Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Life

Category: Outdoor Design

  • Hedge and Shrubbery Ideas for Private Backyard Spaces

    Some people call hedges “living fences,” because both fences and hedges serve as privacy barriers. Hedges are certainly nicer to look at, and are quite easy to care for most of the time. Along with shrubs, they can provide the finishing touches on your backyard landscaping. The greenery is much more elegant than a fence, and it creates a more intimate space to enjoy with family and friends.

    You can plant hedges to mark your property lines and line your driveway. Along with shrubs, they can highlight parts of your grounds, like a garden or patio. There are more benefits to hedges and shrubs, too. They can create sound barriers, wind barriers and reduce the amount of snow that comes onto your property.

    Choosing the Right Trees for Hedges

    Hedge trees can be divided into two main categories. Evergreens keep their color throughout the year, and they are excellent for providing privacy, as well as noise and snow reduction. Deciduous trees change colors and may have flowers, but they lose their leaves in the cold weather. Your choices will depend on the type of climate you live in.

    If you want your hedge to be tall, the Green Giant Arborvitae and American Arborvitae can both soar up to 60 feet high. The Green Giant can grow about 3 feet a year, while the American’s height increases more slowly. Both are hardy and easy to grow. The Nigra Arborvitae is not as tall, topping off at around 30 feet; the Emerald Arborvitate is the smallest of these two evergreen shrub hedges, at about 15 feet. Other evergreen trees that grow into nice, thick hedges include holly and boxwood.

    Using Shrubs as Hedges

    You can plant a row of shrubs in front of your evergreen trees for added interest, but shrubs can grow into hedges without the backdrop. There are many different varieties of hedge shrubs, and some produce lovely flowers that attract birds and butterflies. One of the most familiar is the Rose of Sharon, which flows beautifully when thriving. Another is the Golden Ticket Privet, which sports bright yellow leaves and white flowers.

    North Privet is another fast-growing shrub. The Scarlet Firethorn has a split personality; it grows as an evergreen in warm climates, but as a deciduous shrub in colder ones. It has thorny branches, white flowers and orange berries. It can also grow up to 18 feet tall.

    Planting Hedges and Shrubs

    Using a measuring tape and stakes, mark out the planting area, taking care to avoid utility lines. You can plant the trees or shrubs in a straight line, on a curve or however else you like. Know in advance how tall and wide your selected plants normally grow, and space out the potted shrubs accordingly.

    If you plan for two rows, your hedge will be much thicker and more private. Dig out the holes, and lower in the shrubs. Water them well, and add some mulch. Faster growers will fill in more quickly.

    Hedges and shrubs do not require a lot of maintenance, but you should be on the lookout for disease and pest infestations. You can keep them in shape with occasional pruning to remove dead growth. Many homeowners shear their hedges to give them formal appearances, while others prefer a more casual look. You can fertilize shrubs occasionally, but too much of this will increase growth and the need for trimming perhaps more than you anticipated.

    Shrub Design Ideas

    Shrubs can grow into living fences, but they can also add character and beauty to your yard. If you have a larger yard, you can create focus areas with seating and flowers. Highlight this with a few well-placed shrubs along the borders. Shrubs can also serve as backdrops for other focal points, like sheds and light posts, and they can highlight flowers and rock arrangements.

    Not all shrubs are large, so you can place smaller ones along paths to outline them. If you like flowering varieties, pick a few colors that complement one another. These can also be coordinated with your hedges. Alternatively, you can plant larger green shrubs behind smaller, flowering ones for depth and contrast.

    Many varieties of trees and shrubs change color throughout the year, and this should be kept in mind when planting. Imagine fiery orange and red leaves or white and purple flowers next to a dark green evergreen. With some dedicated thought and planning, you can design a backyard oasis that is private, relaxing and worth staying home for.

  • Ask A Pro – Yellow House Curb Appeal

    Max Wilker, Style Director at Better Homes and Gardens, helps chose colors to give a yellow house a new look.

