Potting soil, compost and various soil amendments can easily become a dirty mess. Having a dedicated place to store these items — and the proper containers to keep them in — will help maintain order. Look for capacious wire baskets for corralling floppy bags of soil and metal buckets and bins for storing big bags and loose mixes.
Water garden. Since stock tanks are designed to hold water, they lend themselves to being used as water features in the landscape. Here, cinder blocks at the bottom of the tank support potted plants like dwarf papyrus, water canna and taro, while water hyacinth and water lettuce float on top. The tank gets its two-tone style from a band of coppery paint.
Screening planter. These stock tanks are called into action to contain sometimes-too-vigorous upright bamboo, which is being used to conceal a neighboring apartment building. Keep in mind that container-grown bamboo tends to reach only half to three-quarters of its maximum height. When planting it in a trough, use an old carpet or other lining to act as a barrier and an insulator for the roots.
This new coneflower hybrid stands out for its incredibly bright mixed flower colors — one can spot blooms in sunset shades of red, red-orange and magenta pink on a single plant. The carefree plants resist deer, tolerate a range of soil types, are drought-tolerant once established and attract bees and butterflies. Lakota Santa Fe stays fairly short (topping out between 12 to 16 inches tall), and makes a nice addition to containers or as a hot-colored accent in mixed borders. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 8) Water requirement: Moderate; low once established Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 12 to 16 inches tall and 16 to 18 inches wide
Coconut’ Double Shasta Daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Coconut’) As frothy as a blended piña colada, ‘Coconut’ has double blossoms with creamy petals and egg-yolk-yellow centers. Plants grow in a mounding habit, 20 inches tall and wide, staying smaller and more compact than other shasta daisies. Try ‘Coconut’ massed in borders, mixed in beds or in containers. The deer-resistant plants bloom from June until August and attract pollinators. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 9) Water requirement: Moderate; low once established Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 20 inches tall and wide
Sombrero Granada Gold Coneflower (Echinacea x hybrida) Granada Gold is a sunny new addition to Darwin Perennials’ Sombrero line of coneflowers — which all stand out for strong winter hardiness and mounding habit. Plants bloom from late spring to late summer with large golden-yellow flowers that resist fading, even in baking heat. Plant in well-draining soil in sunny borders and watch as bees and butterflies flit from flower to flower. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 9) Water requirement: Moderate; low once established Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 18 to 20 inches tall and 22 to 24 inches wide
Constant Coral Lewisia (Lewisia Constant Coral) This low-water beauty blooms continuously from May to October with a watercolor range of coral pink to soft orange flowers, each petal ringed with white. Plant in rock gardens, well-draining containers and sunny beds, paired with other low-water favorites like Sedum and Coreopsis.Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 4 to 8; find your zone) Water requirement: Low Light requirement: Part shade to full sun Mature size: 4 inches tall and 10 inches wide
Plant winter bloomers. In temperate climates, refresh tired garden borders with winter-flowering bedding plants such as red and white cyclamens, pastel-colored violas, and pale green and white hellebores. Near the front door, plant winter-blooming shrubs like holiday-favorite ‘Yuletide’ sasanqua camellia (Camellia sasanqua ‘Yuletide’, USDA zones 7 to 10; find your zone), which produces crimson blooms from late fall through early January. In colder climates, turn to white-flowering ‘Winter’s Snowman’ camellia (C. x ‘Winter’s Snowman’, zones 6 to 10) or red-flowering ‘Spring’s Promise’ camellia (C. japonica ‘Spring’s Promise’, zones 6 to 10), both of which are hardy to minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 23.3 degrees Celsius.
Sprengel’s Sedge (Carex sprengelii) Native from New Mexico north to Montana, the Dakotas and Nebraska, and east into New England Sprengel’s sedge gets taller than bristleleaf sedge, reaching roughly 2 feet. With its ornamental seed heads, it will elegantly arch and droop just a touch. A massed planting of Sprengel’s sedge is a sight to behold. In shade, it does well in dry soil, while in more sun, it appreciates consistent moisture.
Fire pit idea
Fire pit idea
Trumpet Creeper vine
Stone walkway - casual
Stone walkway
Apply the same rules you’d use when designing a room in your home. Coordinated storage in wood and plywood plus a strong but limited color palette are used here to great effect. A simple framework using pegboards creates an extremely flexible storage system.
‘Angelina’ stonecrop (Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’, zones 3 to 11) shines with its chartreuse needle-like fine foliage. It grows quickly as a dense succulent ground cover, reaching 3 to 4 inches tall with a wide spread. Its succulent companions include a gray echeveria and other sedum varieties.
Sea thrift (Armeria maritima, zones 4 to 8) is a small mounding plant that bears striking rounded clusters of pink flowers that dance upon 1-foot-tall erect stems. In this composition they echo the soft pink of the flagstone pathway.
PVC as 'cover' frame
rock garden
Mosaic incorporated into walkway
For top of electrical post?
magnetic knife holder for small tools
Raised bed idea
The rock swale in this image is somewhat unusual in that it’s nestled along a terraced planting. The image foreground is the swale’s low point, so when the rain comes, it flows parallel to the slope toward the foreground. This is a smart drainage solution for a rocky landscape with a steep slope, because it channels water across the hill and away from the outdoor entertaining area.
Ornamental grasses in winter
Benches under junipers?
Ornamental grasses, most of which are technically perennials, bring a sculptural presence to a space when they are planted thoughtfully. The strong verticality of grasses such as ‘Northwind’ switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’, zones 2 to 9) and ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’, zones 5 to 9) plays well with the wispy seed heads, creating an interesting study in form and texture.
Outdoor fire 'pit' idea
Chain link fence decorations
Mosaic wall hanging
Glass bead 'mosaic' between flagstone
Stained glass 'mushroom'?
Front door idea?
"Sidewalk" to front door?
Front door walkway?
Terraced look
‘Krauter Vesuvius’ Cherry Plum (Prunus cerasifera ‘Krauter Vesuvius’) Native to Southwest Asia This plum tree species is well-known for its burgundy-purple foliage that is present in spring through fall. While it is a plum tree, the fruit is often small or nonexistent. This purple-leafed plum tree is grown for its foliage, not its fruit. Pale pink flowers appear in spring, with the dark-colored foliage soon following. There are many varieties of cherry plum, and ‘Krauter Vesuvius’ is the most drought-tolerant, handling hot, dry summers well. The tree here is framed by golden bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea) on the left and coral bark Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’) on the right. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit,
Patio roof
Garden shed table
Garden shed idea
Vine for fence? Bittersweet
Use this for erosion control?
stones instead of 'pool'
A pea gravel patio adds texture and firm footing for the table. To successfully install a patio like this, the designer points out, the key is to have a firm base (by tamping the soil underneath) and to use only ½ to 1 inch of gravel.
Mortared walls for raised bed gardening
Mortared wall stone and brick idea
Garden shed - stained glass window idea
Garden shed - think about stain glass windows for fun
Garden shed - bookshelf idea
drill ¾-inch drain holes every 12 inches or so in the bottom, fill with planting soil and you’re ready to go.
The patio’s river-stone-inspired pavers in a mix of brown, gray and tan are more rustic than the others. The border pavers around the patio and fire pit are the same brick-like pavers used around the landing, which adds a more formal touch. Polymeric sand — a mixture of fine sands and polymers — fills the joints between the patio pavers. The material, which hardens when dry, holds the pavers in place and keeps weeds and insects at bay.
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