Erna's Garden book
Put Garden Waste to Use Anything you clip or rake from your garden can be put right back to use in the soil if given time to break down, save for weeds that have set seeds or any diseased plants. Toss those plants into the green waste bin. To create a productive compost bin, layer carbon-rich materials with nitrogen-rich materials, including kitchen scraps. Keep the heap well aerated by turning regularly. Afterward, you can spread well-decomposed compost on top of garden beds to return nutrients to the soil. No room for a compost pile? Try a vermiculture with a worm box. Worms can break down kitchen scraps and finer garden trimmings and leave nutrient-rich droppings that can be added back to the garden.
2. Backyard Fun for a Brooklyn Family Harper Design Build partnered with Brooklyn landscape architecture firm Todd Rader + Amy Crews to turn an untamed backyard in Brooklyn’s Park Slope neighborhood into additional living space. Houzz users loved the pattern in the fence, where two different-size boards create a rhythm in stripes. The homeowners recently added sunshades to the clear cedar pergola for privacy and shade. A ceiling fan in the pergola provides a breeze on hot summer days. Tip: Use contrast on a patio. Here a combination of ipe decking, bluestone pavers and Cor-Ten steel accents provide an interesting view from the brownstone home.
7. Nestled in the Rocky Mountains There’s perhaps no better spot to enjoy the warmth of a fire outdoors than in the Rocky Mountains. This patio with spectacular views sits off a rustic-style home composed of reclaimed wood, stone and metal in Telluride, Colorado. Artisan Builders gave the patio primitive camp style that matched the house, while also making it comfortable. Lounge furniture crafted of rugged reclaimed timbers, irregular flagstones on the patio and the carved-stone fireplace make this the perfect place to enjoy a fire outdoors. Tip: Consider how outdoor features and furniture will relate to the architecture of your home.
8. Under a Pergola in Northern Utah This powerful pergola crafted by Magleby Construction in Lindon, Utah, defines a comfortable patio space complete with a porch swing. The large timber posts of the pergola play off architectural details on the home’s exterior, including the front porch. And the composition of the horizontal boards on the fence create depth, shadows and interest. Tip: Consider wiring a pergola for features like ceiling fans, lighting and speakers.
In this project, where the boulders are showcased like art pieces, designer Elliot Kaplan was as careful about choosing which boulders to use in the project as he was choosing where to put them. “We always select primarily based on having ‘good faces.’ There’s always a best face of a boulder, and the goal is to have that face the primary view when interacting with the garden,” he says. “You’ll notice on the grouping of two, it almost looks like it was one boulder split, so that the inside edge of each of those two relates to the other,” he says. The boulders surround a mature lemon tree that has been pruned to show off its architectural beauty. The boulders complement the organic curves of the tree as well as the elegantly curving walls that surround them.
4. Organic Modern Curves Designer: Wildwood Landscapes (builder) and Arca Design Group Location: Oakland, California Size: The two patios total 785 square feet (73 square meters), with 200 square feet (19 square meters) of bluestone, 410 square feet (38 square meters) of concrete and 175 square feet (16 square meters) of gravel Here is another landscape where boulders cut through the patio. Instead of lending a more rustic vibe, these water-worn granite boulders create the feeling of being in a zen sculpture garden, with their smooth edges peeking above the bluestone pavers like small scattered islands. The team sunk the bottom curve of each boulder into the soil and custom-cut the flagstone pavers to fit.
2. Rustic Japanese-Inspired Patio Designer and builder: Outdoor Dreams Location: Richmond, Virginia Size: 590 square feet (55 square meters) Similarly to the previous yard, this patio in Virginia also used boulders as a way to create a more natural and rustic feeling. Virginia fieldstone boulders cut through the edges of a clean-lined paver patio. The boulders’ colors complement the stacked-stone wall and also reference the Japanese-inspired design sought by landscape designer Greg Koehler, whom the homeowners found by searching for landscape design pros on Houzz.
