Grafton Cottage in Straffordshire

Whether you are in a summer home or your year-round home, check out these summer cottage garden plans. They'll have your front yard cottage-cozy in no time!

Countryhaver: Få inspiration af overdådig engelsk havekunst

Here's a little inspiration to transform your outdoor space (or even just get started gardening).

Lamoine, Maine

Is there anything more beautiful that Secret Gardens? Sit back and enjoy the view! : ) Are you going to plant one this year???

Now it is time to knit the garden together with ground covers and smaller plants. Can you imagine what this path at Biddlestone Garden would look like without the blue bloom of the campanula posc…

Check out some amazing Small Chill Out Corner Garden Ideas that you can copy to spend leisure time with yourself or your favorite people!

Beautiful garden design creates amazing outdoor living spaces while balancing and harmonizing landscaping ideas and turning imperfections into spectacular details

cute greenhouse🫶🏼

With the help of Simon Irvine, curator and potter Joanna Bird has turned her garden into an exhibition space, where modern sculpted ceramics meet calming evergreens

I mentioned before that I've been reincorporating blues back into the decor here at Heaven's Walk. Simply put.... I missed it. I truly enjoyed having the soft, faded red touches here and there during the past year - it's such a warm, happy color. But the softness and airiness of springtime and bright summer days ahead left me pining for my pale aqua and smokey blues once again. I pulled out my down-filled pillow from a favorite Etsy shop, Sassycat Creations, and placed it in front of my favorite grain sack which I had draped over the back of the chaise in the living room. Be sure to visit Jan at Sassycat Creations on Etsy. Her pillows are beautiful! The grays and pale blues are soft and summery looking. Pale red is still making it's presence known though. You'll find it in the piles of grain sacks on top of the armoire in the living room. Yes...I'll be the first to admit that I have a grain sack addiction. Can you blame me...? I know I'm not alone, though. Am I right Shellagh, Tracey, Maria, and Maria? :) The newly painted and distressed metal French bottle carrier was brought up from the basement and placed on the coffee table. Large, purpley blue hydrangeas were placed in Mason jars. Fragrant peonies blossoms from my garden will soon replace the faux hydrangeas. Oh, and I started up my waterfall in the pond yesterday. Guess who showed up? Nineteen bullfrogs. While Hubby and I had our first happy hour of the season on the back deck last evening, they were all croaking a chorus, happy to be back home again. Ok, back inside.... Hydrangeas also made an appearance in an ironstone sugar bowl in front of the French candelabra on the round wicker table in the corner of the living room. (and that, friends, is what my English instructor used to call a "run-on" sentence. lol!) I love this vignette. This silver candlestick was given to me by my mother. She always used a pair of these on special occasions when we had guests for dinner. One on each side of the holiday centerpiece like they used to do back in the day. I've also been working on some recent ReStore finds. They're close to be completed. Oh, and just so you know, after much deliberation, consideration, and hesitant fingers, I deleted my Pinterest boards today. I know...major bummer. I had been reading too many scary scenerios lately from other bloggers, and just didn't want the burden of "what if..." lurking constantly in the back of my mind. If Pinterest decides to change their policy, I'll start pinning again. But until then, if I see a photo I like, I'm just going to save it to my computer. I'll miss pinning, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Ok, enough of my gabbing. Time for me to get to work! [ Blessings ] Linking to the Linky Parties on the lower right of my sidebar. Just click on the buttons! I'd love to have you become a Linky Follower of Heaven's Walk, too!

I feel very apprehensive, a bit like the little boy and the emperor’s lack of clothes, because I am about to commit a heresy – criticising Betto Chatto’s Gardens. As a garden designer, I know my ‘Anthriscus sylvestris Ravenswing’ from … Continue reading →

Explore Fernando Martos Perez de Ayala's 120 photos on Flickr!

Photos : vestidoslindosatelier

Explore KarlGercens.com GARDEN LECTURES' 190881 photos on Flickr!

