Smart Garden

 Desert Landscaping Ideas  Deciding on desert landscaping ideas can seem daunting at first, but there are many inspiring plant combinations, head-turning looks, and design choices you can use to transform a hot, dusty yard. Although not many flowers and colorful flowers are included, there are plenty of plant shapes, enchanting textures and details to play with. From soaring cacti, captivating succulents, to tactile tussocks of drought-tolerant landscape plants, there are plenty of opportunities to create a stylish and practical outdoor space using clever and drought-tolerant planting ideas. 1. Combine shade trees Mature trees are dramatic and valued features of any desert landscape. Often standing alone, set against the horizon or barren surroundings, they make striking sculptural statements and provide shelter for birds and wildlife, as well as casting valuable shade. If you are lucky enough to have existing trees on your land, make sure they are well maintained ...

 Fascinating Round Garden Ideas  One of the best ways to add beauty and visual interest to your outdoor space is to add a garden bed, and a circular garden can decorate your yard. Circular gardens are visually appealing and bring a great combination of functionality and aesthetics. They provide excellent visibility from any side and are versatile. 1. Zen Round Rock Garden The beauty of round gardens lies in the uniqueness of their design. In this beautiful circular garden, the primary design element is the rounded rock formation, which has a log as the centerpiece of the design, surrounded by smooth river stones and gravel on the outer layers. The design is complemented by some greenery on the exterior with round manicured shrubs adding to the circular flair of the design. These designs work best in well-kept lawns. 2. Gardens around cottages Adding cottage garden plants is the perfect way to add some informal flair. The circular design in this flower garden provid...

House and garden When I first visited the site in the winter of 2010, I was immediately struck by the site and the possibilities began to enter my mind's eye. My clients built a beautiful, contemporary home on a clearing with wide open views to the surrounding woods. Surrounding the house is a productive blueberry farm, pastures for livestock and outbuildings to support the farm.  Big properties call for big ideas, and big budgets are needed to execute a big idea. Over the next few years, we were able to facilitate this magical transition without extensive and costly hard changes to the site. We did this by moving plants to center stage. Know your lines The "living lines" created by the arrangement of plants not only connect the house to the landscape, but also add a unique flair to the natural environment of the garden. Using large numbers of the same or similar plants also helps keep maintenance to a minimum.  Early on, I learned that my client loved the lo...

Levels of shadow Light requirements for shade tolerant plants distinguish between full and partial shade. Full shade doesn't mean the plant doesn't get sunlight, which translates to four hours of full sunlight, mostly in the morning or late afternoon. Part shade is a location that receives four to six hours of full sun per day, and relief from intense afternoon sunlight from a nearby tree or structure that blocks the sun. A third less frequently used term to describe the amount of shade is filtered or filtered sun, in which sunlight filters through the branches and leaves of deciduous trees. This shade condition is usually found in forest areas. 1. Solomon's Seal Solomon's seal is a beautiful showy flower, best for those with patience—they can take years to reach flowering stage. However, once they bloom, they have delicate white or pink flowers that eventually drop into berries that extend the time they produce visual interest. Leaves turn yellow in autumn...

Beat the summer heat As summer temperatures rise, plants may stop blooming, wilt, drop leaves and flowers, lose color, or stop seed production. Learn how you can help prevent heatstroke in your garden and see 6 heat-tolerant flowers. Give shade Adding trees, shrubs, or structures to your landscape that create shade can help lower surface temperatures and reduce heat in your yard. Shaded surfaces are 20 to 45 degrees F cooler than unshaded surfaces in the same area. In mid-summer, when the sun is most intense, coleus (Plectranthus hybrids) and sweet potato vines (Ipomoea batatas) wilt; But adding temporary fabric row covers or shades can provide relief in particularly hot spots in your yard. UV-stabilized, polyethylene shade netting reduces the effects of the summer sun, but allows air flow. Planting heat-sensitive plants on the north or northeast side of tall, more heat-tolerant plants, such as Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia) or zinnia (Zinnia elegans), will prov...

 Container garden plants  When the hot days of summer hit, many container garden plants slow down to produce flowers and new foliage, even if you water regularly. Beat the heat by filling your containers with these colorful plants that thrive as temperatures rise. Most come from warm places around the world, so they are often grown as annuals in cooler areas. However, you can spend many of them indoors and bring them back outside when the warmer weather returns. 1. The angel's trumpet In full bloom, a good-sized angel's trumpet will stop you in your tracks. The drooping flowers are actually trumpet shaped and can reach over 1 foot in length depending on the variety. The flowers emit a sweet, sweet fragrance after sunset. If you have pets or children, be sure to keep these plants out of reach, as all parts are poisonous if ingested. 2. Agave Although it is not grown for flowers, agave is a wonderful plant that provides an architectural flair to any container. There...

Backyard into a dreamscape Gardening trends change slowly—plants take time to grow—but one landscaping approach has clearly grown in recent years: landscape garden design. Inspired by the legendary Dutch landscape designer Piet Oudolf, a new wave of American garden designers are applying the principles of his sustainable, wildlife-friendly approach to landscapes of all sizes. Here's how to weave key natural garden design ideas into your own backyard in ways big or small. 1. Prioritize natives and perennials Natural garden designers use plants that feel at one with their region, as in the lawn-inspired Iowa front yard of garden designer Kelly Norris, author of the book New Naturalism. Those plants are often native (meaning they have evolved naturally in the area), but they can also be perennials that are well-suited to that particular area. This approach has many advantages: it creates a unique space, it supports local wildlife, and it is more sustainable because it red...