On one end of the pool, a giant pancake-shape stone from SBI Materials anchors the design and creates a focal point (and natural diving platform). Placing the boulders and stone slabs wasn’t easy, Hoffmann says. “They had to be strapped on [a] Bobcat for installation to avoid scarring and then carefully placed in position.”
1. Nature-Inspired Swimming Hole Designer: Martin Hoffmann Location: Danville, California Size: Half-acre backyard In Danville, across the bay from San Francisco, this backyard redesign by Martin Hoffmann mixes rustic farmhouse style with luxurious outdoor living, without overpowering the rolling hills and majestic oak trees that run up to the property. “I wanted to avoid doing too much. The background to the site was just so dramatic. It offered so much of an opportunity that I thought that we could enhance nature and not dominate with a pool that was too big or a fire pit seating area with too much paving,” Hoffmann says. The pool shown here was a main element that Hoffmann added, and the homeowners wanted it to feel more integrated in the landscape. Instead of creating a resort-style pool with clean, tiled edges, Hoffmann designed what he describes as “purposely undersized and organic; more of a watering hole than a traditional pool.” The pool, which measures about 22½ feet long and 15 feet wide, is surrounded by water-washed boulders instead of traditional coping to create a more organic feel.
After: Terraced board-formed concrete retaining walls create more usable outdoor space and help break up the redesigned backyard into three distinct outdoor zones, with the artificial turf-striped patio as the centerpiece. A covered outdoor lounge underneath the rebuilt deck features a daybed built into the retaining wall system, offering the homeowners a place where they can relax during the day or night. A custom aluminum underdeck system protects the lounge area from sun and rain, and it conceals wiring for recessed lighting and a ceiling fan.
Try Planting a Square-Foot Garden Gone are the days of planting vegetables in long, skinny rows. Instead, try building raised beds and planting them using the square-foot method described in Mel Bartholomew’s book All New Square Foot Gardening. This technique, which divides crops using a grid, creates patchwork quilt-style gardens that grow more food in less space.
Plan Your Garden Before you spend money or build anything, take time to get to know yourself and your space. Where is the best light? How much time do you have each week to spend on your gardening? How much food do you really want to grow? Ask yourself these questions before you put your shovel into the ground.
Lace Fence Dutch designer Joep Verhoeven referenced the Netherlands’ lace-making heritage with his Design Academy Eindhoven graduation project: Lace Fence, utilitarian chain-link fencing woven with decorative patterns that’s seen here on display at the Design Center at Philadelphia University. Two types of wire (bent or welded), multiple finish choices, three kinds of mesh base and a wealth of motifs that can be combined and sized as desired add up to one-of-a-kind constructions with many applications.
Tw Adirondack chairs anchor a private spot in the low area of the garden. “We wanted to create a destination for the path and make it feel like a secret garden down here,” King says. The silver maple shades the garden. Plants like hostas, hydrangeas and astilbes thrive in the shadier area. Creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum) and creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) fill in spaces between stones and between the path and the boulders. Black-eyed Susans (Rudebeckia spp.), sedums, astilbes and a Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) toward the top of the path bring in more color and an interesting mix of textures.
Down the slope from the outdoor room, the garden takes on a more natural look. Boulders retain the earth along either side of the path, and shade-loving plants create layers of texture and color. But while it looks natural, it took a lot of construction to build this environment. King worked with the slope down the hill to create a gentle, gradual path of rugged steps. On the left side, he used natural boulders to form a retaining wall that follows the slope of the path. On the right is the new retaining wall. The way it holds up the earth made this path possible; without it, the grading would also slope down from left to right. Lighting throughout the yard highlights the garden. Downlights under the pergola provide a pleasing glow in the evenings, while uplights highlight the trees. Small path lights illuminate grade changes for safety.