    Question:

    My house has light yellow siding and navy blue shutters but I’m wanting to change things up to better fit my style. I’ve thought a lot about black shutters but I’m not sure how that would look? And then I can’t decide on a door color. I’ve thought about white, black, red, or dark purple/eggplant.

    Answer:

    We have similar tastes as I have a yellow house, white trim and front porch, and dark royal blue shutters!

    To change up your curb appeal, maybe think about warm, charcoal gray shutters as they won’t be as bold as black shutters. Give your trim a fresh coat of white paint. For a front door, you could go with a stained, warm medium wood tone or look for a bright, navy blue paint. I’d go with brass or gold hardware on the door and porch lights for a fresh, modern twist. If you have space for a couple of planters by the front door, go with white planters/containers to match the trim and fill with red blooms for an extra pop of color.

    Cheers and have fun with color, Max.

  • Simple and Fun Ways to Celebrate Earth Day

    Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world. There are endless ways you can make a difference and help support environmental protection. Together we can ensure our Earth is here for future generations to come. Keep in mind that any effort, big or small, has an impact. Below you can discover several ways you can make a difference this Earth Day and all year long.

    • Go paperless! Log into your billing accounts and switch to the paperless option. Some companies even offer you a discount if enroll in online billing.
    • Check out plant-based food options and start going meatless for a few days a week. You can start off slow by just having meatless Mondays. By reducing your meat consumption, you can help curb carbon emissions from the livestock industry. It is said that you will likely suffer from fewer sicknesses and disease if you stick to a more plant-based diet.
    • Look into our favorite ideas for eco-friendly home décor.
    • Help stop deforestation by supporting companies that take an active role against it.
    • Enjoy the sunshine and make a difference. Grab a few friends and head outside to pick up trash. You can bring speakers, play music, and have fun while cleaning up. Look into local organizations that have meet-ups and events to help clean the planet. It’s a great way to make a difference and connect with like-minded people.
    • Grow your own food! Get planting and then enjoy your very own food. Look into container gardening which works for people in any size space.

    • Ditch single-use plastics. Bring reusable bags when shopping, buy a washable straw, and use reusable bottles instead of buying plastic water bottles that end up landfills. Some plastics can take hundreds of years to decompose and harm wildlife.
    • Turn off the water when you’re brushing your teeth. Leaving the water on while you brush teeth wastes on average about 4 gallons of water every single time.
    • Use energy-efficient light bulbs.
    • Use eco-friendly products. Here are several eco-friendly products for stainless steel.
    • Discover 8 ways to go green with your kitchen routine
    • When doing your laundry, try to avoid doing half loads. Wait until you have enough to do a full load. You should also consider switching to a cold-water cycle.
    • Turn off the lights when you’re not in a room.
    • Buy local! Head to the local farmers market and buy local produce to reduce the pollution incurred from transporting goods.
    • Eco-friendly building materials are not as expensive as you think. Look into these environmentally friendly products and earth-friendly building materials.
    • Switch to rechargeable batteries.
    • Invest in cute and eco-friendly fabrics.
    • Buy second hand! This not only saves you money but keeps a ton of perfectly good items from going to waste or ending up in landfill. There are tons of places you can buy slightly used items that can be just as attractive and functional as brand new items. Often people are moving and have brand new high-quality furniture they cannot take with them.
    • Uncover why it pays to go green with these smart design ideas that can help you save money, time, and energy.
    • Donate used goods instead of simply throwing them away. Don’t discard old electronic devices and contribute to e-waste. There are companies and nonprofits that repair and donate old electronics that millions of people would be so grateful to have. Many companies can even recycle parts.

  • Composting for Beginners

    There is no doubt that composting has become one of the most popular trends in both the sustainability and gardening communities. It is a powerful, budget-friendly tool for gardeners who want their flowers or vegetable patches to thrive without the use of harsh chemical fertilizers, and it is an appealing process for those trying to reduce their kitchen and yard waste significantly. While you may assume that composting is only for professionals or people with acres of land, homemade compost is relatively easy to produce and can be created no matter the size of your property – even apartment dwellers can take part. If you want to learn how to make your own nutrient-rich soil and help eliminate unnecessary waste, read on as we offer tips on how anyone can start composting.

