Category Archives: Design Ideas

An arbor addition transforms the garden

An arbor serves as a portal into a garden room; a transition point to tell a visitor it’s time to pause, giving you a change in perspective.  Training vines to cover the arbor, brings garden life to another dimension — reason enough to want to find the perfect spot in your garden to add an arbor. Continue reading

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The Iris, the larkspur and the peony

The Iris, the larkspur, and the peony. It kind of sounds like a mystery series, and in many ways it is. It is possible to plan you garden to get three wonderful spring bloomers performing at the same time.
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A Walk in the Winter Garden

Reprinted from Triangle Gardener January/February issue…. Flowers, berries, evergreens and grasses will fill the winter garden with wildlife and give you reason to walk around. One of the best parts about living in North Carolina are winters worthy of gardening.  … Continue reading

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New Year, New Plans, New Plants

After the last Auld Lang Syne is sung, pull out some paper and plan for new plants in the new year. Continue reading

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Water-wise Garden Design

Waterwise design is not only worthy, but a win-win. A waterwise garden comprises three gardening zones: oasis, transitional, and xeric. The oasis zone is the area closest to a water source: drain spouts, rain barrels, spigot, etc. The transitional zone … Continue reading

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Tall, Lush Plants

Take your garden from the ground up by adding height.  With tall, willowy, nodding or upright, flowers or leaf, grasses or bananas, adding height to the garden, adds drama. Tall plants have a place in any garden size.  They can … Continue reading

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Privacy Design

There is no reason to sit on your back deck and only to look over at your neighbor doing the same, but looking back at you. Plan for privacy. Fences will certainly give instant privacy, but they can leave the … Continue reading

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Cottage Garden Design

Climbing roses arching around an arbor, or peonies popping through a white picket fence, a birdhouse perched on post; these are just a few images that come to mind when dreaming about cottage garden design. While it seems that anything … Continue reading

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