Wondering what to do with an empty patch in the garden? Turning it into a flower bed filled with a mix of annuals, bulbs and perennials is a rewarding task that will look great and allow you to explore your creative side.
Lady’s Mantle, Alchemilla mollis: "Gentle Alchemy" Alchemilla mollis is ubiquitous in English cottage gardens for good reason. Lady's mantle is an unfussy,
Design articles are always guiding us into the various ways to refresh a room, let's switch it up and do the same for the garden. 1. PRUNE This is one of my clients who called asking for some pruning. On my! I personally love to prune when a major renovation is required, believing anything can be re-shaped and saved. While the crew was busy, I pulled out the shears Yes, there was an entryway and an address. 2. EDGING AND MULCH Can I say mandatory? Looks clean and fresh, represses weeds and retains moisture Look for the best mulch you can afford, preferably black and fine. We use LEAF mulch, decomposed leaves, rich, black and finely ground. When laid, any mulch will begin to decompose. As wood mulch decomposes, that process robs the soil of nutrients. As leaf mulch goes, it feeds the soil, improving it's texture and adding nutrients Unless you reside at a Shell station, this is a big NO! Ugly, and the dyes are toxic 3. Stabilize structures and paint if needed In winter climes, snow and ice takes it's toll on our structures. Examine closely for needed repairs. A fresh coat of paint does wonders! 4. Clean, and/or replace outdoor soft goods What a renaissance for outdoor pillows; the fabrics and the designs. We carry a line whose style matches any interior pillow, some with gorgeous fringe, trim and down inserts! The rug line we carry, Dash and Albert, has a tremendous outdoor collection. New for 2014 is the collaboration with Bunny Williams, above 5. Declutter It can happen.......one day you are bringing home ornamentation, the next you are in a newspaper, misguided, posing and smiling Benches, table, fountain, watering cans.......complimentary to each other and tastefully arranged. Look around, what might be redundant, in disrepair......generally employ a good edit 6. Re access your front door Charming? Massively so if you live in a cottage, in Czechoslovakia. Enter your home as a guest would, is all clean? Decluttered? In good repair and painted or stained? Outdoor lamps sparkling clean? Consider a color change, this focal point for your home can be unassuming or exciting 7. Give up on low performing plants "I hate to kill plants!" I do too. Often as a landscape designer I am both executioner and nurturer. There are times when a plant is simply "taking up space", overgrown and beyond pruning (not too often), a blob, that is it just sits there, offering little No focus, many blob type plants, all green, no stand-outs and yes, a few weeds To live in my garden, the criteria is; must be of appropriate size must be interesting most of the growing season must be a strong performer; long bloom, colorful foliage, multi-seasonal interest I'm ruthless..... This Hydrangea above is the Incrediball, in bloom from early June to frost....nice! 8. Interesting foliage? Take a close look. Have a section where there is too much green? (disregard if all green is your goal, lovely in a formal setting). Too many leaves of the same size and shape? Insert some of the colorful foliage plants and pay close attention to the shape, mixing it up. 9. Consider the addition of Annuals To me, they are the link for a garden. They perform throughout the season weaving in and out of perennials and shrubbery that have their day until next year 10. Reevaluate your containers Are they in good order? Remove old soil, which no longer has any nutrients, and refill. How about their style and size, appropriate? Charming? YES! Appropriately sized? NO, too small That's better. Take note of the terra cotta color, which pulls from the homes bricks....nice! One of our clients. When we designed the gardens, instead of a pair of urns at the front entrance, we placed oversized, statement urns in front of the two front windows. Enjoyed from inside and out, they make a statement as they are planted fresh, four times a year, celebrating each new season. Cheers! Debra
Create a Mediterranean Garden in 10 easy steps. 1. Low maintenance plants that don't need a lot of water 2. Terracotta Pots 3. Gravel, stones & tile
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!
Within their smallholding on the Hampshire Downs, landscape architects Kim Wilkie and Pip Morrison have created an idyllic garden designed to be part of the wider picture, where wildlife, livestock and humans can exist harmoniously side by side in nature
If you're here then you want to use your eggshells in your garden. This is a topic that people feel strongly about. Some will say you must clean eggshells and others with say there is no need. So as with anything on the internet, I will give you some information and then you can make
Gresgarth Hall in Lancashire, where Arabella Lennox-Boyd indulges her passion for growing rare plants in contrasting terraces and borders around a lake
Colorful and shade are not to adjectives many people would think belong in the same sentence, but today I want to show you a front and back garden where the hom…
Garden designer Angel Collins runs us through the basics of garden design, and what to bear in mind when planning a garden from scratch.
Petworth is known for its Capability Brown parkland, open to the public, but in the private gardens, Caroline Egremont has created an exquisite and intimate sanctuary within a series of garden rooms.
This garden restoration resulted from the teamwork of Liz Nicholson who enjoys spatial design and Tina James who dressed the garden with exquisite planting.
Garden Design magazine's new issue celebrates wild landscapes, never-before-seen coastal gardens, rugged terra cotta pots, and standout ferns for shade or
Smart garden path materials balance aesthetics and functionality. See the pros and cons of using materials such as gravel, turf, dry-laid pavers, mortared paths, wood mulch and stones.
If you want a flourishing white flower garden, consider white flowers and plants like Clematis, Hyacinthia, Rhododendron, Magnolia and more from HGTV.com.
At Asthall Manor in Oxfordshire – former home of the Mitford sisters – Rosie Pearson has restored the Jacobean house and gardens, which now provide the setting for a biennial celebration of contemporary sculpture.
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson have designed this modern family house in Los Altos, California, that's a re-interpretation of a ranch style home.
In our latest project reveal, we're sharing the front exterior, entry, kitchen, and dirty kitchen in part 1 of our La Jolla remodel launch!
liddol comic in which greg finds a cool bug and wirt causes massive property damage
Discover the work of Zac Gorman, Cartoon Brew's Artist of the Day!
