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Select a color of gravel that matches the flagstone or pavers. To prevent gravel traveling up onto the flagstones, start by installing a layer of compacted base rock, then lay the flagstones – setting them in the base rock so they’re slightly above what will be the gravel level – and spread gravel in the gaps.
Wood slats. Fences made of narrowly spaced wood strips provide light screening while offering a peek to the other side. For a contemporary look, set the slats horizontally between three-eighths of a inch to 1 inch apart (depending on desired privacy). Anchor with fence posts at the back to keep the front side of the fence clean with uninterrupted horizontal lines.
define a mood by choosing two or three words that describe how you’d like to feel in the garden. These could be words like peaceful and serene or playful and energized. As you begin to design your garden, include only the elements that resonate with your mood words. For example, this courtyard garden in central London feels like a tranquil retreat from the noise and rush of the city. Garden elements and accessories are kept to a minimum, and each adds to the Zen-like atmosphere.
One of the first things I put in the yard was a fire pit,” Gignilliat says. In the corner of the backyard, the contemporary fire pit is surrounded by brightly colored chairs and cushions,
Another idea for a wall is to use it for an outdoor fireplace, which makes for cozy outdoor days and evenings during cooler months of the year. If you’re unable to burn wood and can’t put in a chimney to vent smoke, you can get bioethanol liquid and gel for outdoor use, which create flames but not smoke.
Likewise, a few coats of a dark semitransparent stain (Cabot’s Slate Gray) over the fence boards and raised bed give a contemporary feel to this edible garden in San Jose, California. Plus, the dark backdrop highlights the form of a squash vine spilling out of the raised bed.
Give property fences a contemporary edge. A fresh coat of dark paint can transform a simple border fence into a landscape feature that sets the tone of the garden upon arrival.
Painting the wall a medium charcoal and adding subtle down-cast lights make the space feel larger and more inviting.
Make property boundaries disappear. Dark fences visually recede, reading more like the shadow cast by a tree than a man-made barrier. To further draw the eye away from property borders, plant beds in the foreground with silver and pale green foliage.
After much deliberation, and many, many samples, I finally decided on a almost-black semi-transparent stain (Pittsburg's Black Oak) for our new 6' privacy fence, and we just got it all stained over the summer. It makes such a huge difference...the dark background really makes the entire yard look more sophisticated and it draws the attention to the different textures and colors of the plants. I love it!
Balancing act. Think of this stacked stone sculpture as a more refined version of a stone cairn you might use to mark a hiking trail. Set before a backdrop of fading autumn grasses, the stacked stones have a peaceful beauty.
12. Colorful accent. Use vivid colors to immediately draw the eye. In this Seattle garden, the designer placed bright chartreuse chairs against a cobalt-blue adobe wall to create a focal point at the back of the property. The wall also serves a practical purpose of hiding a large storage shed.
Rock gardens or Zen gardens. Originally designed as meditation gardens, dry landscapes made up of a composition of rocks, moss and small trees are also common elements of Japanese gardens. The pale sand or fine gravel spread to cover the ground represents water and is often raked into ripples. Even on a small scale in a home garden, these stylized landscapes can be very peaceful to gaze upon.
A representation of a mountain. Japanese gardens often have one or more large stones or boulders representing mountains in the landscape and anchoring the design. Boulders look more natural — and more like miniature mountains — when they are partially buried and have plants nestled around the base, or small shrubs placed nearby to relate to the size and scale of the stone.
造園・庭造り専門店【新美園】 SaveEmail A representation of water. A sacred element across cultures, water — and the illusion of it — is celebrated in Japanese gardens and can have soothing effect in a landscape design. To get the look in your own backyard, dig a shallow depression to act as a dry streambed and fill with dark gravel. Nestle rounded fieldstones along the banks and fill in with ferns and tufts of sweet flag (Acorus gramineus).
A proper wash basin is surrounded by a careful arrangement of stones representing different elements. Basins with or without the traditional stones can be beautiful in their own right and act as a tranquil water feature in the garden. Adding a simple water basin to your garden can be one of the easiest ways to introduce a feeling of calm.
Hardscape Most Japanese gardens make use of naturalistic building materials like large steppingstones, bamboo, hardwoods, gravel and sand. Contemporary landscapes may combine the traditional materials with more modern ones like concrete and concrete aggregate. Pathways, courtyards, planting beds and other garden elements are laid out to promote balance in the landscape. Unlike classical European gardens that favor symmetry, Japanese gardens often achieve balance through asymmetry. For example, if a large boulder is placed on one side of a pathway, a tree is often placed on the other to promote balance of form.
