Making Room for Color and Creativity in the Garden

Transform an overgrown, unused property into an exuberant garden full of color and fun

It was happy probability when a current node said , “ We have a new neighbour , Kim , with a keen energy about her who needs garden service . ” A inadequate walk later we were pink on her front door . Our meeting speedily blossomed into an invigorating garden collaboration and friendship .

With an unapologetic appreciation for color , and an ability to maximize every nook and cranny and penchant for fun , Kim has get-up-and-go , personality , and favorableness that are clearly reflect in her high-spirited garden . But her garden was n’t always that way . The front one thousand was dominated by a thicket of slow bamboo and overgrown camellia . One side yard — narrow-minded , dark , and chevy with drainage problems — was a utilitarian bye - through , while the other lacked viscidity with its awkward idle distance . The backyard , divest of secrecy , was a patchy slop lawn surrounded by a freshly erected , dark , chain - tie-in fencing to keep Kim ’s dogs in . What set off as a interview become into a whirlwind of activity that touched every nook of the garden .

A front yard should never stop looking good

Our first end was to transform a large 15 - foot - wide by 30 - human foot - long overgrown and mostly evergreen bed along the front of the star sign into an inviting garden full of grain and color throughout every time of year . After hours of oink body of work , which included digging up the 15 - substructure - tall bamboo with its mesh of snake roots and murder the overgrown camellia , we were left with a white sheet with full sun pic . Drawing inspiration from the freshly installed , alloy - framed , pea green , polycarbonate logic gate , we resolve to play with what I call “ sunset hues ” of plum , rust Red , oranges , and gold . Evergreen ‘ Burgundy Wine ’ celestial bamboo ( Nandina domestica*‘Burgundy Wine ’ , Zones 6–10 ) anchors the planting , while variegated purple moor grass adds airy texture and movement ( photo , above ) . I also added a mixture of grasses , anthesis trees , perennial , evergreen shrub , and land handle to provide year - round of drinks color and curb ingathering .

See invading alert below .

A new color combo makes a space bright but calm

Through the chartreuse side logic gate , the once dark , moist , and underused side grand now sparkles with coloration and texture . Previously , during heavy rain , water flowing from the gradient above would collect on the cracked concrete way of life along the side of the house . We addressed the piddle issues with the improver of a fanny - tiptop , blue , S - shaped , wry - stack stone wall widen the duration of the space . This new bulwark allowed us to capture the excess water by add drainage behind the rampart as well as in front of it . The new bulwark also created an chance for tiered planting .

The color pairing of chartreuse and Bourgogne used throughout originated from the ‘ Autumn Moon ’ full moon maple and ‘ Sherwood Flame ’ Nipponese maple planted on the upper side of the wall . Under the sink in canopy of the maple , tad - love industrial plant rich in various texture and embodiment play up the contrasting yellowish green wine-colored shade . A newfangled paver patio extending the duration of the side garden , with a table for two just outside the kitchen door , make this once dark side yard an idealistic patch for coffee berry and contemplation . This is Kim ’s favorite spot in the garden .

Past a 2d gate , with child galvanized troughs brim with edible gem including cerise Lycopersicon esculentum , herb , raspberries , and espaliered Malus pumila . This is a preferred place for Kim to nurse her grandchildren while teach them secretly where food comes from . rosiness , dahlias , and go up vines provide bountiful opportunities to pile up cut flower for dinner party parties and household gathering .

Backyards should be private but useful

With the slope backyard designated as the kid- and dog - friendly zona , it was clear that whatever we choose to plant there require to be rugged . Replicating the same materials used in the dry - stack stone wall in the side thousand , we carved a miserable curve rampart into the upper sharpness of the incline to create a flat space and to define one side of a new paver patio just outside Kim ’s bedroom . The other side transition into a swath of flat lawn for frolic .

Kim was on board with my proposition to turn over the lower share of the slope into a rain garden after learn that body of water would unravel down the back property line during heavy rains . Along the rearward property phone line , in front of the fresh black range - nexus fence for the dogs , we added a mixture of bush , trees , and grasses . The mix of works tallness and foliation textures assist to hide the fence and add privacy .

Entertaining areas require exuberance

Around the corner to the polar side one thousand seat a novel “ she shed ” as the eye of the blank space . It put up the perfect chance to divide the field into two distinct rooms . The gain of container planting that double as low-spirited walls and delimitate the space led to the shift of one side of the shed into an umbrella - plow seating area area for social gather . On the opposite side , a tabular array and chairman atop a low pack of cards anchorman a space for quiet dining next to a unexampled pond in what was once an empty corner . The shed ’s bright orange trim provide the inspiration for the citrus - themed vividness palette throughout the entire side garden .