English cottage gardens are a charming (and practical) jumble of flowers, herbs, and fruit trees. See 10 design ideas to create an English cottage garden, from the editors of Gardenista.

My friend and landscape architect, John Howard, has been awarded a number of awards for his contribution in the field of landscape/garden design. He recently took the time to share some garden design tips with us! Keep it simple – A panel of lawn with a border of shrubs can be quite dramatic and provide a great place for recreation and entertaining. One perfect Garden Object can make a garden space special and become an important focal point. Find the perfect bench, urn, sculpture or sundial for the space and spend the money on something of high quality that will last. Think about evergreen structure. What will the garden space look like in winter when many plants are dormant? Boxwood and Holly are both good bets for evergreen structure. Use walks, walls and patios to define a space. Think about how you will be moving through, in or around a garden space and plan for this in your layout. Repeat material from the house or use a contrasting natural material such as brick or stone. Level changes help define spaces and add dimension to “outdoor rooms”. Try 6” risers and 14” treads for a comfortable step. Think about symmetry and balance. Use geometry to lay out your garden spaces so that it is well balanced to the eye. Geometric order is always calming. Consider low voltage night lighting. Many people use their garden as much at night as they do during the day. Keep the lighting design simple and remember that the dark spaces provide important contrast to what is lighted. Espalier plants are beautiful additions to a garden wall. Find a variety that bear fruit such as pears or apples, and you will get the benefit of the spring bloom, too. An herb garden is a must for anyone who loves to cook. Try a formal layout or a small area with raised beds. Always use organic soil and natural fertilizers. Try to keep the style of your garden respectful of the architectural style of the house. Look for examples in books, blogs and other web-based resources. Use a water element to add sound to the garden experience. Water adds a calming effect to outdoor spaces and attracts birds, dragonflies and butterflies. Go on a garden tour to see what’s out there; they are a great source for inspiration when planning a new garden. Howard Design Studio designs outdoor living spaces that are rich in detail, classic in form and opulently individual. Inspired by exemplary gardens throughout the work, the garden designs of John Howard and his associates uniquely reflect each client’s personality and lifestyle. The firm’s fresh approach to architectural detailing, site planning and planting design is highly attentive to architectural style and site considerations. Howard Design Studio accepts a limited number of commissions to maintain the superior level of quality and attention to detail, that have become the firm’s hallmark. John Howard, ASLA, principle and creative director of Howard Design Studio worked in landscape architecture offices in New York City and Newport Beach before launching his design studio in Atlanta. John received his degree in landscape architecture from the University of Georgia. John also studied garden design at the La Napoule Art Foundation in La Napoule, France and travels extensively around the world visiting renown palace and estate gardens. He finds inspiration in the great gardens and parklands that have withstood the test of time across the globe. John is CLARB certified nationally and maintains his professional registration in the firm’s active project locales. Photography by Emily Jenkins Followill

5 ways to create curb appeal

Go ahead and explore these lush labyrinths.

De zomer is over een aantal weken afgelopen en dan zitten we weer in de herfst. Het is dus nu de tijd om na te denken over wat je met de tuin wilt doen.

