Create that clandestine destination. Every worthwhile journey has a destination, as does a great garden. Consider creating a seating area at the end of a winding path, behind a screen or between layers of an evergreen hedge. Add some appropriate mementos from your travels abroad. Much like life, the destination should not be able to be easily viewed from the point of departure. Therein lies its mystique.
Add a Hint of Mystery Photo 5 of 10 Add architectural fragments. From timeworn gargoyles to ancient temple ruins, appropriately chosen and placed architectural pieces can transport our minds to another time and place. A visit to a salvage yard can yield a plethora of soon-to-be garden treasures. Just don’t overdo it. When placing these pieces, you’ll achieve a less contrived and more antiquated look if you place them where they are partially hidden. This also engages the mind by causing viewers to mentally complete the piece for themselves.
Jay Sifford Garden Design SaveEmail Perhaps your garden is like mine and has no fence. Consider adding an arbor at its entrance to establish a unique sense of place. While most of your friends will plant the predictable ivy or clematis on theirs, you have the opportunity to think outside the box to create a sense of mystery. My simple arbor is planted not with a vine but with a weeping bald cypress (Taxodium distichum ‘Cascade Falls’, USDA zones 4 to 9). Many of its pliable, draping branches are intentionally left intact so the visitor has to physically part them to enter the space. They recall strands of beads that hung from door frames in the 1960s. Because the visitor must interact with the branches to gain access to the garden, a strong initial impression is created. Additionally, the arbor is well shaded by the cypress, creating a sense of journey by sending the visitor from darkness into light
Rediscover simplicity. Sometimes the devil is in the details and less is more. If your garden collection is frantically driving you instead of bringing you peaceful enjoyment, it may be time for decisions and change. I know many collectors who have reached this point. Evaluate your plants; take note of those that are performing well and those that aren’t. Consider planting a single species en masse. In the end you won’t be sorry.
Harvest: Though you usually see heads of lettuce for sale in groceries and at markets, you can harvest individual leaves of leaf, romaine and Batavian lettuces. In fact, a common method is to sow a mix of these seeds, allow them to grow, then cut leaves off about 1/2 inch above the crown. They’ll quickly regenerate, and you’ll have an ongoing source for lettuce. You can also eat the thinnings and young leaves of butterhead and iceberg lettuce, then wait until the entire head forms and harvest the entire plant.
Planting and care: Sow seeds in rows about 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep or by broadcasting; cover lightly with soil. Thin leaf lettuces to about 1/4 to 3/4 of a foot apart. Butterhead and romaine lettuces should be 6 to 8 inches apart. Crispheads need the most space; allow at least a foot. Fertilize the soil when you plant and about a month and a half later. Keep the soil consistently moist and weed carefully around the plants. Pests and diseases are usually not a problem, but some of the usual suspects aphids, leaf miners, snails, mildew and wilt — as well as birds, deer and rabbits can make inroads on your crop.
When to plant: For spring crops, sow seeds or set out seedlings in early spring. (See thinning recommendations for spacing.) Continue to sow or transplant every couple of weeks so you’ll have a continuous crop, keeping in mind that unless the garden is shaded, temperatures above about 75 degrees will cause lettuce plants to bolt (flower and set seed). Start up again in late summer or fall, once the soil temperature has cooled. In cold-winter climates, plan your harvest so you’ll have lettuce until the first frost. In mild-winter climates, you can continue to sow or transplant through the winter.
Gardening Tips Just like a greenhouse or regular garden bed, a cold frame needs attention. Soil amendment, even hydration, proper ventilation, keeping plants labeled and re-seeding are all part of the fun. If you have a frame that needs to be propped open manually and closed at the end of day, be careful not to forget as young plants left in an unopened cold frame can be killed by excessive heat on a warm day. In August or early September, sow more cool-season edibles into your cold frame to extend the growing season, and keep the top propped open. (Closing it is only necessary when freezing temperatures hit.) Who knows, by Thanksgiving you could be cutting baby spinach for a gourmet salad
Extend Your Growing Season With a Cold Frame in the Garden Photo 6 of 7 Chard (Beta vulgaris) is a cool-season annual that's ideal for growing in a cold frame. Follow germination directions on your seed packet and soak in warm water briefly before shaking out in loosely worked soil dressed with compost. Seeds take about 10 days to germinate. One of the super foods rich in antioxidants and minerals, chard can be sown successively throughout the growing season, its leaves delicious chopped in soups or added to omelets. When harvesting, cut the outer leaves first. Baby chard seedlings are tender and sweet. A Gourmet Greens Braising Mix from Renee's Garden contains 'Silverado' and 'Eldorado' chards with two kinds of beets — all meant to be thickly sown and harvested when 6 inches tall, then lightly sautéed.
