Posts Tagged ‘Ornamental Grasses’

Flower Bed Ideas – Flower landscaping

Asters, chrysanthemums, daylilies, irises, and ornamental grasses are good choices for use in flower borders. These can be highlighted with vines, shrubs, or attractive foliage plants. Choosing flowers with long-lasting blooms provide stronger emphasis throughout the changing seasons. For early blooms, peonies, geraniums, columbine, and miscellaneous spring-flowering bulbs can be utilized. Choose goldenrod, asters, mums, or phlox for late blooms. Annuals such as impatiens and dianthus are immediate choices to brighten up existing borders between seasons.

There are many different ways in which borders can be arranged. Double borders usually scamper along both sides of a path or down the sides of property. Most of the time, these borders have straight edges. Edging a double border with brick can make these straight edges more attractive. Formal borders that include roses look quite lovely when they are outlined with low, neatly pruned boxwood.

Other formal beds can be placed against dark backgrounds or hedges and stand out nicely when edged with cobblestones. Perennial borders can be edged with a continuous planting of one type of edging plant such as sweet alyssum, hardy pinks, candytuft, or lavender. Depending on the width, borders along a walkway or path can be edged with plants in a straight row or in masses. An island bed is surrounded by lawn. Position an island bed with an irregular shape that will fit the contours of your lawn and border plantings.

Place the tallest plants in the center with all other plant heights scaled down towards the outer edge. These can be edged with consistent placement of one plant, such as lamb’s ear, or groups of edging plants. You can also give the island bed an untamed appearance by allowing it to flow into the lawn to mimic a meadow. A mixed border consists of flowers which are placed in groups in and around shrubs and groundcover. Shrubs that are used with this type of border should complement the foliage and growth of the other plants.

For further interest, an accent can be integrated. Herbaceous borders can be designed using hedges, walls, or fences as backdrops. These types of borders can provide height and substance to the landscape. Incorporate climbing vegetation such as clematis, climbing roses, or ivy into the background to supply additional beauty. For winter attraction, ornamental grasses can be used. They make natural companions for herbaceous plants like salvia and campanula. A raised bed can save space and can be enclosed with bricks, timbers, or anything that gives shape and holds soil in. Slope these beds to encourage water run off. You can also build up the soil into a mound without any retaining edges.

Flower borders placed around the outer edges of a landscape provide a cleaner and less muddled appearance than numerous, traditional small beds. They can be worked into nearly any property. With the use of low-growing plants that have interesting foliage texture and defined edges from stones or other types of edging your border should contrast well with and add character to the flowers and surrounding lawn.

Adding stunning Borders to Flower Beds

A decorative border can be the difference between boring and making a flower bed really stand out. If you have thought that a border only helped with retention or just finishing a project, it is time to change that mindset. The right border will go a long way to making your garden more appealing to yourself and others that view it.

This is something that truly is limited only by your own creativity. Of course you can look in magazines, or at houses in your town for more ideas. Here are a few other ideas that you can use to finish your garden with a border.

For one, you can use plants for edging. This is probably the most common form of edging. There are several options available. Some of the more popular are using plants like shrubs, flowering plants, and small trees. These would be placed at the border of the flower bed. You would look for varieties that require minimal attention in regards to pruning them. You want them to be large enough to attract visual attention and give the look of being a border.

If you are looking for color, then flowering plants are a great option. Herbs are nice if you are looking for a hedge look to border your flowers.

Using Stone As A Border

There are three types of stone and rock borders that I recommend. Flagstone, bricks, and terracotta tile.

Bricks offer a lot of variety and choices in color and size. While many people opt to go with one style and one color, you can mix and match to create your own unique design with brick. Brick is easy to set up and great for drainage.

Flagstone often conjures images of an old garden. You can use flagstone to provide a visual divide between the lawn and your flower bed.

Terracotta tile is widely underutilized for the purpose of creating an edging for your garden. It comes in many shapes and sizes. They make a very unique and attractive border that will require no maintenance for you.

There you have it. Simple ideas that will provide you with a visually attractive and practical flower bed border solution.

How to keep your flower bed weed free!

I think every gardener agrees to weeds are part of the whole thing. No matter how hard you try, these little unsightly things keep popping up day after day and keep you on your toes yanking and pulling them out. It is a never ending job and can make even the most green of thumbs wither in disgust after awhile. If you identify with this at all, maybe it is time you did something about it once and for all. No, I am not talking about quitting gardening, but instead, installing landscape fabric to help eliminate your weed problem.

Landscaping fabric is the equivalent of putting a liner down in your flower bed. It comes in rolls and is easy to cut and lay anywhere around your flower beds. This fabric is a porous material that while allowing air and water to penetrate, it prevents sunlight, thereby all but eliminating those nasty weeds to begin popping up. Sure, the most committed ones may creep through from time to time, but I am sure you will find that weeds of any kind will be a rarity if you decide to go with using landscape fabric for your gardens and flower beds.

In addition to the fabric itself, you can put mulch right on top of it to further prevent the spread of unwanted weeds. Because the landscape fabric provides a durable base for the mulch, it will last much longer than usual as well. This helps to offset the cost of landscape fabric as it can be a bit more expensive than other types of flower bed liners, but its functionality and durability should more than make up for this extra expense.

So if you are really serious about combating your weed problem head on, you might want to consider laying down some landscape fabric as a first (and potentially last) measure. It can last for years, will not harm your current plants, and can work with both mulch and rock to create an attractive, weed free environment for your plant wonderland.

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Posted in flowergardening |

Common Landscape Problems And How To Fix Them

There are plenty of common landscape problems that can really mar the beauty of your yard. These problems range from something aesthetic to things that can actually affect the over all health of your landscape. When you encounter these problems, it is a good idea to fix them as soon as possible.