“The homeowners wanted an outdoor space they could use rain or shine,” King says. The new pergola has motorized aluminum louvers that fully cover the top during inclement weather. As outdoor cooking enthusiasts, the clients wanted to go all-out with the outdoor kitchen. It includes a ceramic Kamado-style charcoal grill, a gas grill, gas burners and storage drawers. The ceramic grill sits atop a lower countertop — a slab of natural stone that matches the stairs. Much like an interior open plan, the lounge is open to the outdoor kitchen and faces the new wood-burning outdoor fireplace. The fireplace is made of local stone from Wiarton, Ontario.
To improve the circulation and the transition from the house to the yard, King created a new grading plan. By installing a large retaining wall along the back of the property (behind the fireplace), he provided a flat space for a pergola that extends over the outdoor kitchen and lounge. And he designed a landing off the screened-in porch that has wide steps leading down to this area, creating a strong connection between the house and yard. The right side of this photo shows the existing silver maple and the new terracing. The patios are composed of interlocking pavers, while the stairs are natural stone, cut deliberately with irregular edges for a more natural look.
With its tricky slope, long and narrow shape, and existing mature trees, this backyard outside Toronto presented lots of challenges. The couple who live here love to cook and host get-togethers outdoors, so they wanted it to serve as an entertainment hub complete with an outdoor kitchen, bar, covered seating area with a wood-burning fireplace, whirlpool and beautiful gardens. And for circulation, there needed to be an easy flow from the house and between all of these elements.
Inside, a ladder leads up to the mini sleeping loft, which would be just enough room for young kids to curl up for a sleepover or an adult to relax with a book. The interior of the structure by Bordertown has been kept simple, with some boards left natural and others whitewashed to brighten the living room. Recessed lighting makes the cottage an appealing place for playing after dark.
It has a built-in bed, a second fold-down cot and a mini kitchen, complete with a fridge, farmhouse sink, coffee press and toaster — effectively everything an overnight guest would need. Rustic details, like salvaged wood doors for the underbed cupboard along with mismatched china, add to the charm. Layered patterned quilts, fuzzy throw blankets and vintage touches make the space feel especially homey.
Enjoy an Alfresco Lunch It may be too chilly to have outdoor dinners, but on a sunny day the temperature can be just right for serving lunch in the open air. Just make sure to give your guests the heads-up so they can dress appropriately, and you should have a few extra wraps and blankets ready if needed.
How to use it. Canadian wild ginger can be used in any shaded site in formal and informal plantings. It’s best near planting borders or pathway edges where it won’t get overpowered by tall plants. It can also be used in moist, shaded locations under trees. Combine Canadian wild ginger with other shade-tolerant, spring-flowering native perennials, including early meadow-rue (Thalictrum dioicum), Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium reptans), largeflower bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora), longstyle sweetroot (Osmorhiza longistylis), twoleaf mitrewort (Mitella diphylla), Virginia waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum), white trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) and wild geranium (Geranium maculatum).
Botanical name: Asarum canadense Common names: Canadian wild ginger, wild ginger, Canadian snakeroot Origin: Native to eastern North America, from the eastern Dakotas eastward to Maine in the north, and Oklahoma eastward to Georgia in the south Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 40 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 3a to 8a; find your zone) Typical plant communities: Medium to moist deciduous woodlands Soil requirement: Medium to moist sandy-loam to clay-loam Light requirement: Partial shade to shade Mature size: 3 to 6 inches tall and 6 inches wide Benefits and tolerances: It tolerates partial shade to full shade; deer tend to avoid it. Seasonal interest: Bright green, heart-shaped basal leaves emerge in April, and three-parted red flowers open shortly afterward. When to plant: Spring or fall; potted plants are available from most native plant nurseries in areas where it occurs. Shown: Canadian wild ginger sports red flowers.
Canadian wild ginger (Asarum canadense) is an eastern U.S. native perennial that blankets shaded slopes in deciduous woodlands. This attractive plant is easy to grow and makes an excellent ground cover. The bright green, heart-shaped basal leaves push their way up through leaf litter in spring. Small maroon flowers emerge beneath the leaves at ground level shortly after.
Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) Native to deciduous woodlands of Eastern North America from Canada to North Carolina Palm-sized, heart-shaped leaves distinguish this attractive ground cover, native to Eastern woodlands from Canada to North Carolina. Plant along pathway borders where the mounding plant can soften edges and on shaded slopes in woodland gardens. Plants spread by rhizomes, not overly aggressively, but it is still best to plant in a garden bed where you don’t mind it naturalizing. Triangular-shaped maroon flowers emerge in spring at the plant base. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 34.4 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 6) Water requirement: Moderate to regular; thrives in consistently moist, well-drained soil Light requirement: Partial to full shade Mature size: 6 inches to 1 foot tall and 1 to 1½ feet wide
Designer Tips for Creating a Dynamic Perennial Border Plant a variety of contrasting leaf sizes and shapes to add distinction and texture to the planting. Choose flowering perennials with different bloom times so your garden will feature color through the season. Use a few structural plants that add drama to the planting scheme.
Plant List The perennial beds include the following mix of natives, hybrids and pollinator-friendly plants: Beebalm (Monarda ‘Scorpion’), boxwood (Buxus ‘Green Mountain’), cornflower (Centaurea sp.), Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum), dense blazing star (Liatris spicata ‘Kobold’), fall phlox (Phlox paniculata ‘David’), hyssop (Agastache sp.), lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina ‘Big Ears’), masterwort (Astrantia major ‘Moulin Rouge’), mountain fleece (Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘Fatal Attraction’), Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Little Spire’), shasta daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum ‘White Breeze’), stonecrop (Sedum ‘Autumn Fire’) and white turtlehead (Chelone glabra).
The perennial beds receive no supplemental irrigation, save for occasional hand watering. They require deadheading and occasional staking. The planting is only a year old, but Wheatley-Miller says some of the perennials will be due for dividing and replanting in three to five years. Although the perennial garden was only planted last fall, by midsummer the plants had fully taken off and filled the beds with color — a show designed to last until the end of autumn, with boxwoods and holly adding winter interest. “Plants now provide color, texture and scent from spring into late fall,” Wheatley-Miller says. She says her clients see lots of butterflies and enjoy the small happenings in the garden, from bulbs emerging in spring to perennial peonies bursting into bloom. With the entry plantings done, the team is turning to the next item on the phased-installation landscape list. “We’ll make improvements to the waterfront side next, adding a play area along the inlet waterway for the grandchildren, a woodland walk and a treehouse,” Wheatley-Miller says. It sounds like the fun is just beginning for the Cazenovia Lake house garden.
After: After resolving the drainage issues, the design team planted the foundation beds in a similar fashion to the front walk. The beds, which range from 6 to 12 feet wide, feature a spring-flowering kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa) planted at the corner of the home (on this photo’s left edge) and shade-loving perennials. The specimen dogwood and a few larger 5- to 7-gallon-size shrubs planted along the home were the project’s main splurges.
After: To open up more planting possibilities, Wheatley-Miller dug up the existing shrubs along the brick walk and expanded the planting beds from 4 feet to over 6 feet wide. The extra room allowed her to create a tiered effect, layering perennials by height in the beds. A watercolor palette of deep purple, pale lavender, soft yellow, rose pink, silver-green and zingy magenta forms a tapestry of color, with abundant nectar- and pollen-rich blooms attracting bees and butterflies. Wheatley-Miller cites hyssop (Agastache spp.), beebalm (Monarda spp.), and knotweed (Persicaria spp.), among others in the border, as being particularly effective pollinator magnets. Wheatley-Miller reused a number of perennials from the existing border, digging up, dividing and transplanting them to other areas of the garden — a move that reduced waste and helped save her clients’ budget. Plants reused in this border include dense blazing star (Liatris spicata ‘Kobold’), native white turtlehead (Chelone glabra), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) and stonecrop (Sedum sp.). She also saved a large peegee hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Grandiflora’), seen in bloom in the background, which helps anchor...
