Northeast Home Landscaping, 4th Edition E-Book

Editors of Creative Homeowner

• Herausgeber: Creative Homeowner
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 412

Beschreibung

An updated edition within the Creative Homeowner's award-winning, best-selling series of regional home landscaping books,Northeast Home Landscaping, 4th Edition shows how to beautify 27 common landscape situations, such as front and back entries, walkways, borders, slopes, and patios. Featuring 54 landscape design variations that incorporate more than 200 of the best plants for the region, readers will also learn all they need to know to install the paths, fences, walls, arbors, and trellises that make up the designs. Step-by-step instructions show how to tackle each project, and detailed plant descriptions also explain cultivation and care. Updates to this edition include an emphasis on the importance of native plants, deer- and drought-resistant species, identifications of invasive and banned plants, new information on the impact of climate change on the northeast region, and more.

Leseprobe

Inspiration for Your Home Landscaping

Inside you’ll find designs to enhance entrances, decks, and patios by using colorful annuals and perennials, trees, and shrubs. More than fifty home landscaping designs are included, created by landscape professionals who live and work in the Northeast region.

Make a No-Mow Slope

Loved by children with sleds, steep slopes can be a landscape headache for adults. Slopes near the house are common on properties with walk-out basements or lower-level garages. Tame the slope with a retaining wall and plant the resulting beds with low-care trees, shrubs, and perennials.

Gateway Garden

A simple structure and plantings make a handsome entry. This design combines basic elements imaginatively, creating a romantic, cottage-garden feel. An attractive shrub and lacy vine surround the arbor with flowers and fragrance in spring and late summer. Cheerful perennials along the picket fence and annuals in large containers provide additional bloom and scent throughout the growing season.

Shade Tree Garden

This planting is designed to help homeowners blessed with a large shade tree make the most of their good fortune. The tree’s high, wide canopy provides an ideal setting for a planting of understory shrubs, perennials, and ferns. The result is a woodland garden that warrants a visit any day of the year.

Other titles available in the Home Landscaping series:

CALIFORNIA

MID-ATLANTIC

MIDWEST

including South-Central Canada

NORTHWEST

including Western British Columbia

SOUTHEAST

SOUTHERN COASTAL

TEXAS

WESTERN

COPYRIGHT © 1998, 2006, 2010, 2016, 2023

This book may not be reproduced, either in part or in its entirety, in any form, by any means, without written permission from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts for purposes of radio, television, or published review. All rights, including the right of translation, are reserved. Note: Be sure to familiarize yourself with manufacturer’s instructions for tools, equipment, and materials before beginning a project. Although all possible measures have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the material presented, neither the author nor the publisher is liable in case of misinterpretation of directions, misapplication, or typographical error.

Creative Homeowner® is a registered trademark of New Design Originals Corporation.

FOURTH EDITION

MANAGING EDITOR

Gretchen Bacon

EDITOR

Christa Oestreich

TECHNICAL EDITOR

Mark Wolfe

DESIGNER

Mary Ann Kahn

Northeast Home Landscaping, 4th EditionPrint ISBN 978-1-58011-587-2 eISBN 978-1-63741-208-4

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023904607

We are always looking for talented authors. To submit an idea, please send a brief inquiry to [email protected].

Creative Homeowner®, www.creativehomeowner.com, is an imprint of New Design Originals Corporation and distributed exclusively in North America by Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc., 800-457-9112, 903 Square Street, Mount Joy, PA 17552, and in the United Kingdom by Grantham Book Service, Trent Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 7XQ.

About the Authors

Roger Holmes is the founding editor of Fine Gardening magazine. He coedited the monumental Taylor’s Master Guide to Gardening and other highly regarded gardening books, and produced the landscaping series of which this book is part. He also co-wrote Creative Homeowner’s Creating Good Gardens.

Rita Buchanan is a lifelong gardener with degrees in botany and an encyclopedic knowledge of plants. She worked with Roger Holmes to edit Fine Gardening magazine and co-edit several books, including Taylor’s Master Guide to Gardening. She is the author of numerous award-winning books and is a contributor to many gardening magazines.

About the Technical Editor

Ruth Rogers Clausen is the co-author of 50 Beautiful Deer-Resistant Plants, and other highly regarded gardening books. She was horticulture editor for Country Living Garden magazine and long-time contributor to Country Gardens. Ruth lectures widely to garden societies and clubs. In 2017, she was awarded the Garden Media Award by the Perennial Plant Association.

Safety First

Though all concepts and methods in this book have been reviewed for safety, it is not possible to overstate the importance of using the safest working methods possible. What follows are reminders—do’s and don’ts for yard work and landscaping. They are not substitutes for your own common sense.

Always use caution, care, and good judgment when following the procedures described in this book.

Always determine locations of underground utility lines before you dig, and then avoid them by a safe distance. Buried lines may be for gas, electricity, communications, or water. Start research by contacting your local building officials. Also contact local utility companies; they will often send a representative free of charge to help you map their lines. In addition, there are private utility locator firms that may be listed in your Yellow Pages. Note: previous owners may have installed underground drainage, sprinkler, and lighting lines without mapping them.

