Yesterday, I opened my inbox to find an email from Danny Cullerton from Aristata Land Arts. She sent along a series of before & after photos from one of her recent projects in Portland, OR, and I know you guys are going to love the makeover! The landscape surrounds a beautiful old Victorian house, and the re-work definitely brings out a ton of character in this lovely house!  Here’s the front yard, basking in its newfound glory. I like that Danny was able to step away from the typical landscape findings of a home from this era and swap them for a bit of a rustic modern vibe. I espec ..read more

Whenever Abby or Adam looked into their backyard, they were greeted by a hideous rotted wood fence that was far from any sort of privacy shield. Being new homeowners, they were big on ambition and change and also slightly motivated by their neighbor’s two-tone, half-painted house. To their neighbor’s defense, I, too, am sporting a two-tone house, and I am less than proud of going through another winter this way…..but you know how things go. Ahem, at any rate, the two of them got to work, and soon they were well on their way to the backyard they had envisioned. A backyard gravel patio is a gre ..read more

This summer at Coastal Maine Botanical Garden, we are focusing our educational programming on pollinators. We have some fun and vivacious plants scheduled for the gardens. One of the ideas we had was to plant an entire area of Cleome or spider flower. We just adore these summer annuals from South America as they draw in swarms of butterflies, bees, and birds. Cleome Hassleriana at Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa, Canada. Image by lezumbalaberenjena. (Ok, I have to hit the brakes… I’m only kidding. This was my response to Rochelle’s post on Cleome yesterday. We do have a small patch of ..read more

The Heat!! The Heat!! — I melt just walking to the veg patch. I don’t yet have an outdoor shower, so the hose is my only welcome respite (and I’ll take it with a smile! Whew, it’s hot!) I can’t get my work boots on because I (stupidly) walked barefoot across my asphalt driveway and burnt the bottoms so badly that I even have a blister. Two days later, after many Epsom salt baths, they still ache. The dreamiest of outdoor showers features a stone swirl surround, windows to the savannah and hardwood and concrete surfaces. Found at the Mhondoro Safari Lodge & Villa in at the Welgevonden ..read more

A quote I think about when creating a container planting or designing a flower pot garden. “You just can’t plant exotics in the countryside. They just jar. But in town, where the are no points of reference, you can get away with all sorts” – Jinny Blom, Garden Design Magazine, March 2011 The whole concept of point of reference is interesting to me. Connecting the container planting, a superficial garden, to the overall surroundings just makes sense to me. I love extracting cues from the bigger landscape and bringing it up close – in a way, magnifying it –  into the container where it ca ..read more

Surrounds landscapes in Sterling, Virginia, has a beautiful portfolio of work that beautifully demonstrates how the benign and basic are not actually all that attractive – and how, with the addition of some thoughtful planning, beautiful plants, and timeless stonework, any landscape can feel much more elegant and appropriate to the site where it lives. A Pool with Dated Office Park Vibes Transforms to a Hilly Oasis Before: Brick and concrete constructions are angular and full of acute angles that make the design feel tight, overworked, and uncomfortable. Surrounds work first caught our eye yea ..read more

Today we’re visiting a backyard transformation by a Jerry Galanti, who you may remember from last summer. We published two of his garden makeover projects, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to bring you another!- this time, it is a campground-inspired English-style garden. As you can see, this yard started off as a long and narrow stretch of patchy grass, a perfect foundation for bigger and much better ideas. The homeowners wanted an English garden as well as an area where they could grow their own vegetables and entertain friends and family. They’re also avid campers, so something to ..read more

You can see the beginnings of the new garden rooms that will be created in this small backyard. Last week I received an email from Dana who writes a blog called Catnip and Mint. She sent a few photos along with a short write-up about her new hummingbird haven, and I thought you guys would enjoy it. The most remarkable part of it all is that she’s only been working on it for a year! Check it out… Hav you ever noticed how more is more? This isn’t a big space, but by filling it with plants that not only attract hummingbirds but also break up the sight lines, suddenly, the whole garden feels a lot ..read more

So I’m pretty sure we’ve all been there at one point or another – summer evenings fill up, mosquitoes keep us indoors on even the most beautiful evenings, and thunderstorms show up on all your days off.  A few small weeds quickly morph into a miniature jungle, and so you’re left with something that looks like this photo above. Chaos in the backyard. But there are great trees and plenty of usable space – this backyard transformation makes a bog impact. Backyard transformation complete! Chaos in the backyard. But there are great trees and plenty of usable space – this backyard transfor ..read more

This week’s Before & After is another “small yard, huge impact” deal, which is always something I love. Christopher and Rachel moved into their house in 2003 and knew they had to do something, anything, with the landscape encompassing their home– the problem was that they were low on cash and big on ideas, so the entire backyard makeover transformation ended up taking quite a while. The boring before – grass, pavers and a fence. Send Help! Like most projects, in the end, it was totally worth the wait. It definitely makes me feel better about my own eyesore of a front yard. Sorry, neighbors ..read more