If you have ideas of your own to fix landscape problems, so much the better. If not, here are some suggestions for making simple improvements to the landscape.


Side yards are usually among the most common of landscape problems. They are so narrow that they may be hard to maintain as far as lawn is concerned, and they also make better passages than practical places to play or sit. Sometimes they seem like the perfect place to “store” odd items and then simply turn into junk heaps. To prevent junky or barren side yard from tainting an otherwise beautiful landscape design, turn into a cottage garden or courtyard garden.

Perennials and ornamental grasses, all in a variety of colors, are perfect for side yards. Turn it into a kind of wild little garden full of color. It will look beautiful and will not be an inviting place to stack junk. If you would still like to use the side yard as a pathway, it is possible to install a little pathway made from stone.

Exposed air conditioners and swamp coolers can be very visible blights on the landscape. While this is mostly a problem of aesthetics, exposed appliances can be heated by the sun, causing them to work harder and use more energy. Both of these problems can be fixed simply by planting a small tree or a hedge.

The offending appliance is screened from view, and the shade helps keep the unit cooler, resulting in lower energy bills. This can even be done in areas where space is at a premium: you can plant a narrow hedge of nandina (should be 30 inches from the unit) or you can add a trellis with a colorful vine or climbing roses.

There are areas in your landscape that are too small for grass, and sometimes you may have odd corners that are not feasible for you to plant grass. Most of these areas are near an entrance, or at the edge of a patio or deck. Some of them are near walkways. No matter where they are, these areas are hard to mow and otherwise maintain.

Solutions to these problems are also varied. Making use of containers with plants is an attractive solution. One large container with one plant can be used, or it is possible to make a small container garden with a variety of plants in containers of various sizes, shapes, and colors. Problem areas such as these are also ideal locations for accent objects such as an obelisk, a stature or even topiary bushes. Water features can add cooling and soothing effects to your landscape, and there are a variety of water features that can be built to fit into nearly any space.

Solving landscape problems is not too difficult if you use a little creativity. These problems can transform eye sores into beautiful additions to your yard that create enjoyment for you and add distinction to your home environment.

Long Lasting Flowers To Keep Costs Down

Flower gardens have always added beauty and life to a property. For the plant enthusiast, having a flower garden is not just a hobby, but it is also a passion. The disappointing part of having a flower garden is when they go out of bloom. Fortunately, there are many flowers that bloom all year long or last a long time, depending on the region and climate. Most gardeners plant perennials because they bloom each year, however, when properly taken care of, they can stay in bloom for a long time. The key to getting your flowers to stay in bloom for an extended period of time is to plant hardy plants so they last as late as possible into the fall. Examples of hardy plants include: mums, carnations, wild flowers, daisies, geraniums, marigolds moss roses, and peonies.

The following is a list of flowers that bloom all year long or last a long time:

1. Day Lillies – Although the Day Lily lasts only one day when it blooms, it is a very hardy plant that will bloom late in the fall. They are available in a broad range of colors and bloom over and over into the late season.

2. Catmint – The bloom span of the catmint is approximately 2 – 3 months. These plants will bloom throughout the summer. They are very robust and can thrive in drought prone climates. These flowers are blue-lavender in color and have gray foliage. They make a lovely addition to the flower garden.

3. Black-Eyed Susan – This pretty flower grows well in many regions. Their petals look like flat landing pads and they have a bloom span of 3 months. Deadheading will prolong bloom. They grow well in soil that is well drained.

4. Yarrow – This flower can bloom for 3 months or more. It is a hardy flower that can grow in a variety of regions and climates. Gardeners will deadhead the spent flowers for repeat bloom. These flowers prefer drier climates and soil.

5. Bellflower – The species Campanula, or Bellflower, has a bloom span of 2 months or more. They grow best during cooler summers. They should be grown in partial shade. There a number of species of the Bellflower and they are easy to grow and maintain.

6. Pin Cushion Flowers – These flowers look like pincushions and the stems are long and lanky looking. The bloom span can be over 3 months if you use deadheading. They require the full sun to thrive. Pin Cushion Flowers are a very interesting looking flower making them a very popular choice.

7. Coneflowers – This hardy flower can bloom for 2 – 3 months. They thrive well during periods of drought. They have long stalks and are a very colorful flower. They are popular because they attract a variety butterflies and birds. Deadheading will prolong the bloom period. To thrive, they require good soil drainage and full sun.

Planting long lasting flowers will help you maintain a beautiful blooming garden for a long time. The key point to remember is the woodier and thicker the stem, the hardier the flower because it can better resist the frost. There are many flower sites that provide essential tips on picking long lasting flowers. As well, you can consult with your local garden centre for advice on picking the best flowers. For those who view flower gardening as an art and passion, knowing the plant’s structure, attributes, and bloom period ensures they will extend the bloom time to much later in the fall.

Excess mulch is a landscape problem that has plant health implications. The problem is especially prevalent near driveways, walkways, and lawns. Mulch often overflows from flowerbeds or gardens, and this can create an untidy look to the yard. Additionally, if you have too much mulch (preferred depth is 2 to 4 inches) you can damage the plants and cause root rot.

There are a couple of things that can be done to prevent mulch overflow (which can happen if you put 3 inches of mulch on top of the soil bed). One of the things you can do is to use ground cover plants along the borders. This will be attractive and help to contain the mulch. Another possibility is to lower the soil level about 3 inches. Then you can add the mulch and rather than being higher than a nearby hard permanent surface, the mulch will be level with it, but still performing its job of plant care.

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Posted in Landscaping |