Exterior Ideas
Making the Best of a Forgotten Space Traditional Landscape, Philadelphia Traditional| Philadelphia| Website Native Sweetbay Magnolias (Magnolia virginiana) grace two corners of the seating area, one against the retaining wall, the second near the corner of the house. The Sweetbays flower later in the year than most magnolias, evading the risk of having their flowers bitten by late season Pennsylvania frosts. After the tree has set its leaves the flowers emerge amongst the foliage, creamy white and fragrant - at the perfect time of year for sitting outside and enjoying them.
While technically a bed bordering a Boston driveway rather than the street, this three-tiered combination by landscape architect Sean Papich featuring perennial purple coneflowers, tawny ornamental grasses and low-growing tufts of day lily foliage would also work as a sidewalk combination. The purple coneflowers are particularly long-blooming and, in combination with the tall ornamental grasses, will carry the garden through fall. Plants in this garden bed include: ◦‘Magnus’ purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’, zones 3 to 8) ◦‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’, zones 4 to 9) ◦‘Stella de Oro’ day lily (Hemerocallis ‘Stella de Oro’, zones 4 to 9), after blooming Water requirement: Moderate Light requirement: Full sun Find native plants for your region
Plants in this garden bed include: ◦Nichol’s willow-leaved peppermint (Eucalyptus nicholii, zones 8 to 10) ◦New Zealand wind grass (Anemanthele lessoniana, zones 8 to 10) ◦Autumn moor grass (Sesleria autumnalis, zones 5 to 8) ◦Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia ‘Provence’, zones 5 to 9) ◦‘Moonshine’ common yarrow (Achillea millefolium ‘Moonshine’, zones 3 to 9) ◦‘Boule’ rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Boule’, zones 8 to 10) Water requirement: Low to moderate Light requirement: Full sun
Take a cue from landscape architect Jeffrey Gordon Smith, who pulled the same palette of gray-green, gold and yellow plants from the front of this garden in San Luis Obispo, California, down to the parking strip. Plants include drought-tolerant ornamental grasses and perennials, such as yellow yarrow, English lavender and creeping rosemary.
English Garden, California Style Traditional Landscape, Los Angeles Traditional| Los Angeles| After a tear-down/remodel we were left with a west facing sloped front yard without much privacy from the street, a blank palette as it were. Re purposed concrete was used to create an entrance way and a seating area. Colorful drought tolerant trees and plants were used strategically to screen out unwanted views, and to frame the beauty of the new landscape. This yard is an example of low water, low maintenance without looking like grandmas cactus garden.
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