Colors such as yellow green and orange tree are naturally middle - catching in a garden . They ’re perfect for shadowy country that need a maculation of brightness or , as in the face of Kim ’s entertainment portion of the garden , for sections that are think of for alert social gatherings . However , it ’s important to balance these vivacious color with plenty of calming shades of green in rules of order to invalidate a color public violence . Each outer space has its purpose in the garden , be it relaxation or fun , and colour has a major shock on how one feels when one is in that space . I lie with that Kim was n’t afraid to use color ; it ’s a lineal reflexion of her outgoing , generous personality .

As we approach the passing to the street , one last dainty awaits to the left of the third translucent gate , this one Orange River ( see photo , top ) . In an homage to Kim ’s horse sense of whimsy and playfulness , a duet of oversize ceramic snails snack on a bed of shade - loving plants . It ’s a complete send - off after make a full circle through her garden . Once overgrown and commonplace , the garden is now a sanctuary for rest and reflexion , assemblage , and plain honest-to-god merriment .

industrial plant

Key Players

Here are some of the crucial plants that bestow interest to various parts of this garden .

1. Variegated purple moor grass

Molinia caeruleasubsp.caerulea‘Variegata’

Zones:3–9

Size:12 to 18 inches tall and wide

Conditions : Full Lord’s Day to partial shade ; moist , well - drained filth

Native stove : Europe and Asia

A small clumping grass with light-green and creamy snowy vary foliage . marvelous , narrow-minded , golden flowerheads emerge in summertime and last well into fall , adding an airy , wispy texture .

2. ‘Genii’ hardy fuchsia

Fuchsia‘Genii’

Zones:7–9

Size:2 to 3 feet marvelous and 1 to 2 feet all-encompassing

Conditions : Partial to full tad ; moist , well - drained dirt

aboriginal chain : Hybrid

The perfect flora to lighten up a shady recession . Chartreuse , frost - hardy foliage is decorated with magenta- and purple - petaled flower from summer to fall .

3. ‘Spotty Dotty’ mayapple

Podophyllum‘Spotty Dotty’

Zones:6–9

Conditions : fond to full shadowiness ; well - drained dirt

Native range : loan-blend of North American species

Prized for its bold , palmately lob leaf that emerges chartreuse with burgundy spot in spring and transitions to kelly green with lighter spots in fall .

4. Sunset fern

Dryopteris lepidopoda

Size:1 foot tall and 2 infantry wide

Native range : Asia

An evergreen plant fern that delights class - round . New fronds emerge in melon shades of honeydew melon and cantaloupe in leaping and senesce to a deep olive green in summer .

*Invasive alert: Heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica)

This plant is considered invasive in AL , FL , GA , MO , and SC .

Please visitinvasiveplantatlas.orgfor more data .

Courtney Olander is a garden designer in Seattle .

Orange adds vitality.To bring energy and personality to an area, use a vibrant color. It perks up any area, and if you can’t find plants that will work, turn to art and hardscape to do the trick.Photo: DoreenWynja.com

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Inviting, not overgrown.The front of the house was once cluttered with bamboo and overgrown shrubs. Now it is host to an array of plants that provide year-round interest without overwhelming the space.Photo: DoreenWynja.com

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Trees set the tone.‘Autumn Moon’ full moon maple (Acer shirasawanum‘Autumn Moon’, Zones 5–8) and ‘Sherwood Flame’ Japanese maple (Acer palmatum‘Sherwood Flame’, Zones 5–8) set the color palette for the area.Photo: DoreenWynja.com

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Adding a small seating area makes it the perfect spot for morning coffee.Photo: DoreenWynja.com

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A perfect place for a patio.Adding some privacy to the backyard meant that it became a spot for relaxing while the grandkids play on the grass.Photo: DoreenWynja.com

Solving drainage problems can be beautiful.All the water ran to the back of the property, where moisture-loving plants now thrive.Photo: DoreenWynja.com

Sheds can do more than hold tools.The shed divides the property in half, with the lively orange entertaining area on one side and the quiet area with a small pond on the other.Photo: DoreenWynja.com

Take advantage of the quiet corner.Between the bright orange entertaining area and the play area in the backyard is the perfect spot for a pond.Photo: DoreenWynja.com