Gardens
Bluestone Patio With an Integrated Trench Drain Designer: Jennifer Horn of JHLA Location: Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Size: 860 square feet (80 square meters) This contemporary Washington, D.C., garden space for entertaining also accommodates the homeowner’s large black Labrador. Landscape architect Jennifer Horn kept her design simple and streamlined, incorporating the homeowner’s request to have a backyard inspired by his travels to Asia while ensuring that the design didn’t overwhelm the yard’s size. The clever drainage detail: An integrated trench. Seasonal torrential rains mean drainage is an important feature for this mostly paved backyard. Horn installed a custom trench drain that runs the length of the bluestone patio next to the water feature. She left a joint open between the pavers and installed a slotted PVC pipe with a screen over it. Individual stone pieces were cut to fit into the slot.
Garden Screen This planted screen does double duty in the garden. Wood boards set at an angle are filled with soil to create planting pockets for growing strawberries, creating an attractive garden screen and space-saving planter. Harvesting is easy, as berries are positioned to dangle over the boards. One could use multiple strawberry towers to screen a shed in a sunny side yard or one tower to divide a narrow balcony into two seating areas.
Take a simple approach. One of the most basic and budget-friendly ways to incorporate curves into your home design is to weave a meandering path through your landscape. Even the smallest townhouse patio could benefit from such a walkway. For maximum impact, let your path lead to a destination that initially is obscured behind trees, shrubbery or a wall, and design the path to reveal the destination slowly.
Wildness for healing. At first it can be a little unnerving to walk in the woods, wade in the ocean or get lost down a desert trail. When we leave behind the security of the familiar, our bodies become tensely alert. Once we can move beyond the fear of dark forests and undulating waves, something invariably switches inside us — we calm down, we let go of our preconceptions, we get into balance with a rhythm that pulses through every living thing. We know this rhythm in the sound of switchgrass in the backyard like the switchgrass in the prairie, or the fountain bubbling like the stream coming down a mountain. There’s a reason butterfly gardens are popping up outside hospitals and treatment centers, and why street trees add significant value to neighborhoods and homes. We know in our bones that interaction with wildness produces a healing sensation that also makes us more invested in caring for our towns and one another.
Rain chain. Transform the sound of falling rain into a musical burble with a rain chain. Used in place of a downspout and connected to the gutter of your home, a rain chain directs the flow of water running off your roof into a series of beautiful linked cups. To enhance your rain chain even more, consider adding pretty stones, river rocks or tumbled sea glass to the ground where the water will eventually flow.
Statuary. A special figure in the garden can be a wonderful prompt to ground and center yourself. Think carefully about placement: You can use the statue to bring attention to a special element in the garden, like a favorite tree or rock, or as the centerpiece of an outdoor meditation area.
Contrasting sides. Soft bamboo and corrugated metal are material opposites, making the journey interesting along this side yard path by Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture. The change in grade keeps the trees from taking over the space. Consider between house and garage
Water. The sound of a fountain is so pleasing, and tucking it around the side will have people wondering where the relaxing splashing noises are coming from. The other advantage to a trough like this one by Jennifer Horn Landscape Architecture is that the sound can be enjoyed inside the house.
A stretch to courtyard size. This path widens to patio size by extending all the way out to the fence boundary on one side and the house boundary on the other. Beautiful roses, a fountain and seating make it an enticing destination.
As we move into warmer weather, now is a great time to revisit how much water you used for your landscape in previous years. If you live in a drought-prone area, consider reducing the size of your lawn or replacing turf with a low-water alternative, like silver carpet (Dymondia margaretae), shown here in a San Francisco Bay Area garden. Consider a compass rose pattern
Plant a grassy stairway. For a more natural-looking stairway, intersperse treads with low-growing grasses. Choose varieties that are low enough to easily step over and tough enough to handle light foot traffic. Blue fescue (Festuca glauca) and low-growing sedges would be good options. Here, grassy-looking lilyturf (Liriope muscari) is planted between poured concrete steps.
