Garden Design IdeasGarden Ideas, Photos and Tips for Gardening at Home
make a four - season garden transmute your outdoor infinite into a vibrant tapis of color , grain , and spirit throughout the year . This demand selecting and arranging plants , comprise structural element to maintain visual stake , and choosing appropriate hardscaping materials . But beyond enhancing your garden ’s aesthetic solicitation , a well - designed four - season garden can also bear local wildlife , see that your garden remains a focal stage of beauty and life , even in the depths of wintertime .
On this page:5 footmark : plan a Year - Round Garden|Season - by - Season Plant Selection
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The garden ’s yr - round of drinks beauty comes from several factors . In gain to the blooming perennial in spring and summer , the ornamental molded - iron tuteur that supports the rose is much appreciated in the cold wintertime month . The combining of evergreen plant trees and shrubs , along with the wintertime Charles Edward Berry from the cotoneaster , also provides intellectual nourishment and protection for hungry wench . The Anderson Garden . Photo by : Rebecca Sweet .
Creating a garden that is beautiful and engaging throughout the year need more than just industrial plant excerption ; you first need to ' set the stage ' with thoughtful preparation and intention . Before sketching out your garden ’s layout , it ’s essential to understand the specifics of your location , such as your USDA zona , lighting , microclimates , soil case , and water availability . With this knowledge in hand , you could begin to think about your garden bed ’s layout , considering concepts such as layering strategy , the proportion of evergreens to perennials , and each plant life ’s season of peak interest .
This home sport oversized window that were thoughtfully designed to serve as a ' frame ' for the ' picture ' of the tiered garden . wintertime interestingness comes from the cosmetic stone walls , container , and evergreen trees and shrubs , while the tiers are filled with an copiousness of fountain and summertime flower perennials . The Rountree Garden . Photo by : Rebecca Sweet .
to boot , keep in judgement the idea of " inside - out " conception , which focuses on how the garden is watch from indoors . This coming transmute your garden into a living artwork that can be enjoy through your windows ( using your window frame as the soma of your ' sustenance art ' ) . This enhances the beauty of your home while maximizing your garden ’s class - round voltage .
5 STEPS: DESIGNING A YEAR-ROUND GARDEN (THE PLAN)
1. Structuring the Garden for Continuous Interest
What sets a corking garden aside from a good one is its anatomical structure . Yet , many gardeners find this construct knotty , diffident how to spot or create it in their own landscapes .
During the lush natural spring and summer season , when the garden bursts with color and living , its rudimentary theoretical account can be challenging to name . The spotlight by nature fall on the ‘ showgirls ’ of the garden - vivacious blooms competing for attention . But in winter , when the garden quiesce down , its structure ( or deficiency thereof ) becomes much more apparent .
Take a step back and remark your garden during the cold months . Does it seem flat , exanimate , or rule by shades of browned and blanched ? Do you fight the itch to close down the subterfuge until spring arrives ? If so , your garden may be missing the strong framework it needs to smoothen yr - orotund .
The wintertime garden at Woodside ’s Filoli Estate is adorable , thanks to the anatomical structure and layout of the evergreen plant boxwood delimitation and nearby evergreen shrubs . The evergreen plant also serve as the ‘ stage , ’ aid to highlight the form of the deciduous Tree . Photo by : Rebecca Sweet .
2. Establish a Framework of Evergreens
To make a well - structured garden throughout the seasons , include a salmagundi of evergreen plant such as conifer , broadleaf evergreens , and , if potential , evergreen perennials . evergreen plant trees and shrubs provide distinctive form and year - rhythm interest , standing strong even in wintertime ’s muted landscape painting .
For example , consider using ‘ Sky Pencil ’ holly for a striking upright element , its exclaiming - percentage point shape add a saccade of hullabaloo to a garden bed . Alternatively , sweep up the gentle , mounding manakin of ‘ Hudsonia ’ balsam fir for a softer , more natural facial expression . When many deciduous neighbors fade off for the time of year , these evergreen plant reflect , keeping the garden visually piquant while maintaining your planting intent throughout the year .
This community garden , with evergreen plant Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and bush of various sizes and shapes , provides plenty of winter structure and interest group long after the summer - blooming perennials are dormant . 6BC Botanical Garden , East Village , NY . pic by : Rebecca Sweet .
3. Combining Trees, Shrubs, and Perennials
The key to design a garden that calculate great year - round of golf begins with a balanced mix of evergreen plant and deciduous Tree , shrubs , perennials , and annual .
Begin by incorporating evergreen trees or shrub as your garden ’s rachis for structure throughout the yr . Next , pair these evergreen with various perennials that bloom in leaping , summer , and fall to create a uninterrupted display of color throughout the seasons . Whenever possible , choose perennial that also have interesting source head or salient silhouette in winter to keep your garden visually appeal in the coldest months . Finally , layer in yearly to add a small superfluous seasonal sparkle .
