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Verandahs & Decks landscape design

Help , ideas needed for outdoor area.

2 years ago

Hi everyone, I am needing some ideas with an outdoor area for a house we just purchased. I have at least 20 large under shade plants in pots which I would like to have planted in an area under the pergola. Also the kitchen window is facing out from there so I am not wanting it too dark. I love a cool, tropical looking area but I am at a loss as to what to do. Any ideas would be appreciated.

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Comments (3)

oklouise
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
depends on direction of sun and local climate...where is north and where is the house?..i'd buy a collection of big pots (plastic or steel garbage bins can look good) and add some rubble for drainage then deep mulch and sit your plants on top of the mulch and arrange the planters in groups to suit your furniture arrangements under the pergola and consider adding shade cloth screens around the whole pergola to shade hot sun, block wind, exclude bugs and make the space more comfortable for yourself and the plants...looks like a great house in an interesting location, congratulation
Mardi Harrison
Original Author
2 years ago
Thankyou, we are in Victoria Australia and the side running parallel to the kitchen window is North, the other opening is west. The climate is cool to temperate, hot summer days , cooler nights. Frosts in winter. I was hoping to extend the pergola with a lean-to of shade cloth or some screening and have planter boxes maybe?
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oklouise
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
sounds like a great idea but try the big pots (easy to move around with a funiture trolley) to sustain the plants until you have lived in the house through all seasons to make sure that you don't lose the best of the winter sunshine and maybe plant a small deciduous tree) (Japanese Maple?) about 3m away from the north side of the alfresco to begin a future garden bed for the shady plants underneath

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