Paintbox GardenSave to IdeabookEmail Photo Growing Edibles If your cold frame will be used for active propagation, be aware that many edibles dislike transplanting — particularly tap-rooted crops like carrots and beets, which are best grown in situ and sown directly into garden beds. Greens rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals — like arugula, kale and chard — are all good candidates for sowing in batches every few weeks once soil temperatures reach about 50 degrees Fahrenheit (use a soil thermometer to check). Here are some I've ordered through John Scheepers and Renee's, which I'm excited to try, particularly the arugula with its delectable bite. Success with growing edibles in a cold frame depends on soil temperature, which is widely variable depending on where you live. Get organized in December and start to measure your soil temperature in January, testing every two weeks. Seed packs have planting instructions, usually saying "sow as early as soil can be worked" in early spring, meaning the ground isn't frozen.
decordemonSave to IdeabookEmail Photo Soil Choose a seed-starting or potting mix for best results. Moisten the mix thoroughly and let it drain. It should be thoroughly damp, with no dry clumps, but not overly wet and heavy. You can do this either before or after you add the mix to your chosen containers. Tip: Before you get started, check the seed packet for any requirements prior to planting, such as soaking or chilling the seeds. It will also tell you of any soil and light requirements.
At the nursery I bought butterfly bush because of its name. But now, as my native plants have matured, 95 percent of the insects in my garden zoom right by butterfly bush in favor of native blooms, which makes sense — native plants and insects have coevolved. Certain species of native bumblebees can pollinate only certain species of flowers, because each flower has evolved to produce nectar geared toward attracting one bumblebee. Butterflies of all sorts — skippers, sulphurs, swallowtails, monarchs — make beelines to liatris and Joe Pye Weed and coneflower. Often those butterflies also lay eggs on native host plants: baptisia for sulphurs, zizia for black swallowtails, milkweed for monarchs. Over the winter viceroys and mourning cloaks hibernate in leaf litter while birds eat seeds; the garden is always in use, even when there's not a flower in sight.
Without insects we would exist in far fewer numbers. But a chemical-free landscape is also safe for kids and pets. A recent USDA study tested 1,000 people for 20 common pesticides and found that the test subjects had an average of 13 pesticides in their system. These pesticides come from the food we eat and the environments we walk in and, in turn, bring into the house. Using native plants can mitigate and often negate the need for sprays in the landscape, and you’re helping create a wildlife refuge out back.
Benjamin Vogt / Monarch GardensSave to IdeabookEmail Photo 2. More wildlife. New plants sleep, creep, then leap. That is, the first year they seem to do nothing, the second year they do a little something and then the third year they explode. After three years my flat moonscape became my interpretation of a prairie. And you know what brought me the most joy, besides the satisfaction of thriving plants and flowers? Butterflies and bees and spiders and frogs and birds all frolicking in my backyard.
Great Design Plant: Evergreen Candytuft for Glossy Winter Foliage Photo 5 of 6 How to use it. As a foreground plant edging a planting bed, tumbling between boulders in the rock garden or as a small-scale ground cover. For companion plants look for contrasting large leaf textures or color. Bright Edge yucca (Yucca filamentosa ‘Bright Edge’, zones 4 to 9), Big Ears lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina ‘Big Ears’, zones 4 to 9) and bearded iris (Iris germanica, zones 4 to 9) would all be good companions.
Great Design Plant: Evergreen Candytuft for Glossy Winter Foliage Photo 4 of 6 Distinguishing traits. Evergreen candytuft features narrow, leathery, dark green foliage up to 1 inch long. Clusters of simple white flowers blanket the plant in midspring.