Source: Uploaded by user via Debra on Pinterest In the continuation of our series, I want to guide you on honing in on your homes architectural elements and what plants and garden style will be compatible. Let's keep it easy and examine the same six plants for each. Our styles will be "Cottage/informal", Semi-formal, and Formal The six plants will be, Boxwood, Hydrangeas, Roses, a Crab Apple Tree, Lavender, and Ornamental Grasses. OK, onto the first house........... Source: houseofturquoise.com via Debra on Pinterest Cottage Style In this case study is a shingle styled home, think beach, cottage, Cape Cod, a bungalow........very informal. So using our six plants here, let's begin with boxwood; No rows here but placed sporadically, they offer a sense of continuity without demanding attention. And importantly they offer winter interest. Have to honestly say one of my top favorite plants Can't you just see it, spilling mounds, collected together for the perfect cottage scene. Source: smallrooms.tumblr.com via Debra on Pinterest Roses, climbing, entwining, intermingling. When I was studying in England I loved the concept of two vines are better than one. You would see a glorious climber like this one above clambering towards the sun while in a deep passionate "hug" with a morning glory vine.......can't you just picture that? Ornamental Crabs or fruit bearing apple trees would be best as 'one with the garden' with a mosaic inspired plant cluster at it's feet Source: ih2.redbubble.net via Debra on Pinterest Does it get any better than this? What better garden than a cottage garden? The sun, the fragrance, the sound of bumble bees (they will never hurt you unless you attack) The textural contrast of ornamental grasses is again intermingled as are most plants in an informal garden creating little exclamation points of interest Source: skirtsandcowgirlboots.blogspot.com via Debra on Pinterest Semi-Formal This is a style that is compatible with almost any architecture. It's the middle of the road, the perfect blend of formal and informal. Let's study the use of our six plants within this framework. Our chosen house is a classic American farmhouse with an asymmetrical design Source: deborahsilver.com via Debra on Pinterest The boxwood here has become a more prominent player containing the riotous color and free-flowering nature of the perennials This layout has a touch of formality however the loose structure of the hydrangeas again relaxes the structured layout of the boxwood Roses, framing a door but look again at it's partner, yes boxwood. This composition is the classic middle of the road style. TIP: Want to surround your door or window in roses without a trellis? Easy, put globs of clear bathroom silicone caulk just where you want the stem. While wet, insert a garden twisty tie encasing it entirely in the caulk, allow to dry, repeat every 12". When thoroughly dry add your stalk, twist and go to the next one.Want to remove the caulk ever? Again easy, slip a screw driver under it and pop them off. Source: lh3.ggpht.com via Debra on Pinterest Diminutive crab apples, a favorite is 'Lollipop'. This placement can be formal which is expected in this style, but to a degree. The looseness of the hydrangeas tones down the symmetry Source: splendidsass.blogspot.com via Debra on Pinterest A free formed plant such as the lavender above can single-handedly pull together the desired style when planted in a straight line Source: garden-artistry.tumblr.com via Debra on Pinterest Can you see it here? Where is the formality? In the strong rectangle of ornamental grasses which is inherently informal but teamed with the giant allium......Viola! Formal And in this case French architecture. To me, there are two types of French homes; the formal as above and the French country rustic, which could go with any of the styled gardens previously mentioned. This could also be an English home, Tudor, Greek Revival, ............ Source: blog.theenduringgardener.com via Debra on Pinterest This is what we think of as formal boxwood; severely pruned into a pattern, and here lining the walkway with a boxwood sentinel flanking the entrances Trees in a topiary form is pure formal. How is this for the use of Hydrangea?! Ahhhhh, yes! Are we in Versailles? This is a la Claude Monet, the alee of roses on multiple trellis forms creating the long view of lusciousness! The supporting cast of boxwood and a pea gravel path, define the style. Source: google.com via Debra on Pinterest The perfect crab or fruit bearing apple is the 'espalier', (s pal yeah) creates a living fence, a tight formation of simple and elegant manipulation Remember the haphazard layout of the lavender in the cottage style? This is anything but. Patterned gardens are particularly lovely viewed from above. Source: brabournefarm.blogspot.com via Debra on Pinterest Did you ever think there was such a beautiful way to formalize ornamental grasses? This is the best example I have ever seen So to recap, hone in on the architecture and the complimentary landscape style. And "see" your chosen plants in a form that fits in with your scheme. Did this help you? Do you feel better informed when visiting the garden center? Any questions? Yes I used to teach landscape design and am used to asking at the end, "any questions?" But I am serious, ask away! Next in the series: choosing the "floor" of the garden. Wishing everyone a lovely weekend and as always, thank you for visiting! xo Debra