    Compost Ingredients

    When you start composting from scratch, keep in mind that you need a mixture of “green” and “brown” biodegradable materials to get the right balance of nitrogen and carbon to successfully complete the decomposition process. “Green” materials include much of your typical kitchen waste, including vegetable scraps, eggshells, coffee grounds, and fruit scraps. EatingWell cautions that those learning how to compost at home should not include “animal products such as dairy, bones, and meat, which can attract pests” or “oily foods such as mayonnaise, peanut butter, salad dressing or vegetable oils” because they are challenging to decompose.  

    If you live in a home with a grass-covered yard, toss in grass clippings as part of your “green” blend. While flowers can be included in your composting, EatingWell warns against “commercially grown cut flowers, which often contain dyes and chemicals.” If you have used heavy pesticides on your yard, keep that waste out of your compost because the chemicals themselves won’t be broken down during the composting process. Have you just completed a significant weeding of your yard? Good news! You can include the weeds. However, Martha Stewart Living does recommend avoiding composting with “weeds bearing seeds” as they can grow in your compost pile or be spread wherever you use your finished compost. For the same reason, the Magazine advises against incorporating “diseased or pest-ridden plants.”  

    “Brown” ingredients can include fallen leaves, twigs, lint, sawdust, and shredded newspaper. If you happen to have easy access to hay, that can also be employed as a “brown” element. For people who have despaired about not being allowed to recycle shredded bits of office paper or pizza boxes, despair no more! Both can be incorporated as “brown” ingredients into your compost, provided the boxes are broken down into small pieces. For those adding newspaper, Martha Stewart Living recommends that “it doesn’t form a mat—be sure to avoid glossy or colored paper.” Also, bio-plastic products may indicate that they are biodegradable, but they really should be left to commercial composting services.

    While you can start composting with these elements alone, Martha Stewart Living suggests having a quantity of neutral soil on hand – the exact amount will depend on the size of your composting pile. Why? The Magazine recommends adding “soil in the middle of the pile … to protect the compost while supplying the organisms needed for the breakdown process.” 

    Composting Methods

    Start by determining which composting process makes the most sense for you and your space. Anaerobic composting (“cold composting”) is the easiest process, but it is best suited for large properties. As EatingWell explains: “[Anaerobic composting] involves piling the greens and browns and letting nature handle the decomposition process unaided.” And while it is easy, it can produce a pile that emits an earthy smell of decay, and it will take considerable time for the decomposition process to complete (up to two years, in many cases).

    Worm composting (also known as Vermicomposting) is a process that introduces worms into the composting pile or bin to speed along decomposition, rather than relying on the organic material alone. In fact, “worm boxes” have become increasingly popular among apartment dwellers and those trying to live a zero-waste lifestyle. Worm composting bins need to be kept inside to avoid worms dying when temperatures dip during the colder months or the thermometer climbs in the summer.

    The aerobic approach is the most popular for those who have the space for composting bins, either ones purchased or built. The main difference in this method versus the anaerobic one is that it requires periodic “turning” of the composting pile to introduce oxygen. As Martha Stewart Living explains: “Turning the compost helps promote oxygen flow and releases the heat that builds during decomposition – aim for a temperature between 90° and 140°F.” 

    Special Equipment

    When people learn how to start composting, often their first question is whether or not they require special bins. The answer entirely depends on which method you want to use. Worm bins do need containers, but you can easily create ones out of plastic bins that you may already own. With the help of a drill, a small amount of screening, and glue, you will have containers ready for the introduction of your waste material, neutral soil, and the Red Wigglers. For those pursuing cold composting, Red Wigglers can also be introduced into the free-standing pile.