Located just a stone’s throw from the edge of Cazenovia Lake in upstate New York, this home and garden nestle among deciduous woodland, with grounds that extend to the water’s edge. While the proximity to the lake has always been the property’s biggest draw, beautiful new perennial borders provide another reason for the homeowners, a retired couple, to spend more time outdoors. Now, they also enjoy colorful floral displays and watch butterflies flit from bloom to bloom. We caught up with Mariane Wheatley-Miller, the project’s landscape architect, who described how she transformed a front yard once dominated by lawn and shrubs into a dynamic, pollinator-friendly perennial border.
COUCHES BUILT
A Dreamy Space Under a Pergola in Los Angeles Wispy curtains, hanging lights, candles and comfortable furniture make this Los Angeles pergola a romantic backyard destination. The designers at Baker Patios added life to the space with urns and square planters.
A Fully Programmed Yard in Denver The designers at Lifescape Colorado have transformed this backyard into a natural extension of a midcentury modern home. There’s space to have a cocktail while someone grills, then eat alfresco and retire to the lounge to warm up by the fire pit. Clean lines and pops of bright colors carry the modern spirit throughout the patio.
An Outdoor Fireplace Warms a Patio Lounge in Virginia The way the pros at Outdoor Dreams placed this outdoor fireplace is worth studying. It serves as a stone-covered focal point with a beautiful backdrop of lawn, meadow and woods beyond it. This patio is part of a larger new landscape design that includes an adjacent pergola-covered patio and pool.
Leafy Curbside Appeal Balancing beauty with privacy needs is a common landscape design problem for anyone who lives on a busy street. This inviting front yard in Vancouver, designed by landscape architect Paul Sangha, offers a creative solution through smart use of hedge plants and fencing. Plants include: Paperbark maple (Acer griseum, zones 4 to 8) ‘H.M. Eddie’ yew (Taxus x media ‘H.M. Eddie’, zones 4 to 7) Common boxwood (Buxus sempervirens, zones 5 to 9) ‘Aztec Pearl’ choisya (Choisya x dewitteana ‘Aztec Pearl’, Zone 8) Water requirement: Low to moderate Light requirement: Full sun
Private Pool Screen For this backyard in Madison, New Jersey, a row of arborvitae form a handsome privacy screen and lush green backdrop for the pool. The dense growth habit of arborvitae makes it a great choice for spots where you’d like complete privacy. For a full, dense screen, plant the columnar shrubs close together — these were planted 3 to 4 feet on center — to prevent any unwanted gaps between plants. Plants include: Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’, zones 2 to 8) Boxwood containers (Buxus sp.) Water requirement: Regular Light requirement: Full sun
Green-Walled Garden Room A multitrunked crape myrtle tree and an inviting pair of chairs anchor one of multiple garden rooms in this backyard in Arlington, Virginia. Landscape architect Scott Brinitzer selected a variety of hedge plants to create the various garden rooms in the landscape. For this particular room, he used California privet to create a tall screening hedge for privacy and Hicks yew to act as a room divider. Plants include: ‘Natchez’ crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia ‘Natchez’, zones 6 to 9) California privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium, zones 5 to 8) Hicks yew (Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’, zones 4 to 7) Water requirement: Moderate; low once established Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade Note: Privet can be invasive in parts of the Midwest and western U.S.; check with your local nursery before planting. Privet stems and leaves can be toxic to pets if ingested.