Swaths of ‘Waldenbuch’ feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Waldenbuch’) add movement above a tapestry of mixed perennials, including orange yarrow (Achillea ‘Walther Funcke’), deep purple penstemon (Penstemon ‘Blackbird’), white lace flower (Orlaya grandiflora), and dahlias with plum foliage and ruby blossoms (Dahlia ‘Happy Single Romeo’). The delicate seed heads of ‘Golden Bee’ qu
Plant a meadow garden. Create a wild, romantic look in your backyard with a naturalistic meadow planting. Including native grasses and perennials in the mix — and allowing them to go to seed — will also help support populations of wild birds and pollinators. In this garden in the Pennsylvania countryside, drifts of ‘Cloud Nine’ switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Cloud Nine’) mingle with ‘Oehme’ muskingum sedge (Carex muskingumensis ‘Oehme’), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) and other wildflowers.
Step it up. There are garden fountains, and then there’s this custom-designed tiered waterfall featuring lily pads and metal that will develop a lovely patina with time.
What looks like a standard pumped water feature is actually a clever catchment device that channels rainwater down from a perforated pipe masked by the pergola’s framing and into a basin that carries it to
Catch the rain. Harvesting rain is another way to incorporate water that delights multiple senses at once for a fuller experience. When it rains, water trickles down this rain chain, sounding pleasing pings as it fills up the barrel to be used later for plant irrigation or household chores.
While Marian and Bruce were living abroad, they grew fond of the European gardens they visited, so when it became time to build their own oasis, they naturally drew inspiration from French and other European gardens that they loved. The fall of water from the large fountain in the middle of the parterre creates a serene, calming effect throughout the garden, while the rose bushes around the fountain provide a lovely scent. The back garden is a delightful spot for mingling and enjoying the sun setting over the river during dinner parties.
Marian and Bruce bought the lot behind the home, which allows them to have this second-floor view of the 400-year-old oaks, open land and the Bouge Falaya River below. Smoketree Landscaping’s Yarborough helped bring the idea for the garden to life. The center of the backyard garden is a large parterre in the shape of a quatrefoil that’s surrounded by crushed granite
Bring tall and even sprawling plants close to the path. Trust me, they won’t bite, so why not put a 6-foot-tall Joe Pye Weed or coreopsis near a path so people can actually see it, smell it and hear the pollinators? Tall plants don’t always have to go in the back, and short ones don’t have to go in the front. Spice things up — surprise, tickle and tease. Touching plants is a mood enhancer, just like hugging is. And when you’ve got those taller plants knocking into you as the breeze picks up, go ahead and embrace them with a big bear hug — just make sure no one else is looking.
Leave the soil alone. In vegetable beds, it’s a great idea to amend the soil to suit whatever goodies you’ll be growing, matching soil nutrients to plants. But in most gardens, it’s best to use what you have, matching plants to the native conditions. Plus, tilling soil destroys the structure and a lot of beneficial life. (It’s said there are more life forms in a tablespoon of soil than there are people in the world.) In addition, avoid putting “good” soil in a planting hole — all that does is encourage the plant to stay put and languish. And you’ll just create a bowl, so rain will drown the plant (this is especially the case with clay soils come spring and fall).
Don’t evenly space plants. When you’re out walking in a prairie or woodland or desert, does it look like a marching band at a football game? Why do so many landscapes have plants lined in perfectly spaced, straight rows? Certainly, plant tags, which suggest a set spacing, are partially to blame, but so is the idea that a grid of equally spaced plants will cover the area faster. Sure, the area might be covered faster, but in most landscapes such a formal grid just doesn’t mesh with the building structure, hardscape or vista beyond the garden. Dot groupings of plants here and there, and not evenly — maybe in a gaggle of five grasses, have two close together, one farther away and two close together again but not as close as the first two. Play with things. Be natural, not dogmatic, with your plants.
Bring shrubs and small trees into the garden, away from the house. Our default landscaping mode is to put trees on building corners, along with shrubs, and place shrubs up against a wall or fence. That’s too bad, because when we invite these woody plants into the garden, surprise and intrigue occur — the garden suddenly becomes elevated sculpturally and creates a more dynamic ecosystem for wildlife. Mix your shrubs and grasses and perennial flowers, have some fun and think more like wild nature.