    Anaerobic and aerobic approaches do not require any special equipment, and, in most cases, you can start right now with the materials you have. You need enough space to keep the growing pile thriving and, ideally, away from people, as the smell may be mildly off-putting. You may want to invest in a tarp to protect it from high winds. If you are handy, you can quickly build a composting bin from wood scraps and mesh; however, Martha Stewart Living advises that “using a closed bin is best to maintain moisture levels for the compost — especially in extreme climates….” You can purchase a variety of simple bin options, including two-door models that allow for easy removal of finished compost, as well as the addition of fresh, biodegradable material. The Magazine recommends placing your bin in a space that enjoys a happy balance of sun and shade, while also allowing for the easy addition of water.

    As apartment dwellers have turned to increasingly environmentally friendly approaches to daily living, composting technology has become more sophisticated. As experts tell Real Simple: “People who don’t have a sprawling yard can buy small, odorless compost containers that fit easily in kitchen spaces….” Higher-end kitchen models take up very little space and can create enriched soil in just a few hours. They also claim to reduce meat scraps, some dairy, and bones, unlike standard, non-commercial composting approaches.

    How to Start Composting

    Begin your composting pile with an airy layer of “brown” ingredients, for instance, a base of fallen leaves. Next, add a smaller segment of greens and a scoop (or shovel) of neutral soil into the mix. The exact ratio of “brown” to “green” somewhat depends on the actual ingredients, but Martha Stewart Living recommends that you “continue layering browns and greens in a two-to-one ratio, ending with a layer of brown.”  

    You will want to keep your composting pile moist, but not sopping wet as that could impede proper decomposition. You don’t want to see a lot of water dripping through the pile, and you do want to keep outdoor bins (or loose piles) protected from the rain. EatingWell suggests adding sawdust to bring the pile back into balance if you feel your composting material has become too wet. 

    If you have chosen the aerobic approach, you will want to turn the pile periodically. You can use a pitchfork, a shovel, a lawn rake or a hand, gardening rake (or whatever device allows you to turn the pile easily). This is critical as “turning provides oxygen for the microorganisms and makes for a rapid, even decomposition,” according to Martha Stewart Living.

    Finished Compost

    How do you know when your compost is ready to be used in your garden, around your trees or on your lawn? Martha Stewart Living advises that a finished compost is “dark brown, free of recognizable ingredients, and safe to smell.” While faster than “cold composting” which can take up to two years, aerobic outdoor “turning” composting will take at least a few months, even without sharp changes in temperature. Naturally, worm bins and high-tech apartment composters will make this process dramatically faster. But whatever you do, do not try to use compost that is not yet finished. As the experts at EatingWell warn, unfinished compost can be toxic. 

    Now that you have learned how to start composting, it’s time to begin! While the process can take time, you’ll love not only having nutrient-rich, organic soil but knowing that you have significantly reduced the amount of the kitchen and yard waste going into landfills each year.

  • Trend Alert from Outdoor Pro Carson Arthur – The Outdoor Fireplace!

    One of the most popular additions to the backyard is the outdoor fire pit with seating around it. Having an area for entertaining that is separate from the patio table has been featured in magazines, websites and all types of social media. Even the designs that I’ve been doing for homes in downtown areas seem to always include high-end wood or gas burning fixtures.

    Before you go any further in exploring if an outdoor fireplace is right for you, check your municipal bylaws. Some areas ban outdoor burning altogether. Others allow outdoor fireplaces but regulate the smoke to ensure that your neighbors are not disturbed. Some municipalities require that grills be in place so that these fire pits fall under barbeque laws. Just because a store in your area sells you a fireplace doesn’t mean that you can actually use it.

    If, however, you’re like me and love the smell of burning wood, the sound of crackling logs and can spend hours watching flames and coals, then there is nothing like an outdoor wood-burning fireplace. That said, burning wood always comes with lots of risks and rewards. Live fires are unpredictable and as a result, can be dangerous if not handled properly.

    When it comes to fire safety, make sure that you allow for at least 6ft. of space between the edge of the fireplace and the chairs. Sparks can easily fly from natural burning fires. If you don’t have sufficient clearance, choosing a natural gas or propane option would be a safer solution. If you do go with wood burning, then make sure you have either a source of water or a fire extinguisher nearby.

