Backyard

high wall for bench seating around fireplace

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pergola above tub

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other side of wall from tub

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wall beside tub to divide sitting area

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Inspiration for a Wildlife Garden A garden that attracts butterflies, bees and other wildlife is beautiful and helps support pollinators. Spring-flowering trees like 'Carolina Silverbell' (Halisia carolina) provide early nectar for bees. Masses of white and bluish Cupflowers (Nieremberia) add color and red begonias lure hummingbirds. But these plants don't offer much food for wildlife. Instead, supplement them with hummingbird feeders and a muddy puddle for butterflies. For interest that lasts into fall, plant ornamental peppers for their colorful (but non-edible) fruits. Use evergreens and weeping white pines (Pinus strobus 'Pendula') to offer shelter to birds. They'll stay green all winter and give structure to your design.

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Shady Garden: Deer-resistant 'Amber Jubilee' ninebark is handsome in every season. White flower clusters open in spring and form reddish fruits in fall. This shrub's orange, yellow and gold foliage also turns reddish-purple in fall, (the leaves on old stems stay green all summer). When the leaves drop, they reveal strips of attractive, peeling bark that offer winter interest. Recommended for Zones 2-7, ninebarks dislike hot, humid summers.

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This garden gets its spring color from a redbud tree. Salmon-colored 'Tahitian Treasure' roses open next. They're followed by 'Sapphire Indigo' clematis (in this image, it's weaving between other plants) and the pink spires of 'Moody Blues' Veronica. Clumps of lavender-blue Nepeta also appear. By fall, the foliage of a Hydrangea paniculata turns yellow against a crimson 'Red Torch' Berberis. When it's time to replace fading plants, new containers give the garden a boost. For fall and winter interest, fill them with ornamental grasses, flowering cabbages and kales or dwarf evergreens.

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You can find crabapples with white, pink or rosy-red flowers. 'Adams' is a disease-resistant, sun-loving variety that's hardy in Zones 4-8. In spring, its green leaves emerge with a reddish tint, and by fall, they turn a lovely orange-red. Watch for glossy, carmine-red fruits to form. They'll attract birds and other wildlife to your garden and often remain on the tree into winter.

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Walls for levels create new plant beds

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Levels, patio, stairs, pots

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Paver stairs

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Highlight stairs

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Pavers along wall

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Wall around tree & stairs

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