A recent patio and cedar planter installation. Next up: planting a new shrub bed.
Flower Garden Design
A couple pics from of some recent planting designs.
Mid-Summer Vibes
A Fragrant Walkway
We’re working on an installation of a landscape design for property in West Newbury and just finished this stepping stone walkway which leads to a bluestone terrace. Eventually, the thyme groundcover will spread to the cobble edging and between the pavers. A lawn in planned for either side of the walkway. Not pictured is a sloped perennial garden.
Started some hard to find annuals (a least in terms of colors) for a few upcoming flower bed installations. If this works out, I may need to invest in a greenhouse.
Herb Gardens
Planting an herb garden brings nature and culinary exploration right to your doorstep. Creating an herb garden begins with selecting a suitable location with ample sunlight. We often will try to choose spots adjacent to a patio or just outside the kitchen door. Next, we choose a variety of herbs that thrive in your climate and suit your culinary preferences, from classic staples like basil and rosemary to more exotic options like lemongrass and Thai basil. Though some herbs, like basil, need to planted each season as they won’t survive the winter cold, others such as mint and oregano return year after year. With patience and proper care, your herb garden will flourish, offering an abundant harvest of fresh herbs to enhance your cooking and add fragrance and beauty to your garden design.
Cutting Gardens
Creating a cutting garden is a delightful endeavor that involves designing a space dedicated to growing flowers specifically for cutting and arranging in bouquets. As landscape designers we’ve been asked to create cutting gardens of all sized. Sometimes in a raised bed, sometimes in a sunny spot next to a patio. The key is to select a diverse mix of annuals, perennials, and even some woody shrubs that produce abundant blooms suitable for cutting. A few option include sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, dahlias, liatrius, peonies, echinacea, lady’s mantel and hydrangeas. Important considerations are bloom time, color palette, fragrance, and stem length to ensure a continuous supply of fresh flowers throughout the growing season. Regular maintenance, including deadheading spent blooms, fertilizing, and watering, will help ensure healthy growth and prolific flowering. With thoughtful planning and care, a cutting garden can provide a constant supply of fresh, colorful flowers for creating stunning arrangements to brighten up your home. Considering a cutting garden? Contact us for a consultation.
Native Plants in Garden Design
We’re often asked to create gardens which reflect the surrounding landscape. One way we achieve this is to include native shrubs and perennials in our landscape designs. Planting native species in a garden offers a a number of benefits that extend far beyond simply aesthetic appeal. Native plants, adapted to the local climate and soil conditions, require minimal maintenance once established, reducing the need for water, fertilizers, and pesticides. By fostering biodiversity, native shrubs and perennials attract pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and birds, contributing to ecosystem health and resilience and their deep root systems help prevent soil erosion and improve soil structure, promoting long-term sustainability. Additionally, incorporating native plant species in a garden design enhances the garden's connection to the environment, creating a sense of place and a greater appreciation for local ecology.