    Also, consider where the best spot is for your fire pit and what surface it is going on. The best surface solution is always stone. Whether its manmade pavers, natural flagstone or even gravel, stone is perfect for dispersing heat or flying sparks. I have created fireplaces on wood decks but I always make sure that the area under and around the fire pit is either gravel or concrete. When it comes to locations, wood-burning fire pits need to be away from the house. Smoke always seems to get into open windows or patio doors. Be sure to choose a spot that is away from large trees or anything that is burnable.

    Having an outdoor fireplace can be an amazing way to spend a summer night or even host an après ski party. Just make sure you do a little research first.

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  • Fall 101 with Outdoor Pro Carson Arthur

    I can’t believe that I am about to talk about a fall checklist…but according to the calendar and according to the nip in the air at night, its time to start thinking about the end of summer <<Gasp>>. I’m personally a little torn by this. I love the gardening season, but there is something very special about the turning of the season that I also really love. Maybe it’s the autumn leaves or the smell in the air or even the fact that the outdoor temperature is now comfortable even at noon; whatever the case, I’m not too upset that its time to think about putting the gardens to bed.

    There are a few things that home gardeners get wrong at this time of the year. First off is bulb planting. I love tulips and daffodils in the spring, but I never plant the bulbs in the ground until the soil temperature is below 4 degrees Celsius. Being patient when planting your bulbs is so important to ensure that they stay dormant until spring. Also, remember that the squirrels will probably dig your bulbs up if you are not smart about how you plant them. Squirrels like to steal food from other squirrels. They look for areas of disturbed soil thinking that this is where their neighbor has hidden something edible. When you are planting your bulbs, make sure to disguise the area with some leaves so that it looks like the ground is still undisturbed.

    Speaking of your leaves; KEEP THEM. I know that some homes have huge maples or other deciduous trees in the yard and the amount of fallen leaves far exceeds any needs that you may have. However, mulched or composted leaves are the best fertilizer you can get for your gardens. Leaves that have been running through the mower are also fantastic as an insulator. A few years ago I bought a Black and Decker 3 n1 leaf vacuum, blower, and mulcher, and it’s become my go-to tool for creating my own free fertilizer.

    Don’t forget to wrap your plants and trees! Once again, Mother Nature is giving us some early warning signs of another hard winter to come; specifically, all of the cone-bearing evergreens have them at the tops of the trees. This is a sign that we are in for another rough season, which is going to be hard on your plants. Go out and invest in lots of tree wraps and burlap. Having a windbreak is crucial for plants like rhododendrons, cedars and even your rose of Sharon. The key is to wrap your tree snuggly enough that the burlap will stay up in the wind, but not too tight as they break branches. You should also wait until your plants have gone dormant, which is tough for your evergreens. I like to wrap my tender shrubs and bushes at the end of October.

    You may not have to start thinking about these jobs now, but trust me, winter is really just around the corner!

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  • Fall Lawn Prep with Outdoor Pro Carson Arthur

    Fall is the perfect time to get your lawn prepped for spring, and now is the time to do it! Most homeowners ignore their lawns in the fall but the cooler weather is fantastic for your grass. During this time of year, your lawn is actively storing water, nutrients and generating energy so that it can make it through a long winter. If you take care of it now, you’ll have a healthier, lusher looking patch of green in the spring!

    Now is the time to lower the blade on your mower. I keep mine between 3 and 3.5”s during the warmer months. In the fall, it is time to drop it down to 2”s to allow more sunlight to get to the crown of the grass.  There are a couple of things to remember; never cut off more than 1/3 of the blade length at a time. This is really hard on the grass.  You can lower then mower once by a third, and then again by a third in the second cutting. If you have a bagging option, now is a good time to put it on. Removing some of the cuts blades will help your lawn can more oxygen down to the roots as better airflow can occur without the build-up of cuttings (called thatch).