Dreamy Italian Balcony This shaded terrace in Milan feels perfectly secluded, despite nearby buildings, thanks to being cloaked on almost all sides by lush foliage. Bamboo grown in containers is the hardworking hedge plant here. One of the fastest-growing plants out there, bamboo is an excellent choice for quick privacy screening. It’s also a great option for urban container gardens. Grow bamboo in containers, use a root barrier or choose a clumping, non-invasive variety to prevent spreading. Learn more about growing bamboo responsibly. Plants include: Bamboo (Bambusa sp.) Water requirement: Low to moderate Light requirement: Full to partial sun, depending on species
1. Secret London Garden This leafy garden by Randle Siddeley in London feels worlds away from the rush of the city, thanks to layered hedges, wood lattice screens and the soothing sound of water. Plants for screening include pleached hornbeam trees to form a top layer and evergreen conifer hedges at midlevel, plus low boxwood borders to define planting beds. The layered strategy is particularly effective at creating maximum screening in a compact space. Plants include: Pleached hornbeams (Carpinus sp.) Boxwood (Buxus sp.) Water requirement: Low to moderate Light requirement: Full sun
Edgy Metal in Minnesota This angular metal ceiling fan fits in well with the contemporary architecture of this lake house by SALA Architects in Minnesota. Mounted above a covered seating area and breezeway looking out over the water, the ceiling fan keeps the area cool and comfortable.
Romantic Woodland With a Hidden Grill In this Northern California side yard designed by John Black of Verdance Landscape Architecture, a romantic woodland garden planted with foxglove, boxwood and ferns gives way to a gravel patio featuring a wisteria pergola with a grill set beneath. The design places plants upfront, where they receive more sunlight. Landscape by Verdance Landscape Architecture Verdance Landscape Architecture The grill is tucked out of sight near the home, in the most shaded portion of the side yard. A Connecticut bluestone flagstone path ties the garden and patio together. Plants include: Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea, zones 4 to 9) Boxwood Wisteria Camelia ‘Marjorie Channon’ kōhūhū (Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Marjorie Channon’, zones 8 to 11) Ferns
Romantic Woodland With a Hidden Grill In this Northern California side yard designed by John Black of Verdance Landscape Architecture, a romantic woodland garden planted with foxglove, boxwood and ferns gives way to a gravel patio featuring a wisteria pergola with a grill set beneath. The design places plants upfront, where they receive more sunlight. Landscape by Verdance Landscape Architecture Verdance Landscape Architecture The grill is tucked out of sight near the home, in the most shaded portion of the side yard. A Connecticut bluestone flagstone path ties the garden and patio together. Plants include: Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea, zones 4 to 9) Boxwood Wisteria Camelia ‘Marjorie Channon’ kōhūhū (Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Marjorie Channon’, zones 8 to 11) Ferns
Leafy Tunnel Adding overhead trellising cloaked in vines to a side yard can help transform a narrow alley into a romantic garden passageway pleasantly surrounded by foliage. In this garden by Vert Anis in Angers, France, a shadowy strip between two buildings became a pleasant walkway with the help of wisteria-draped trellises and a crunchy gravel path, bordered by mounds of pink hydrangea and potted boxwood. Plants include: Wisteria (Wisteria sp.) Hydrangea (Hydrangea sp.) Boxwood (Buxus sp.) Ivy (Hedera sp.)
Japanese-Inspired It’s hard to believe that this shaded side yard by Mosaic Gardens in Eugene, Oregon, was once just a concrete floor and uninviting cinder blocks. The concrete floor remains — it couldn’t be removed due to drainage concerns — but is now hidden under quick-draining local river rock gravel and a steppingstone pathway. Carefully placed bamboo screens invite one to slow down and admire juniper bonsai and other potted conifers, a recirculating water feature and a lush border of bamboo. Plants include: Clumping bamboo Japanese maple (Acer palmatum, zones 5 to 8) Juniper bonsai (Juniperus sp.) Potted pine (Pinus sp.)
Green and Serene A rich diversity of texture and green hues adds interest to this shaded side garden in Palo Alto, California, designed by Sarah Warto of Boxleaf Design. To lighten what could otherwise feel like a dark, damp space, Warto planted bright accents, including lime-green Irish moss between the flagstone pavers and silvery ‘Jack Frost’ large-leaf brunnera and light green ferns beside the path. Plants include: Carolina laurelcherry (Prunus caroliniana, zones 8 to 10) ‘Jack Frost’ large-leaf brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’, zones 3 to 8) Ferns Irish moss (Sagina subulata, zones 4 to 8) Caution: Carolina laurelcherry can be toxic to pets if ingested.
