of at least three times the shrub’s height to the tree’s lowest branch.
Bring movement to borders. With the slightest breeze, grasses with long stems, feathery plumes and delicate seed heads are set in motion. For contrast in garden borders, intersperse airy grasses with sturdy shrubs, evergreens and succulents. Here, ‘Blonde Ambition’ blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’) has delicate flag-like seed heads, which shimmer against Icee Blue yellow-wood (Podocarpus elongatus ‘Monmal’), nearly black Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’ and red-flowering kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos ‘Red Cross’).
Ornamental grasses with cloud-like textures, such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and fountain grass, contrast well with clipped shrubs, bold agaves and various perennials. In this drought-tolerant California garden, the soft texture of purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’) contrasts with the chunky fieldstones of the wall, structural foxtail agave (Agave attenuata) and the spikes of orange-flowering lion’s tail (Leonotis leonurus).
10. Maiden Grass Cultivars (Miscanthus sinensis cvs.) Maiden grass is another favorite warm-season grass prized for its soft texture, brushlike seed heads and graceful form. Size varies by variety, from dwarf ‘Little Kitten’, which tops out at 3 feet, to ‘Graziella’, which can reach the top of your head. For a particularly dramatic display, plant en masse on both sides of a walkway, where the billowing form will give the feeling of walking through a meadow. Note: In some regions, maiden grass can be invasive and inappropriate for use in gardens. In temperate climates, seeds rarely reach maturity, but in areas with long, hot summers, there can be a risk of self-seeding. Check with your county agricultural department or native plant society before planting. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 28.9 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 9) Water requirement: Low to moderate Light requirement: Full sun
7. ‘Hameln’ Dwarf Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’) The soft bunny-tail plumes of ‘Hameln’ are almost impossible not to touch. This warm-season grass is a moderate grower to 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. It works well planted along walkways, dry streambeds and in containers mixed with other water-wise perennials. Note: In some regions, ‘Hameln’ can be invasive and inappropriate for use in gardens bordering wild areas. To prevent self-seeding, deadhead plants in fall to keep seeds from reaching maturity. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 11) Water requirement: Moderate; low once established Light requirement: Full sun
New England farmhouse. This understated outdoor shower is tucked into an alcove of a traditional home in New York’s Hudson River Valley. An outdoor shower attached to the main home can be easier to install than a more remote garden outpost. It can tap directly into the home’s water line — particularly easy if the outdoor shower is off an interior bathroom — and save on the cost of running additional water into the landscape. Drill holes for a simple tray to hold soap and a hook for a towel, and that’s all you need to enjoy bathing alfresco.
Edgy contemporary nook. A corner at the top of a stairway may be the last place you’d expect to see an outdoor shower, but it works well for this sloped Los Angeles backyard. Tall concrete walls conceal the shower from neighbors and work beautifully with the design of the stairway. Plus, the position of the shower midway up to the house makes it a convenient rinse station for those coming home from the beach.
12. Fall strategy for warm-winter climates. Without the chill required for the leaves of most deciduous trees to change color, gardeners in Southern California, the Southwest and desert regions can create a fall display using warm-winter plants in a fall color palette. In this garden in San Luis Obispo, California, flame-colored leucadendron leaves catch the late-afternoon light, complemented by the green-gold fronds of pygmy date palms (Phoenix roebelenii, zones 9 to 11), luminous ornamental grasses and yellow-blooming red-hot poker (Kniphofia sp., zones 6 to 9). In the background, burgundy cabbage tree (Cordyline sp.) and blue-gray agaves deepen the color palette.
11. Contrast textures. Placing plants and garden elements with bold, structural forms (such as clipped shrubs, dense perennials and garden boulders) next to lighter, airy forms (ornamental grasses and wildflowers) creates more interest in the garden. Here, the dense wine-colored blooms of ‘Autumn Joy’ stonecrop (Sedum spectabile ‘Autumn Joy’, zones 4 to 11) contrast nicely with the feathery blades of fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides, zones 5 to 10).
. Layer plantings. Grouping plants in swaths of color creates a much stronger visual impact than planting one plant here and one there. In this Pacific Northwest garden, layers of plants cascade down a slope in waves of green, gold, bronze and plum, creating a lush fall display.
Mary Beth Van Baush’s lush, naturalistic garden in Sonoma County, California, is her private oasis. Designed by Garden Art Landscape & Design, it features year-round color and interest.
This sloped lakefront garden is the result of hours of work and tons of rock, Houzzer dh6471 says. A hillside walk weaves from the water up to this deck and fire pit, continuing farther to the outdoor dining area up top. Along the embankment, a tapestry of flowering perennials and grasses decorates the landscape.
Kathrynmatta uploaded a photo of her permaculture garden on Puget Sound, in Washington. “It’s watered from rain collected from the rooftop and incorporates straw bales and stock tanks,” she says. “Everything is edible, even the flowers.”
An inviting gravel path leads from the front yard to the backyard. “Margie Grace completed all of the landscaping. She’s fantastic and always uses a lot of succulents and drought-tolerant plants,” Collins says.
Ledder
Turn a falling-down structure into a folly. A rundown building can be a daunting sight, especially if you inherit one in the garden of a newly bought home. A collapsed and neglected building may be costly to repair. But, if you’re lucky enough to have one that can be salvaged, it can be transformed to make a small hideaway or seating area, smothered in honeysuckle and other scented climbers. Even an old greenhouse or shed can be adapted for such a use. If the greenhouse frame lacks glass, you could buy sailcloth to transform it into an outdoor tent. Safety is key: Make sure anything you build or renovate is structurally sound and isn’t in danger of tumbling down while you’re sitting under it. If in any doubt, seek professional advice.
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