The soothing water feature spans the width of the yard. The alcove behind the lower spout conceals the pump, and the pipework goes to the top spout, which is set into a slate surface. The pool is made of concrete covered in a couple of coats of pond sealant paint. Limestone gravel at the bottom lightens it up, and nontoxic chemicals keep the water clear.
Howard created a gently splashing water feature next to a seating area made of concrete blocks and hardwood.
romantic perennial garden in Buffalo, New York, overflows onto both sides of the sidewalk, enveloping a passerby with summer flowers. If you embrace a “more is more” attitude toward gardening, re-create this look with a mix of colorful spring- and summer-blooming perennials, and optimize for plant height to create lush layers of flowers. Plants in this garden bed include: Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia, zones 5 to 9) Day lily (Hemerocallis sp.) Coneflower (Echinacea sp.) Petunia (Petunia sp.) Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Full sun
Bold foliage. A variety of foliage textures and colors shine in these tropical-themed window box and entryway planters designed by Todd Holloway of Pot Incorporated. Sprays of papyrus add drama and vertical interest above trailing ‘Snowstorm’ bacopa and gray-green variegated ground ivy, which produces pale purple flowers in spring. Tufts of lime green Japanese forest grass anchor each end. Plant list: Papyrus (Cyperus papyrus, zones 9 to 11) ‘All Gold’ Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’, zones 4 to 9) Bacopa Snowstorm (Sutera cordata, zones 9 to 11) Variegated ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea ‘Variegata’, zones 4 to 9)
Trailing vines. For a window box that’s positioned to be admired from a distance, a mass of lush, trailing vines packs a visual punch. A combination of lush green and purple sweet potato vines and orange-flowering canna pop against the pale-colored shingle exterior of this Minnesota home, creating a statement that’s visible near and far. Plant list: Ornamental sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas cvs., zones 9 to 11) Canna (Canna sp.) Light requirement: Partial shade to full sun
Soil. Fill your beds with high-quality soil. All New Square Foot Gardening advocates a special mix, but any high-quality organic garden soil will work. In most cases, gardeners using the square-foot method will need to start out by purchasing soil. Once the beds are in place, additions of compost once or twice per year, along with a light sprinkle of granulated organic fertilizer at the time of each planting, should be sufficient to keep things going. Markers. Finally, add your square-foot grid markers. Wooden markers are strong and durable. Alternatively, you can use string to mark your squares. Simply add a nail every foot along the wooden frame of your raised bed to secure the string.
The cottage garden. The cottage garden is lush, wild and (ideally) full of flowers as much of the year as possible. Wildflowers work well. Gaining traction are edible gardens in front yards, so consider adding some beautiful edible plants as well — herbs, glossy eggplants and dark, leafy greens would all work well mixed into the flower beds.
Dense tropical plantings enhance the outdoor showering experience while also screening out the adjacent houses and alley. The plant palette includes cabada palm (Dypsis cabadae), Philodendron wilsonii, Philodendron ‘Burle Marx’, dwarf pitch apple (Clusia guttifera ‘Nana’) and Seifriz’s chamaedorea (Chamaedorea seifrizii). The oversized leaves are intended to make the space feel larger, and the mix of textures gives the garden layers. The plants will continue to fill in, obscuring the view even more over time.
Hydrangeas look stunning in the evening garden. The big orbs of color are like little moons themselves when viewed in the late evening. Surround a patio with blue or white hydrangeas, and enjoy your garden as the sun sinks.
Hydrangeas grow well in pots. Add luxurious blooms and attractive foliage to your patio with a few big pots of hydrangeas. Tucked among seating areas, they bring a welcome touch of the garden to outdoor rooms. Tip: Ask at your local nursery to find a variety of hydrangea that is best-suited to potting, and choose a large pot with plenty of room to grow.
looking at 807 from the river
Vertical veggies in Chicago. A vertical planting system edging a deck in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood offers a solution for planting in a small space. The four-tiered system provides planting pockets for a mix of herbs, edible greens and perennial flowers. The combination makes a lush, green backdrop that acts as a stunning focal point of the deck.
patio where playroom used to be
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