garden
Consider the Foreground and Background Similar to how an artist might think about the composition of a painting, consider the overall composition of your window view. Separate elements close to the viewer from those farther back in the space. For close elements, it’s all about the details. You could group a cluster of small pots or a small fountain just outside a window, or frame the foreground of a garden view with a flowering vine planted nearby.
Consider the Foreground and Background Similar to how an artist might think about the composition of a painting, consider the overall composition of your window view. Separate elements close to the viewer from those farther back in the space. For close elements, it’s all about the details. You could group a cluster of small pots or a small fountain just outside a window, or frame the foreground of a garden view with a flowering vine planted nearby.
Fruit trees. Fruit trees like apple, cherry, peach and plum should be pruned in late winter, when they are dormant, before the leaf buds begin to swell and open. As with other deciduous trees, pruning in winter allows you to clearly see where to prune, and the pruning cuts heal quickly in spring when the tree is focusing its resources on growth. In addition, pruning before spring invigorates the tree, promoting fruit development by getting rid of unproductive branches and aiding in the growth of new branches.
Hydrangeas. are divided into 2 groups, which determines if they should be pruned in summer or late winter to early spring. Hydrangeas that produce blooms on OLD growth should be pruned in late summer, after they finish flowering in late spring to early summer. Bigleaf (Hydrangea macrophylla) and oakleaf hydrangeas (H. quercifolia) bloom on OLD wood. Hydrangeas that bloom on NEW growth should be pruned in late winter or early spring. These hydrangeas bloom in midsummer into fall and include panicled (H. paniculata) and wild hydrangeas (H. arborescens).
When to Prune depends on whether your plants bloom on OLD growth or NEW growth. ROSES Most roses in the garden are modern roses. They produce flowers on NEW growth formed in the same year. They should be pruned when they are dormant, just before the leaf buds begin to swell. In colder zones, we should prune in spring after the threat of frost has passed.
The size of your arbor depends on how you plan to use it. Height: Most arbors are 7 to 8 feet tall. Width: The width can vary, from 3 to 4 feet for over a gate, a bit less to show off a garden fountain, and up to 10 feet or more to stretch along a wall or create a focal point in a space. If you’re opting for a longer arbor, consider a row of connected arbors to keep the structure stable, or add supports every few feet. Depth: Most arbors are fairly shallow, perhaps the depth of a lattice panel, but you can adapt to fit your needs. A deeper arbor will allow you to add a seat or seats, provide the feel of a true passageway or cover a garden path or specimen plant.
Espalier Supports Espaliered and pleached trees, which are trained into different shapes on a frame, can be surprisingly attractive in winter gardens. In this snow-dusted London backyard, a pleached hornbeam trained to a horizontal wood trellis forms a division between two garden areas and adds height and visual interest whether or not it’s leafed out.
Wall-Mounted Trellises While we often look for ways to make trellising disappear from view, these pretty painted frames offer another approach. In warm seasons the colorful trellis rims frame the vines, while in bare months the color is a welcome addition to an otherwise blank fence.
Add Color With Bark and Berries Brighten winter garden beds with plants chosen for vivid bark and berry colors. Planted in front of blue-green conifers, the branches of ‘Midwinter Fire’ bloodtwig dogwood (Cornus sanguinea‘Midwinter Fire’, zones 3 to 7) nearly glow. Winterberry (Ilex verticillata, zones 3 to 9) and other plants in the holly genus are great choices for winter berries.
accentuate the geometric forms of evergreen shrubs and trees
Boston - A purple-flowering wisteria vine twines up the fence behind, draping the fountain with a cloak of foliage and seasonal blooms.
Sunburst LED wall sconces light up the patio in the evening.
AFTER tiny Boston side yard
BEFORE tiny Boston side yard
tiny Boston side yard
stone path through mixed plantings
L-shaped bench in back of yard
As zesty as a dose of chili and lime, At the back of the container, a strappy ‘Apricot Queen’ New Zealand flax (Phormium ‘Apricot Queen’, zones 8 to 11) adds height and structural interest. Orange-flowering trailing begonias and chartreuse sweet potato vines (Ipomea batatas, zones 9 to 11) alternate in bright spills over the sides of the container.
shade-loving plants Brighten up a gloomy corner with a combination of shade-loving plants with light-colored blooms or foliage. pink-blooming begonias and fuchsias trained into standards bright cascades of ‘Silver Falls’ dichondra (Dichondra argentea ‘Silver Falls’, zones 9 to 11) and golden creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’, zones 3 to 9).
archway & hydrangeas
The narrow set of stairs was replaced with a wide and gracious staircase that allowed for gentler egress in two directions.
Meandering path with an organic shape in there. Jagged pavers and moss that will grow in between give it magical woodsy appeal.
ivy covered arch
beautiful garden door
The trick of this garden is that although it’s small, you can’t tell where it ends. The evergreens also provide interest in winter, when the water plants disappear.
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