Landscape Design
Create a Mini Meadow Don’t have much ground space? Why not create a mini meadow in a window box or collection of pots? Sow a wildflower seed mix in containers positioned in a sunny spot. Place an insect box on a wall nearby, and you’ve created a mini insect habitat that you can comfortably view from indoors all spring and summer. It will also make the exterior of your home look beautifully bright and cheery.
Reusing materials that have proved they can handle difficult conditions — such as stone, concrete and brick —combines resiliency with sustainability. You also can look for composites made from recycled materials. These cut down on waste and reliance on landfills. You’ll often see these materials used for decking and edging as well as other hardscape features. “There are companies that use recycled plastic, such as grocery bags, for fences and benches,” Vogt says. Products made from recycled materials have become much more natural-looking in recent years, and can be lower-maintenance and longer-lasting than natural wood.
Orange hoops create an open tunnel, add color and introduce garden art into this backyard in Sonoma, California. They also provide support for growing raspberry and kiwi plants. Brett McPherson and Danielle Davila of The Land Collaborative designed the walk to frame the views of the hills in the distance, transforming a simple crushed-gravel path into a joyous journey.
This large side yard in the Lakeshore Historic District was redeveloped into a natural woodland clearing. Stormwater from the roof has been directed through a steel runnel into a native rain garden where it replenishes the cistern for a bubbling stone fountain. Weathered concrete slabs act as a thread from a firepit seating area, across the rain garden to the rear yard.
Like the wall
One planting challenge: The landscape has five climatic zones. Hursthouse carefully selected natives according to each one, knowing that the plants would find their sweet spots and spread from there. Along the sides of the existing driveway, seen here, the plants include Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica, USDA zones 3 to 8; find your zone), native columbines (Aquilegia sp.), Rudbeckia, coneflowers (Echinacea sp.), coreopsis, Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium sp.) and two varieties of asters. What’s in bloom at any given time depends on the season.
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