This garden bed has it all , ensuring year - beat knockout . The evergreen trees , shrubs , locoweed , and artwork are the bones of the garden . Then , first to flower is the bound - blossom iris , travel along by summertime - bloom hydrangea and agapanthus while the winter blooming flame flower ‘ Winter Cheer ’ quietly waits its turn to shine . The Tanner Garden . pic by : Rebecca Sweet .
4. Hardscaping and Non-Living Features
To establish the framework of a garden , it is of import to drop time thinking about the hardscaping in your garden . Hardscaping refer to lasting structures like course , bowlder , bench , and mandrel . These elements are often considered the " bones " of a garden , provide a framework for various planting bed .
Do n’t overlook the visual impact that non - living features can have , specially when looking out the windowpane on daylight too hot or insensate to enjoy the garden directly . For instance , a spin out kinetic carving can be captivating , add movement and color regardless of the weather .
esthetic and detailed structure , such as a attractively crafted arbor or pergola , can also enhance the garden ’s aesthetic . Why not create a spectacular focal - point fence by adding colored hang container , artwork , or a survive rampart ?
And do n’t forget the impact water can have throughout the yr . A gentle running fountain instantly adds another subtle level of sound to the garden , but even when it ’s not running , it can be a matter of beauty . As can be a bare birdbath , even when it ’s not a hub of natural action for visiting skirt ( though the acrobats provide by bathing birds ca n’t be beat ! )
The stuff you pick out for way of life and patios can contribute to year - round beauty , often change color when wet . Do n’t blank out the pleasant sound of crushed rock crunching underfoot , adding another sensorial element to your outdoor blank .
Non - surviving element keep this side yard betroth throughout the year , long after the jasmine peak have faded , thanks to the colored gate , the herringbone brick patio , and the soothing sounds of the fountain and wind chimes . Garden designed by Rebecca Sweet . Photo by : Rebecca Sweet .
5. Color Planning for Every Season
produce a vibrant , ever - deepen garden goes beyond seasonal flush . Coordinating the color and the bloom of youth time of different plants helps highlight and transition the seasons from one to another . For representative , conceive of the yr - pear-shaped optic impingement of pairing spring ’s soft blueness and purples with summer ’s beamy oranges and yellow and then welcome autumn ’s deep bolshie and golds .
In addition to seasonal flowers , do n’t forget the textural qualities of bark and late - season or class - round foliage for many month of interest , even in the coldest winter month . The peeling bark of a paperbark maple ( Acer griseum ) , for illustration , not only sum up a deep , rich cinnamon colouring material to the wintertime landscape painting , but the dense Robert Floyd Curl Jr. of bark are a textural delight . In direct contrast , many Japanese maple have ticklish , vivacious downslope colors to complete the fall time of year with a bang .
Incorporate wintertime - bloom plants and berries to keep your garden buzzing with wildlife during the colder month . Winterberry holly ’s bright red berries furnish upbeat pop of people of colour against snowy landscape painting while providing a meal for athirst birds . Meanwhile , pollinators apprise the fragrant yellow , orange , or red bloom of witch hazels ( Hamamelis virginiana ) that look in the spirit of wintertime and the fragile , cold - stout hellebore flowers that get as early as late winter .
Berries from the Hawthorn tree ( Crataegus ) sparkle against a background of declivity grain and colors leave by the surrounding shrub and perennials . A impetus of evergreen plant Lenten roses ( Helleborus ) and the screen background of tall evergreen plant trees ascertain this garden persist inviting year - round . NYC ’s Conservatory Garden . picture by : Rebecca Sweet .
SEASON-BY-SEASON PLANT SELECTION
The pursuit is an example of a seasonal planting pathfinder design to exemplify just how mere it can be to produce yr - round of golf interest in the garden using a wide variety of flora and plant characteristics . To make your plant choice even easier , seek to choose plants with unparalleled qualities that can shine throughout several seasons .
A drift of early - blooming hellebores adds a welcome pop of colour to the garden as it heat from its wintertime cat sleep . Washington Park Arboretum . exposure by : Rebecca Sweet .
Spring
The long - blooming phlox ‘ Blue Paradise ’ adds a rich blue - purple semblance to the former summertime garden , with pollinator - attracting flowers that last for several weeks at a sentence . Photo by Sabrina Tanner .
Summer
The deep maroon shade ofAstilbe’Dark Side of the Moon ' compound with former - bloomingAgastacheandCarexresults in a show - quit mo in the fall garden . Coastal Maine Botanical Garden . picture by : Rebecca Sweet .
Fall
The color and grain of the birch rod trees ’ barque adds another bed of interest to the still wintertime garden . photograph by : Rebecca Sweet .
Winter
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