Formal and Elegant A straight pathway surrounded by lush plantings, including snowy white ‘Annabelle’ hydrangea, on the north-facing side of a home in Glencoe, Illinois, takes visitors down a semishaded walk to the backyard. The natural cleft Pennsylvania bluestone used as pathway pavers references the home’s exterior detailing. On the perimeter side of the walkway, a dense hedge of pyramidal arborvitae adds privacy, with glossy ‘Green Carpet’ Japanese spurge planted below. Plants include: Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis, zones 2 to 8) ‘Annabelle’ wild hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’, zones 4 to 9) ‘Green Carpet’ Japanese spurge (Pachysandra terminalis ‘Green Carpet’, zones 5 to 9) ‘Green Velvet’ boxwood (Buxus ‘Green Velvet’, zones 5 to 8) Caution: Japanese spurge can be invasive. Check with your local nursery before planting and use best practices in the landscape.
Showstopping Ferns Adding a curve in a side yard path creates room for a focal point — such as a standout plant or fountain — which draws the eye and helps distract from the narrowness of the space. For example, in this semishaded garden in Dublin, landscape designer Patricia Tyrrell took advantage of the curve of a steppingstone path to showcase the bold shape and semitranslucent foliage of a large alpine woodfern. Other plantings in the garden include pale pink hydrangeas and a carpet of periwinkle. Plants include: Alpine woodfern (Dryopteris wallichiana, zones 5 to 8) Hydrangea (Hydrangea sp.)
Purples and Greens Proving that it doesn’t take a complicated combination of plants to create plenty of interest, the designers at Dear Garden Associates used hosta, pictured in bloom, feathery ostrich fern and reed canary grass to put together a simple, lovely display. The bed runs along the side of a guest house in Pennsylvania and receives partial shade. Plants include: Hosta (Hosta sp., zones 3 to 9) Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris, zones 3 to 8) Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea var. picta, zones 4 to 9) Caution: Reed canary grass, though native to the U.S., can be an aggressive spreader. Check with your local nursery before planting.
Cottage Garden As part of a garden renovation in Newburyport, Massachusetts, landscape designer Andrew Leonard of Leonard Design Associates converted a side yard into a lush shade garden. The area, which sits along the north side of the three-story home, receives little sun, and the original lawn was struggling to thrive. Leonard used a planting scheme of shade-loving hostas, bleeding heart, columbine and many types of fern, along with a new steppingstone pathway, to turn the neglected area into a cottage-style shade garden. Plants include: Mixed hostas (Hosta spp., USDA zones 3 to 9; find your zone) Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum var. pictum, zones 3 to 8) Eastern hayscented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula, zones 3 to 8) Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris, zones 3 to 8) Bleeding heart (Dicentra sp.) Sweet violet (Viola odorata, zones 4 to 9) McKana’s Giant columbine (Aquilegia hybrid, zones 3 to 8) Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum, zones 5 to 9)
Wood and corrugated galvanized steel enclose this open-air shower in Minnesota built by Lands End Development.
This San Diego outdoor shower by Debora Carl Landscape Design is a surfer’s delight and the perfect spot to wash off sand and salt after a day on the waves.
outdoor shower. A tiered concrete wall provides a handy spot to put favorite bathing products in this outdoor shower in Los Angeles.
A former culvert pipe made of galvanized steel was cut to create this outdoor shower in Oregon. The space was designed by Carlos Delgado Architect.
outdoor showerA rock outcropping on this property in Phoenix provides an ideal setting for an outdoor shower designed by the team at Swaback.
Desert Oasis A handsome metal shade pergola casts slatted shade over the outdoor kitchen and dining room adjacent to the pool in this Phoenix backyard by Prideaux Design. Shade is essential in the desert and other regions with hot summers, but it can be nice to have different degrees of it throughout the landscape. While the poolside pergola offers partial shade, an outdoor living room set closer to the house is fully and deeply shaded.