Botanical name: Iberis sempervirens Common name: Evergreen candytuft Origin: Southern Europe Where it will grow: Hardy to -30 degrees (USDA zones 4 to 8; find your zone) Elevation range: Up to 8,000 feet Water requirement: Moderate to low once established Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 10 to 12 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide Benefits and tolerances: Candytuft provides a mass of sparkling white flowers for up to six weeks on a low, mounding form of glossy, evergreen foliage; tolerates rabbits, deer, alkaline soil and drought. Seasonal interest: Flowers in midspring; green foliage year-round When to plant: Spring or fall
Great Design Plant: Evergreen Candytuft for Glossy Winter Foliage Photo 6 of 6 Planting notes. Provide average to lean, well-drained soil. Wet soil, particularly in winter, may cause crown rot. Although it’s tolerant of partial shade, plant evergreen candytuft in full sun for the best flower production. Tip: Candytuft is a subshrub with a woody base — shear plants back by one-third after flowering to keep them neat and encourage compact growth. Winter desiccation and sun scorching may be a problem in colder climates where snow cover is intermittent; a light mulch of evergreen boughs will provide some protection.
5. A Charlie Brown Christmas tree. While you’re picking up your Christmas tree, consider also grabbing the scrawniest tree in the lot — it would look adorable on the front porch with a simple burlap skirt and a strand or two of twinkle lights.
4. Extra-large house numbers. Numbers that are 6 inches high or higher make a big statement, and they work especially well on facades with little other ornamentation. If the numbers are placed away from the main lighting, consider installing a downlight over them. I also like the rustic garden look!
Arterra LLP Landscape ArchitectsSave to IdeabookEmail Photo 3. Shiny garden ornaments. Your greenery may die back in the winter months, but garden ornaments will shine on. Choose something with a bit of gleam, like the silver orbs shown here, for maximum impact.
look at dining room nook
The inspiration for this garden arose from the needs of the location (a shady, fairly moist courtyard surrounded on three sides by building and the drive) and nearby woods. We created a fern and moss garden sprinkled with woodland ephemerals and plants for textural intrigue. A wide brick walkway separates the rectangular space into a thin strip of bed to its right and a larger space to its left, in which a stone wall was built around to provide more intimacy walking along the entrance walkway. The wall was deliberately made to have aged and deteriorated, allowing plantings to take over and soften its hardness, much as if a stacked stone wall would be overran in an abandoned woodland. We placed found rocks, stumps, and fallen, decaying logs charactered with moss and native seedlings to accent the plantings as focal points and delicate touches. We configured the stumps almost as 'containers' in the garden, each planted with an assortment of different species. The soil, especially around the walkway, was shaped to have small undulations to mimic the imperfections of the forest floor. Photos taken by Laura Kicey.
The inspiration for this garden arose from the needs of the location (a shady, fairly moist courtyard surrounded on three sides by building and the drive) and nearby woods. We created a fern and moss garden sprinkled with woodland ephemerals and plants for textural intrigue. A wide brick walkway separates the rectangular space into a thin strip of bed to its right and a larger space to its left, in which a stone wall was built around to provide more intimacy walking along the entrance walkway. The wall was deliberately made to have aged and deteriorated, allowing plantings to take over and soften its hardness, much as if a stacked stone wall would be overran in an abandoned woodland. We placed found rocks, stumps, and fallen, decaying logs charactered with moss and native seedlings to accent the plantings as focal points and delicate touches. We configured the stumps almost as 'containers' in the garden, each planted with an assortment of different species. The soil, especially around the walkway, was shaped to have small undulations to mimic the imperfections of the forest floor. Photos taken by Laura Kicey.
Woodland Twist to A Front Entrance Garden The inspiration for this garden arose from the needs of the location (a shady, fairly moist courtyard surrounded on three sides by building and the drive) and nearby woods. We created a fern and moss garden sprinkled with woodland ephemerals and plants for textural intrigue. A wide brick walkway separates the rectangular space into a thin strip of bed to its right and a larger space to its left, in which a stone wall was built around to provide more intimacy walking along the entrance walkway. The wall was deliberately made to have aged and deteriorated, allowing plantings to take over and soften its hardness, much as if a stacked stone wall would be overran in an abandoned woodland. We placed found rocks, stumps, and fallen, decaying logs charactered with moss and native seedlings to accent the plantings as focal points and delicate touches. We configured the stumps almost as 'containers' in the garden, each planted with an assortment of different species. The soil, especially around the walkway, was shaped to have small undulations to mimic the imperfections of the forest floor. Photos taken by Laura Kicey.
