Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Style!

Cape May Style
 


 Thanks to those who have kindly chosen Garden Sense for the Stylish Blogger Award!  I so appreciate the encouragement.  
They are all worthy recipients of the award, so be sure to check out their blogs:



Go Right In...My Garden 
The Whimsical Gardener
Deb's Garden
Sweet Bean Gardening
Island Threads
My Garden Haven

  
The rules of the game are simple: Link back to the person who gave you the award.  Share 7 random facts about yourself.  Pass on the Award to 15 stylish bloggers.  Contact these bloggers to tell them about the award.

  
7 Random Facts about Me  
  • I am blessed with 2 wonderful sisters.  We recently spent a delightful weekend together in Cape May, NJ - talk about style! 
  • My daughter was born while I was on vacation in Austria.
  • I love to ski!
  • My favorite color is blue.
  • I make a mean stromboli.
  • Our dog gives high fives.
  • I love Jesus.
  
A High Five


Thursday, February 17, 2011

Evergreen Groundcovers


Evergreen groundcovers aren't the stars of the garden, but they help keep the green going into the winter months. 


Pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) in February
English Ivy (Hedera helix), Periwinkle (Vinca minor) and Pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) are the old standards.  They have their place, but there are many other options. 
I'll highlight just a few. 

Junipers may be overused, but here are a few that I like:
Japanese Garden Juniper (Juniperus procumbens 'Nana') is low and wide spreading with a nice texture.



Blue Star Juniper (Juniperus squamata 'Blue Star') is more rounded, with blue-green foliage which can be used for contrast.


I spotted this feathery-looking shrub this fall (also shown in the first photo), that
I wasn't familiar with. 
Update:  I've learned that it's Russian Arborvitae (Microbiota decussata). 
Originating in Siberia, it's a sturdy plant with
green summer foliage and bronze-purple winter foliage, and with
a potential spread of 6-10 feet. 

Sweet Box (Sarcococca hookerana var. humilis) is a shrub for shady locations.  Its tiny white late winter flowers are fragrant. 


Evergreen hardy perennials don't generally cover as large an area, but have the added bonus of flowers. 

 

Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens) was still looking lush at the end of November in southcentral PA.  I love the dainty white flowers that cover the plant in the spring.


Candytuft is looking a bit bedraggled in February, but signs of new spring growth are evident.



Lirope (Liriope muscari 'Variegata') bravely pokes it's head out from the snow in January.


Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis) is beloved for its late winter flowers, but its foliage, effective for much of the year, is worthwhile also.  This photo was take in early January, before the snows came.


 Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca) is still
performing in mid January.


Serbian Bellflower (Campanula poscharskyana) is a personal favorite.  It's pictured above at the end of November. 


By mid-February it's rather sparse. 
But the wonderful cascade of blue spring flowers (shown below) are exceptional, if rather fleeting.



For more fun with foliage, check out
Foliage Follow-up at Digging.


Sunday, February 13, 2011

Winter Beauty

Shorter winter days make it
easier to greet the dawn
and capture a stunning sunrise.

The drab of winter may seem pervasive.  Granted, we have to look a bit harder, but there is beauty to be seen, if only we'll adjust our focus so we don't miss it. 
 

Seeing is a gift that comes with practice.
- 
 Stephanie Mills  
Look for the pop of color berries bring.





Savor snowy details transforming the simplest scene...











  and tracing sculptural branches.


Inspect ice's glittery glow.


 
Spot abstract ice art. 
Do you see a bird in this scene formed by ice on my deck? 

Learn to see,
and then you'll know that there is
no end to the new worlds of our vision.
- Carlos Castaneda



Let little touches bring a smile.




See subtle color shimmer in the sunlight.








The real voyage of discovery consists
not in seeking new landscapes
but in having new eyes.
- Marcel Proust


Adjust your focus and enjoy the beauty around you.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Book Review - Perennial Companions

Garden Sense photo
It's no mystery why garden blogs are full of photographs.  The next best thing to being in a garden is looking at pictures of them. 

If you're like me and love browsing photos for inspiration, you'll enjoy Perennial Companions: 100 Dazzling Plant Combinations for Every Season, by Tom Fischer.
Perennial Companions: 100 Dazzling Plant Combinations for Every Season

For a small book, it packs a powerful punch.  A plethra of perennial combinations are pictured and identified.  The plants are shown at their peak display and organized by bloom season.  

Abbreviated cultural information is included, which will help steer you in the right direction, but you'll need to check other references for more detailed descriptions of plants that interest you.

Photographers tend to crop pictures tightly for clean composition, which can give deceiving impressions about plants.  Most of the photos in this book do a decent job of depicting the plants as they appear in the landscape, which is what I like to see. 

Perhaps vibrant blooms are a bit much for my mid-winter color starved eyes - two of my favorite featured combinations are all foliage.

A blue-green Hosta (Hosta 'Krossa Regal'), White-variegated Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra 'Alboaurea'), Feather-frond Soft Shield Fern (Polystichum setiferum Plumoso-divisilobum Group) and Black Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens') is an immediately appealing group.  This stunning color and textural combination would work well in my shady yard, so I'm hoping to give it a try. 

Mop-headed sedge (Carex flagellifera), 'Karley Rose' Oriental Fountain Grass (Pennisetum Orientale 'Karley Rose') and 'Cosmopolitan' Maiden Grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Cosmopolitan'), is a wonderful composition of repetition in form with striking contrasts in color and texture.

Althouth I don't have photos of the exact varieties, this Fountain Grass and Red Sedge paired with variegated Yucca (which has similar coloring to 'Cosmopolitan' Maidenhair Grass) gives you an idea of the interplay of texture and color in the effective grass pairing described above. 

Several of the combinations were similar to ones I've been considering, which served to support my plans. 

If you're looking for photos to jump start your creative juices, Perennial Companions: 100 Dazzling Plant Combinations for Every Season offers a nice selection.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Line in the Landscape

Good lines make a bold statement in the landscape.

Line is an important element in the garden.  Good lines help define style, create movement, direct the eye and emphasize focal points. 


Straight lines reflect the formal style of this area at Hershey Gardens.  Although the lines are straight, the design is dynamic, leading your eye to the Miscanthus focal points anchoring the ends of the planting beds.

Curved lines create interest in this informal garden, guiding your focus through the area. 


 
The curve of this path directs your eye behind the planting and encourages you to investigate the hidden destination.  Although it may seem counter-intuitive, using line to conceal a part of the garden gives the visual impression of a larger space.  A focal point or bench found around the bend is a sweet surprise, making the journey there worthwhile.


Line can be defined by hardscape edges,

 
 by the planting bed edge,


or by sweeps of plants within a planting area.

Not all lines are equal.  This weak line doesn't relate to the plant placement and isn't effective.  Bolder is better.



Photo used with permission from Signature Gardens
  This path, by Toni at Signature Gardens, is an excellent example of effective line.  The bold curve defines the lawn edge and directs your eye to the arbor which entices you to explore the garden further. 
Creating a good line is easier on paper than in the landscape.  To make it work on the ground, lay it out first with a garden hose, which is easily adjusted until you have it right.  You can then use the hose as a guide for edging, or trace the line with spray paint for a longer lasting reference.
The clean line of this planting bed, defined by Junipers, works even in the dead of winter and emphasizes the Miscantus grass focal point.  The lone Miscanthus would stick out like a sore thumb at this time of year without the surrounding Junipers.  While the scene is more vibrant during the summer, the simple evergreen circle surrounding the exclamation point of grass creates a pleasant winter scene.

Heighten interest and intrique in your garden by designing with dynamic lines.
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