    Aerating in the fall is also a great solution for getting oxygen, moisture, and nutrients the roots. The best aerators remove plugs of soil that are 3”s long. This is the perfect depth to reach the roots below the ground.

    Feeding the lawn in the fall is actually more important in my mind than doing it in the spring. The fall fertilizer helps the roots grow below the soil, encouraging an earlier and deeper flush of green grass once the snow melts. Look for fertilizers like a 0-6-6 combination. Make sure to avoid a fertilizer with a high first number as this encourages more leaf growth above ground. Instead, get a high middle and last number. This promotes root growth and improves the overall health of your lawn.

    I wait until early October for my last fertilizing of the year.

    I like to top-dress the bald spots on my lawn at the end of September. The occasional rainfall and the cooler temps are perfect for seed starting. When buying your grass seed mix, also get a bag of topsoil. By blending the two BEFORE you spread the mix on the lawn, you get a higher rate of germination of the seeds because you’ve ensured the “seed-to-soil” contact that they need to grow.

    Weeds are also getting ready to go through the winter months. This makes them extra susceptible to herbicides and natural treatments as they are in full “absorption-mode”. Just be careful and follow the instructions on whatever weed solution you decide to go with and wait until the end of Oct to apply. This is extra important in the areas that you’ve planted new seeds so that they have a chance to get better established. Finally, rake those leaves!  Getting the leaves off the lawn before they become a wet mat that smothers your lawn is so important. Try these steps and you’ll be the envy of the neighborhood with the greenest and happiest lawn on the block!

  • Best Outdoor Patio ideas

    Whether you plan to spend the rest of the summer working from your outdoor home office or just want to have a few moments of peace with your morning coffee before beginning your commute, here are some of the best outdoor patio ideas.

    Outdoor living space on a brick patio overlooking a tranquil lake

    Summer Kitchen

    You may want to use your deck or patio as an outdoor summer kitchen. If so, think about things like being set back from the house when planning where to put the grill and how much space to assign to your patio’s food prep area. Don’t forget, everyone wants to hang out in the kitchen at parties. Being able to observe and talk to the chef is a bonus.

    If you don’t barbeque much and prefer drinks and nibbles or potlucks for your outdoor entertaining, think about building a small bar with its back against the exterior wall, facing out. This works well on a small patio or deck where you don’t want your guests milling about.

    If you’d rather focus on eating outdoors while continuing to do your meal prep in your indoor kitchen, create a casual dining area where people feel comfortable lounging both before and after meals. You can serve them more formally after doing all the food prep indoors. Think bench seating and well-cushioned rattan or metal outdoor chairs, rather than traditional wrought iron, which can be very unforgiving. Those wrought iron sets are best saved for tiny bistro tables where you have a quick coffee but don’t plan to linger.

    water coming out from a vase in a garden

    Add a Calming Element

    When you retreat to your patio, you’re looking for a change of scenery and perhaps even a new perspective. Creating an outdoor patio that nourishes you is just as important as using your outdoor space as an entertainment extension to your home. If you want your patio or deck to be a retreat, consider adding a calming element like a Zen or herb garden or a simple but elegant waterfall.

    Zen gardens come in all sizes and shapes, from smaller than a placemat to large outdoor constructions. All you need is a rectangular wooden box or tray, a small wooden rake, some sand, some shells, rocks, or twigs, and, if you want to get fancy, a succulent or two. Bonus points if you can use some of that sand you brought home from your last Caribbean vacation. As you trace patterns in the sand you can pretend that you’re back there, even though you haven’t left the patio.

    Waterfalls can be as simple as two bowls cunningly arranged so one overflows into the other. The sound of trickling water is one of the most soothing there is, right up there with a soothing breeze that rustles the tree leaves. Don’t invest in anything too complicated or anything that’s likely to require a lot of maintenance. Keep it simple and clean, and make sure your water feature has an off switch for guests who may not appreciate it.

