Landscape
In this front yard, the designers at bspk design added a series of wall panels, painted the same color as the home’s exterior, to screen the large living room windows from the street. The walls not only create a visual boundary between public and private space, they also serve as backdrops for ferns, shrubs and potted plants in the interior courtyard.
The main patio area is a poured concrete slab with quarter-inch joints (the thinner lines you can see on the surface of most of the concrete). The surface has a lightly washed sand finish (lightly washed and swept with a broom to expose the sand). The day after the concrete patio was poured, Corbett used a handheld grinder and a diamond blade to create the design you see in the foreground. He cut along surface joints, then removed the top 3 inches of concrete along those cuts, leaving the bottom 3 inches intact. The concrete is still one solid slab, with the pebbles covering where the concrete connects.
In a small shady garden, the little plants are important, as you will see them up close. You can create a lot of interest by layering shady plants like a mini woodland. Here, lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) grows beneath northern maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum). The subtle variegations of Hosta sieboldiana ‘Frances Williams’ form a strong textural background and contrast the finer foliage of the other plants. All these plants will thrive in shade once established.
Be careful to choose a bamboo that won’t spread, or use a root barrier to keep it confined to the area you want it. Here, narihira bamboo (Semiarundinaria fastuosa) is pruned to show off its lovely green stems. It’s underplanted with the wonderfully tough sedge Carex oshimensis ‘Everest’ in a challenging garden with almost complete canopy cover.
Flowing water feature
walkway
Double wall of plantings
Exposed aggregate concrete, a popular building material since the 1960s, can look outdated in contemporary landscapes. The designer of this garden in San Luis Obispo, California, gave the material a modern update by mixing exposed aggregate steps with smooth concrete landings. The pairing shows off the understated textural difference between the two materials.
Layer grasses for a lush, billowing look. For a big impact along a walkway or border planting, include a mix of grasses in small, medium and large sizes. In this backyard on Bainbridge Island, Washington, clumps of 6-foot-tall Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ make up the backdrop, gold mounds of ‘Evergold’ sedge (Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’) form the middle layer, and low-growing black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’) borders the walkway.
9. Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’) A very showy warm-season grass, ‘Rubrum’ can be used as the focal point of a mixed bed or as a stand-alone specimen in a container. Plants form an upright clump 2 to 4 feet tall of deep maroon leaves, topped with arching flower spikes that change from red to tan. In colder winter areas, plant as an annual. The ‘Rubrum’ variety doesn’t reseed — as other varieties do — making it a more garden-friendly choice. Where it will grow: Hardy to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 9.4 degrees Celsius (zones 8 to 11) Water requirement: Moderate; low once established Light requirement: Full sun
7. ‘Hameln’ Dwarf Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’) The soft bunny-tail plumes of ‘Hameln’ are almost impossible not to touch. This warm-season grass is a moderate grower to 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide. It works well planted along walkways, dry streambeds and in containers mixed with other water-wise perennials. Note: In some regions, ‘Hameln’ can be invasive and inappropriate for use in gardens bordering wild areas. To prevent self-seeding, deadhead plants in fall to keep seeds from reaching maturity. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 11) Water requirement: Moderate; low once established Light requirement: Full sun
4. ‘Blonde Ambition’ Blue Grama Grass (Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’) The faintest breeze will cause the horizontal seed heads of ‘Blonde Ambition’ to quiver on the ends of stiff 3-foot-tall stems. This warm-season grass is a good choice for low-maintenance gardens, as it requires little care, is drought-tolerant once established and hangs on to its seed heads well into winter, providing many months of garden interest. Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 9) Water requirement: Moderate; low once established Light requirement: Full sun to part shade
tall planters (for concrete wall area?)
Simple plantings that surround the pool
rain chain
maples in natural setting
water feature
containers
water feature
pergola
stone sculpture
beautiful!
Landscape Tyler Engle Architects - Seattle
rocks in bed
textured wall
plant wall
fence
copper wall
Raised beds. Resting raised cedar beds on gravel instead of soil is a smart move, because the gravel will drain water quickly away from the cedar and does not retain moisture. For the interior of a raised bed, a geotextile or landscape fabric can separate the bedding soil from the wood to wick moisture away from the wood and preserve its longevity.
metal planter box
screen idea
concrete wall and wood back wall
use of rocks and square blocks
sculpture by TerraSculpture
pots in landscape
Forever Goldie Golden Arborvitae (syn. Forever Goldy western red cedar) (Thuja plicata ‘Forever Goldie’) Forever Goldie is the golden teddy bear of the conifer world that just It moves through shades of chartreuse to gold, while in winter it takes on an orange cast. Origin: This cultivar was discovered in the Netherlands in 2002 as a seedling. Hardy to -40 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 3 to 7 Water requirement: Average Light requirement: Full sun Mature size: 15 to 20 feet tall and 3 feet wide Benefits and tolerances: Does not shed; scorch resistant; tolerates a wide range of soil conditions Seasonal interest: Year-round When to plant: Spring or fall
use of pavers and stones
pavers and stones
water feature
stepping stones
stepping stones
raised bed, screen in back
like the clusters of the grasses
Josh Knudson, then a student at Lake Washington Vocational Tech built the free-standing granite moongate in Joanne White’s garden in 2016
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