Embrace the art of backlighting. Some of the more mundane plants in your garden will suddenly take on new vibrancy when placed in front of available light. Some of the most effective plants for this technique are those that are translucent by nature, those that capture and diffuse light. My favorite translucent plant is the sometimes-invasive horsetail rush (Equisetum hyemale, zones 3 to 11). Its 3- to 4-foot upright growth habit is a perfect foil for a curved or rounded sculpture, or a clumping shrub. Just be sure to contain it, lest it spread indefinitely.
Let light project onto a screen. Much like the drive-in movie theaters of the past, you can project light in your garden, capturing its movement and nuances, by erecting a screen or wall, or even by enlisting the side of your house. This three-paneled privacy screen, constructed out of concrete backer board like you would find underneath a tile floor, faces west and projects a virtual documentary of the afternoon sun. Who wouldn't want to watch this light show?
Create the illusion of light by using chartreuse foliage. The human eye generally reads sunlight as having a yellowish cast. You can introduce the illusion of light into a shade garden by introducing plants with chartreuse foliage.
Add plants with white flowers or variegated foliage. Nothing brightens a shade garden like white flowers and foliage. While white doesn't imitate sunlight quite as well as chartreuse, it is still very effective in giving the illusion of light. It is also particularly effective at dusk, when it seems to glow. What's a shade garden without at least one hydrangea? Before buying your hydrangea, do some quick research on the types best suited for your location. The oakleafs and mopheads are better suited for shade, while the paniculatas require sun to reach their blooming potential. 'Little Honey' (Hydrangea quercifolia 'Little Honey', zones 5 to 9) combines the best attributes for our discussion in that it can take shade or partial sun, and has chartruese foliage and white flowers. Another one of my favorites is 'Incrediball' (Hydrangea arborescens 'Abetwo', zones 3 to 9). Its nondrooping 12-inch flower heads are real showstoppers. Some plants with variegated foliage for you to consider are bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla, zones 3 to 8), 'Patriot' hosta (Hosta 'Patriot', zones 3 to 8), 'River Mist' Northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium 'River Mist', zones 4 to 9), and 'Floating...
nvest in garden lighting. Nothing animates a garden quite like good-quality lighting. This spectacular photo says it all. There are a few things to consider before light installation. Do your research with regard to technology, annual utility cost, and fixture and bulb life. LED lighting has come a long way in just the last couple of years and is extremely cost effective over time. Buy the best-quality lighting you can afford. Cheaper lighting will end up costing you more in the long run, in terms of both replacements and energy use. Most important, decide which focal points should be illuminated and which ones are better left to daylight. There is a fine line between just enough lighting and too much. Consider the seductive beauty of shadows and darkness to gain the most from lighting your garden.
tranquil koi pond, tucked along the arbor . In the back one of the arbor's posts contains a spout. Water travels down from the spout into the upper pond, then pours into the lower pond from the trough before being pumped right back up to the post
contemporary storage pavilion in a far corner of the yard to house the lawn mower and other landscaping supplies. The shed is visible from the house and adjacent to the arbor. Its form provides a sculptural element, and its cedar siding, metal roof and accents and copper plumbing provide continuity with the arbor through materials.
Princeton Design Collaborative SaveEmail The arbor has a contemporary look thanks to its crisp structure crafted of cedar, copper plumbing pieces and stainless steel screws. "We bought everything we needed at Home Depot," Conroy says
Lawn can be living sculpture. A concentric-circles effect like this is achieved by setting the mower at different cutting heights.
shrubs and gazebo
like path and fire pit
shrubs and fountain on side of gravel patio
Eastern hayscented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula) is one of the more aggressive spreading ferns. Once established, it spreads readily by shallow rhizomes. If spreading is an issue, use it in areas surrounded by hardscape, as shown in this photo. I have used it to fill in under a low deck. It typically grows 18 to 30 inches tall starting in midspring. Part sun to shade is best and, once established, it can handle a wide range of soil moisture. In the fall, it turns golden brown and has the scent of hay when disturbed
appalachian barren strawberry This evergreen ground cover can survive almost any growing condition. It grows best in fertile soil and partial sunlight where it can form a thick weed-smothering layer. Its foliage is similar to that of cultivated strawberries, but the plants grow more closely together. Growing into a mass 4 to 8 inches deep, this may be the best native alternative to Japanese pachysandra for visual effect. Once established, it can tolerate periods of drought. Other recommended species: Where heat and humidity is higher, consider lobed barren strawberry (W. lobata).
rocks and stone
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