Category: Gardens and Landscapes

Gardens and Landscapes
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• By: Barbara Ley

ORNAMENTAL GRASSES FOR EVERY GARDEN

If you haven’t yet tried ornamental grasses in your garden, you are missing out my friend. There is no other plant that provides the same kind of wispy texture and fluid movement in the garden, and nearly every growing zone in the country has a list of grasses that will thrive for that region. So let’s say you’re intrigued enough to give them a go, but don’t know how you want to use them? I’m here to help! Grasses can be used extensively or almost exclusively within a garden, or simply as textural complements to your flowering perennials. Here are some great ideas, from large to small, for you to consider:

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Gardens and Landscapes
• By: Barbara Ley

Plant Shop Like a Pro!

This time of year, it’s easy to be whipped into a gardening frenzy! Mornings are still somewhat cool, and the Dog Days of summer haven’t quite hit yet. So when Saturday mornings roll around, you’ve probably watched a garden show or two and are now inspired to hit the nursery to snap up some more plants. But wait a minute—remember that last time you went? You came home with plants that didn’t work and you had no idea where to put them. Well, no worries, I’m here to help you avoid that scenario.

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Exterior Design
• By: Barbara Ley

Sunny Yellow for a Summer Garden

Every year at this time, I take a look at my garden to determine what I need to add to it to kick it up a notch—sometimes it’s an ornamental tree or an agave variety, but this year it’s a color. More specifically, yellow. I’ve always gravitated more towards the purples and pinks, but I can think of no more sunny color than a bright, clear yellow! It’s a happy, vibrant color, and works well with most other colors in the garden. Here are a few of my favorites:

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Gardens and Landscapes
• By: Barbara Ley

Houseplant CPR

We’ve probably all had houseplants that we’ve neglected—perhaps life got too busy or we went on vacation and forgot about them. If you’ve got houseplants that are wilted, sick-looking, or have yellow or brown leaves, and you’re fretting over the idea of throwing them out and starting over—take a deep breath! Unless the plant is clearly dead, there are things you can do to resurrect it.

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Exterior Design
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• By: Barbara Ley

Creative House Numbers

What do house numbers have to do with gardening or landscaping, you ask? A lot! Thoughtful, integrated landscapes pay attention to every exterior detail, particularly if the house has a strong architectural style. I urge you to forego the standard hardware store rubbed bronze house numbers or, even worse, the black stick-on variety. Take a look at the following examples and see if one can serve as inspiration for you!

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Gardens and Landscapes
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• By: Barbara Ley

Creating Garden Vignettes

So many times we get caught up in making our landscapes stunning that we forget some of the smaller details that add personality and charm. Now that the pool, gazebo and deck are all in place, try turning your attention to the corners of your garden that are often forgotten—the small patio, the entrance to your garden shed, or underneath a huge tree.

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Gardens and Landscapes
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• By: Barbara Ley

A Room with a View

We take such care with our homes to create views, don’t we? Spectacular views of the downtown skyline, the vistas outside the living room window, down to the table centerpiece for Easter dinner. Yet, somehow when we venture outside into our gardens, we seem to forget these details—but they’re just as important outside as they are inside. Here are some ideas to whet your appetite, from simple to more grand!

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