    Fragrant lavender, rosemary, and mint are three of the best herbs to grow on a patio or deck in containers. Lavender and rosemary provide a tall, spikey visual element, while mint just cascades lushly as it spreads. Make sure you’ve got the right exposure for the herbs you choose—not all, like mint, want full sun.

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  • Coordinating Your Garden to Your Home

    While architects have often noted that landscape architecture has lagged the modernist building movement since the late 1930s, these days, there’s consensus that your garden should, if not match, at least coordinate with your home.

    An English country garden may work just as well with a Cape Cod style home as it does with a thatched Tudor cottage. However, it really doesn’t suit a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired angular home with clean lines and lots of glass.

    Try to match your garden’s style to your home when it comes to size, color, and style for a clean, comforting appearance.

    Big custom made luxury house with nicely trimmed and landscaped front yard

    Size

    If you’ve got a tiny little porch, don’t flank your home’s entryway with massive flower pot sentinels. That will only emphasize how small your porch is. Similarly, if your front yard is the size of a pocket handkerchief, perhaps bursts of color from small petaled trailing plants like lobelia are a better idea than a hibiscus bush. Save the big, showy flowers for those you can train to grow on a trellis against the house, like a clematis.

    If, on the other hand, you’ve got a huge front yard, you may want to create interest by designing winding pathways that delineate different kinds of gardens: flower from herb, annual from perennial, rose garden from mixed flowers, Zen garden from rock garden. Also, you’ll want to scale up the size of your plants as well. If you’re working with a big space, you can invest in plants like hostas and hydrangeas, which will grow and grow and grow until you cut them back.

    Try to scale the size of your plantings to the size of your home. If tiny and perfect works for your house, it’ll work for your garden too. Make sure, if you have a small home on a small lot, that you keep both evergreen and deciduous trees trimmed. Letting them get too tall isn’t just an aesthetic faux pas, it can be dangerous, given the severity of many storm events.

    home with nicely trimmed and landscaped front yard

    Color

    Repeating your home’s paint colors in your garden’s foliage or flowers is one way to link interior and exterior. Think of the house color as the flower painting’s backdrop. You can echo your home’s color scheme, or you can choose contrasting colors to make your garden pop.

    The easiest house colors to integrate with foliage are, of course, greens and browns. But you can use your garden flowers to both amplify and contrast with your home’s exterior wall color.

    White has a commanding presence in a garden, and some landscape gardeners think it should be used with care, to create a focal point or unite a space. Trim and roof colors should be repeated throughout a garden, with white or off-white plantings as accents or unifying elements with any house that has white or cream in its paint scheme.

    modern house with matching style garden

    Style

    The warm texture of a red brick house with gingerbread trim and deep overhangs calls for one kind of garden and a specific range of plants, while the neutral concrete and glass angles of a modern, custom-built home would look silly adorned with petunias.

    If you’ve bought a heritage home, honor its stature with traditional and vintage garden designs. Make use of arbors and hanging baskets on the porch. Flank a colonial style home’s front door with large planters bursting with trailing flowers. Create a rose or hydrangea or French herb garden. Build a latticework gazebo.

    Landscape architects suggest using foliage as building blocks with modern design, and some of the best examples of this are of rectangular planters filled with wild and spikey decorative grasses. The abundance, movement, and deep true colors of the grasses provide contrast to the neutral color scheme. They also supply texture, movement, and a wildness that works well with a very precise and sometimes coldly confrontational architectural style.

    Modern architecture lends itself very well to xeriscaping, and once a xeriscape lawn has been designed and planted, it matches the spirit of modern architecture: clean lines, low maintenance, and a lack of ornamentation. Vertical gardens and green walls work very well with modern architecture too, providing a shot of color and free form design, adding a bit of warmth and interest to hard edges. Planning, planting, nurturing, and appreciating your garden should be a voyage of exploration and discovery, something you perfect over the course of years. Don’t be afraid to try new colors, plants, and accessories to see what works and what doesn’t. Most importantly, don’t forget that gardening can be a year-long passion. After all, the important work gets done in winter: planning, poring over seed catalogues, and researching patio stones, water treatments, wind chimes, and lawn furniture.