Weathered-wood shade pergolas extend off this home in Scarsdale, New York, to cover backyard seating and dining areas. The pergolas, designed by architecture firm Alisberg Parker, tie in with the modern-farmhouse-style home and provide a mount for overhead outdoor lighting.
roof cover extension
Fire-Wise Landscapes Can Help Keep Your Home and Property Safe
Hilarie Holdsworth Design Water and Maintenance Soaker hoses set on timers water beds in sunnier areas of the garden, but Hilarie has held off on installing drip irrigation throughout the broader areas of planting, reporting that the size of these areas makes it fairly impractical. Instead, she hand-waters when necessary but usually restricts giving supplemental water to larger beds up until the hottest months of summer. Lawns receive no supplemental irrigation. The edible and ornamental beds require frequent care in the form of seasonal replanting, shaping boxwood hedges, weeding, harvesting and deadheading. More naturalistic areas of the garden, dominated by ferns and native plants, need little care.
Garden House and Woodland Garden Hilarie positioned an Asian-inspired garden house across the lawn to provide a destination within the larger woodland garden. The garden house sits partially concealed by deciduous trees, amid a sea of primarily native ferns including hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula), ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris), Himalyan maidenhair fern (Adiantum venustum), northern maidenhair fern (A. pedatum) and lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina).
The patio leads out to a parterre that Hilarie says was designed as a formal herb garden but has morphed into more decorative and drought-tolerant perennials. In spring, as shown here, self-sowing forget-me-nots (Myosotis sp.) form a blue froth beneath two types of evergreen boxwoods (Buxus ‘Green Velvet’ and B. sempervirens ‘Graham Blandy’).
Patio and Parterre Design spontaneity led to many instances of magic in the Cape Ann garden. This was the case with a free-form patio just off the back of the farmhouse, which features a paving pattern as intricate as a Moroccan rug. “The brick and river stone terrace happened very organically,” Hilarie says. “I had no particular pattern in mind when I began, just the overall shape.” She used reclaimed brick from her in-laws’ property, river stones and a number of found objects as part of the patio floor. “It’s very graphic when viewed from the porch above,” the designer says.
Potting station. Potting benches can get a little messy. Keep your garden workstation tucked away to the side, where it’s both convenient and out of the way.
Color Meets Camo in Madrid Proving that shade structures don’t have to cost a fortune to look good and serve their purpose, Adam Bresnick Architects used inexpensive camo netting to cast dappled light over a colorful seating area in Madrid. The lightweight material would move in the breeze, changing the shadow patterns below and creating the feeling of being beneath the branches of a shade tree. A brightly striped outdoor rug and stylish Acapulco chairs make the seating area even more enticing.
Enclosed in Santa Barbara A shade structure made of wood boards mounted to a steel frame creates a pleasant cocoon-like feeling for this outdoor living room in Southern California. The design by Neumann Mendro Andrulaitis Architects makes a graphic statement in the side yard.
Deck cover and wall, big lamp
Add Interest to Walls Small decks surrounded by walls can feel boxed in, but you can reduce this feeling by enhancing the walls around the deck. With this enclosed terrace by Chicago Roof Deck & Garden in Chicago, brick walls have become a backdrop for an installation of pale birch trunks along one side and metal screens along another. Vines like clematis (Clematis spp.), Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) or Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) can be planted on outdoor walls to create a lush green backdrop.
Lay Down an Outdoor Rug Give a small deck some style without changing your outdoor furniture or adding bulky accessories by rolling out an outdoor rug for the season. Look for outdoor rugs made of weather- and fade-resistant synthetic materials like polyester and recycled plastic, which can be easily hosed off to clean them. Rugs made of natural materials like jute are less outdoor-hardy and should be brought inside when it rains.
Example of a mid-sized tuscan courtyard patio design in San Francisco with a roof extension
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