Posts Tagged ‘foliage’
Glorious Abundance in a Pint-Sized Garden
I'm sure our giant green coach caused a few raised eyebrows as it pulled into the narrow residential street in Chelmsford, England. But homeowner Sheila Chapman took it all in her stride as she warmly welcomed our tour group to her pint-sized garden with a smile. Sheila is a well-known Royal Horticultural Society gold medal-winning…
Read MoreColor Snapshots from England
I'm just home after hosting a wonderful tour of English gardens for Earthbound Expeditions. So many memories and so many ideas – but I wanted to share just a few images that highlight the use of color restraint and how effective that is as a design tool rather than a wild 'jellybean' approach. Monochromatic Schemes…
Read MoreBefore & After: front garden makeover
There comes a point when you just need to start again – and that was essentially the verdict after visiting this Seattle garden. A combination of overgrown shrubs, inadequate pathways, and piecemeal 'fixes' just weren't cutting it anymore. The homeowner loves the outdoors and wanted the garden to be naturalistic in design, featuring layers of…
Read MoreBest Long-Blooming, Deer-Resistant Perennials
I expect a lot from my plants. Every selection has to earn it's place by offering significant multi-season interest with minimal care while also being deer-resistant. When it comes to flowering perennials that also means they have to be disease resistant and well-behaved. There's no room for "princess" plants that have to be clipped, preened…
Read MoreThe Layered Garden: Lessons from England
English gardens are known for their unapologetic "abundant" look, where flowers, vegetables and/or shrubs mingle easily like the very best of friends. This is achieved by "layering" a range of plants with different heights together and is a technique that can be applied from the tiniest garden to the largest estate regardless of aesthetic or…
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