  • How to Outfit your Outdoor Living Area for Summer

    Whether you’re lucky enough to live in a home with a wraparound porch and a huge backyard that backs on a bird sanctuary or you live in a modern condo with a small but lovely patio, outfitting your outdoor living area for summer is a fun challenge. Decorating a patio is sure to make you appreciate your home more, regardless of its size.

    Principles of Outdoor Home Decor

    There aren’t really many rules about outdoor home decor other than those imposed by HOAs and condo associations. Within those bounds though, the first principle of outdoor home decor is to define how you want to use the space. If it’s your escape from the chaos that reigns within, your design choices should reflect that secret garden approach to make it your own personal sanctuary.

    If, however, you want your outdoor space to be the place you do all your summer entertaining, you’ll want to emphasize the openness of the space and create gathering points within it.

    Remember not to try to make a small space serve too many purposes at once. Your small patio can’t be a children’s play area and a quiet reading space simultaneously. If you want to use the patio primarily for entertaining, decide whether you want the space to be formal, with a sit-down table, or informal, with guests eating on their laps or small side tables.

    Here are some other tips for outfitting your outdoor living area for the summer.

    Backyard patio area with table, chairs and umbrella

    Scale Your Furnishings

    No matter how comfortable an overstuffed chair is, if you’ve got a small patio, you’ll want to make sure it isn’t overwhelmed by décor. Try choosing chairs without arms and, if possible, use stackable chairs so they take up less space when not in use. Consider using benches as seating, since their backless nature means they take up less room visually and allow unobstructed views when not occupied.

    If you’ve got a huge backyard, consider creating several different outdoor spaces: one for entertaining, one for getting away from it all, and one for making mud pies or playing tag.

    Pillows on hammock on terrace with round rug and rattan sofa in the garden

    Take Lounging Seriously

    Whether you want to sit outside for 10 minutes every morning with a cup of coffee or retreat to your backyard sanctuary after a hard day at the office, don’t forget that the whole point of this outdoor space is to help you relax while you feel the breeze and can admire the trees and flowers comfortably.

    Invest in a hammock, a really comfortable lounge chair, or a swing. It’s up to you whether you want to control the sounds you hear while enjoying your outdoor space, but if you find water features or wind chimes soothing, indulge yourself. Both items lend themselves to individualization, and there are lots of DIY water feature and wind chime projects you can create that won’t break the bank and will give you a sense of satisfaction every time you see and hear them.

    Beautiful landscape design for backyard garden and patio area on walkout deck

    Create Some Shade

    Whether you’re a sun worshipper or not, you and your guests are going to want some shelter on hot days. There are so many ways to achieve this, whether it’s buying a patio umbrella, building an open-air gazebo, or just placing large potted plants at strategic intervals outside.

    You can also attach a sun-resistant fabric canopy to your deck railings to keep the sun from beating down. If you start early enough in the season, add posts to your deck and create a pergola or lattice canopy by building an overhead frame with chicken wire and growing scarlet runner beans to provide shade (and color, since they have beautiful scarlet blooms).

    A sail shade is also a quick, cheap and easy sun deflector. Cut a piece of fade-resistant fabric into a triangle, punch eyelets in the corners, and attach the shade to nearby trees, poles, or the side of the house.

    Alternatively, you can enclose your entire deck in canvas shades for shelter from the sun and enhanced privacy (sort of like being inside a four-poster bed with the curtains closed).

    However you decide to decorate your outdoor living area for the summer, make sure you create a space you and your guests will be able to use comfortably. You’ll probably need more small tables than you realize so guests have somewhere to put their drinks.

    Additionally, you’ll want to pace out the furniture placement so the traffic flow makes sense—if you’ve decided on a formal dining area, track the way you move from kitchen to barbeque area and from barbeque area to table to make sure you’re not going to trip over either guests or furniture. But most importantly, make your outdoor space comfortable so you can enjoy the lazy, hazy days of summer while they’re here.