10. Lose the lawn and say hello to moss. Finally, I would like to encourage you to make friends withmoss. It’s soft, treadable and easy to establish as an alternative to turfgrasses in areas where it’s too shady or wet for them to grow; but mostly you should try growing moss because of the profound beauty it brings to whatever it envelops. Most wet sites already have colonies of moss hiding under the weeds, but you can help it get the upper hand by removing the weeds, dividing and pinning the moss to the ground, and watering it until established. Moss is notoriously slow growing, but you can get a head start by purchasing some from Moss Acres or Moss and Stone Gardens.
9. Replace mud with gravel. Decks or boardwalks are worthwhile investments, to be sure, but they aren’t for everyone, and the costs can certainly add up. Luckily you can also solve the puddle problem by laying paths and patios with gravel, pavers and stone. An especially attractive solution is to lay large pavers or flagstones with gravel or stones filling the spaces between. This has slows people’s paces as they step over the gaps, and it also gives water a place to permeate and drain away. Permeable bricks and pavers are good solutions for driveways and patios, because they provide solid footing while allowing water to drain through the gaps.
replacing the grass and weeds with moisture-tolerant plants, rocks and gravel to create a naturalistic-looking stream bed. There will be weeding (as is the case with most gardens), but the gravel and stones will do their part to inhibit weed growth.
replacing the grass and weeds with moisture-tolerant plants, rocks and gravel to create a naturalistic-looking stream bed. There will be weeding (as is the case with most gardens), but the gravel and stones will do their part to inhibit weed growth.
Almost every quintessential Southern garden is home to camellias. Tom is experimenting with training certain camellias for use as ground cover. He explains that some cultivars such as this fall-blooming Camellia sasanqua ‘Chansonette’ (zones 7 to 10) grow more laterally than vertically. The new growth can be pinned to the ground until it matures, providing a unique new use for this traditional Southern favorite.
bushes along steps
The site's shallow and sandy soil presented some challenges, but frequent additions of manure and compost increased the soil's water-holding capacity. Lathouris composts all of the garden's green waste and doesn't use a watering system; the garden is extremely self-sufficient and sustainable. Here a pathway lined with bechtel crabapple (Malus ioensis 'Flora Plena'), golf ball kohuhu (Pittosporum 'Golf ball', zones 8 to 11) and red claws (Escallonia macrantha, zones 8 to 10) beckons visitors.
Replace lawns with larger, ornamental plants for more visual punch and biodiversity. Larger spaces can go lawn free with mixed plantings of perennials, shrubs, trees and grasses. This type of landscape renovation solves the monoculture problems that are inherent with lawns. Greater plant diversity welcomes birds, butterflies and other wildlife, and promotes a more normal ecosystem in general. Large lawns are visual deserts. Replacing them with more diverse plantings creates a feast for the eyes that creates interest and invites interaction with the landscape. Color, texture, form and fragrance — all of the garden elements that we prize — can transform a boring lawn into a beautiful outdoor space.
Replace small lawn areas with a low-maintenance perennial ground cover. Small areas and those that are hard to access may best be served by this low-maintenance solution. Once established, a mass of ground cover has a simple, calming effect. Proper plant selection will eliminate mowing, reduce water consumption and drastically reduce the need to fertilize — saving you time and money. Choose a plant with multiseason interest: flowers, colorful foliage, winter texture. Some ground covers will tolerate a small amount of foot traffic, too. Creeping lilyturf (Liriope spp, zones 5 to 9), shown here, has a lush, grass-like look and is also evergreen. Additional choices — depending on your garden's growing conditions — might include periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus, zones 4 to 9), creeping thyme (Thymus praecox, zones 4 to 9) or snow-in-summer (Cerastium tomentosum, zones 3 to 9).
less lawn
Raised garden
Add to ideabook by Sweet Dirt Designs Moon gardens consist of white flowers and foliage that glow under moonlight. Put these luminous plants in containers for the perfect accompaniment to outdoor evening entertaining. Like all plants, some of these will have different sun requirements during the daylight hours. But all tend to work best in spots that get plenty of sunlight during the day.
9. Put the word out. As you begin to know what you want and need, let people know. What you're longing for — a row of peonies or a bed of ferns — might be the very thing a friend, or a friend of a friend is looking to part with.
As part of assessing conditions, consider what you already have and what you you might want to remove. On our current property, there is an 8- by 80-foot bed that runs the length of one our yards and borders the woods. The previous homeowner installed a post and rail fence but planted nothing taller than 12 inches.
countertop
Q