Always read and heed the manufacturer’s instructions for using a tool, especially the warnings.

Always ensure that the electrical setup is safe; be sure that no circuit is overloaded and that all power tools and electrical outlets are properly grounded and protected by a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). Do not use power tools in wet locations.

Always wear eye protection when using chemicals, sawing wood, pruning trees and shrubs, using power tools, and striking metal onto metal or concrete.

Always read labels on chemicals, solvents, and other products; provide ventilation; heed warnings.

Always wear heavy rubber gloves rated for chemicals, not mere household rubber gloves, when handling toxins.

Always wear appropriate gloves in situations in which your hands could be injured by rough surfaces, sharp edges, thorns, or poisonous plants.

Always wear a disposable face mask or a special filtering respirator when creating sawdust or working with toxic gardening substances.

Always keep your hands and other body parts away from the business ends of blades, cutters, and bits.

Always obtain approval from local building officials before undertaking construction of permanent structures.

Never work with power tools when you are tired or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Never carry sharp or pointed tools, such as knives or saws, in your pockets. If you carry such tools, use special-purpose tool scabbards.

The Landscape Designers

Carter Lee Clapsadle is a horticulturist with the College of St. Catherine, St Paul, MN. Trained at the University of Minnesota, he maintains 110 acres of college land, including managing the greenhouse and designing garden displays. His design appears on here.

Walter Cudnohufsky is a Harvard School of Design graduate and the founding director of Conway School of Landscape Design in MA. He is also the owner of Walter Cudnohufsky Associates, Inc. in Ashfield, MA. His firm were first place winners in “Sustainable, Equitable, SMART: An Ideas Competition for the Pioneer Valley” in 2010. His designs appear on here, 106–109, and 114–117.

Sydney Eddison has transformed her two-acre property in Newtown, CT, into one of the region’s finest gardens. She is the author of Gardening for a Lifetime: How to Garden Wiser as You Grow Older, The Gardener’s Palette, Gardens to Go, The Self-Taught Gardener, A Patchwork Garden, The Unsung Season: Gardens and Gardeners in Winter, and A Passion for Daylilies: The Flowers and the People. Her designs appear on here, 40–43, 102–105, and 110–113.

Larry Giblock helped to form the Native Plant Society of Ohio. In 1988 the Cleveland Botanical Garden hired him to develop their Wildflower Garden, and in 1993 they added care of the Japanese Garden to his responsibilities. His design appears on here.

Jan Johnsen operates a landscape design/build firm in Westchester County, NY. Trained as a landscape architect with a master’s degree in planning, Ms. Johnsen has worked in landscape and planning offices around the world. She is the author of Floratopia: 110 Flower Garden Ideas for Your Yard, Patio, or Balcony and Gardentopia: Design Basics for Creating Beautiful Outdoor Spaces. Her designs appear on here, 62–65, 80–83, 88–91, and 120–123.

Jan Little is the manager of horticultural education at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL. A registered landscape architect, she has worked on a wide range of projects and has received several landscape design awards. Her designs appear on here, 92–93, and 118–119.

Cathy Plumer of Monroe, CT, has worked on a wide range of landscape projects. She has taught continuing education courses in residential landscape design for homeowners. Her designs appear on here, 56–59, and 74–77.

Michael Schroeder is a University of Minnesota graduate and has practiced landscape architecture and urban design in the region since 1985. He currently works as the Assistant Superintendent for Planning for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. He has received several awards and recognitions for his professional work. His designs appear on here and 78–79.

Sara Jane von Trapp lives in New York City and writes extensively on residential landscape problem solving. Her books include The Landscape Makeover Book: How to Bring New Life to An Old Yard, Landscape Doctor, and Landscaping from the Ground Up. Her designs appear on here, 44–47, 48–51, 66–69, 84–87, 94–97, 98–101, and 124–127.

Contents

About This Book

Seasons in Your Landscape

As Your Landscape Grows

Portfolio of Designs

Up Front and Formal

Greet visitors with classic symmetry.

First Impressions

This planting lets you put your best foot forward.

A Step Up

Plant a foundation garden.

A Warm Welcome

Make a pleasant passage to your front door.

Formal and Fresh

Garden geometry transforms a small front yard.

Make a No-Mow Slope

A terraced planting transforms a steep site.

A Neighborly Corner

Beautify a boundary with easy-care plants.

Streetwise and Stylish

Give your curbside strip a new look.

Landscaping a Low Wall

Two-tier garden replaces a short slope.

A Postal Planting

Provide a perennial setting for the daily mail.

A Pleasant Passage

Reclaim a narrow side yard for a shade garden.

Side-Yard Walkway

Create beautiful access to the front and rear yards.

Gateway Garden

Simple structure and planting make a handsome entry.

Angle of Repose

Make a back-door garden for a sheltered niche.

Another Back-Door Corner

This retreat is mostly for your own enjoyment.

“Around Back”

Dress up the family’s day-to-day entrance.

Beautify a Blank Wall

Paint a picture with plants.

Make a Fresco of Flowers

A vertical garden beautifies a blank wall.

A Shady Hideaway

Build a cozy retreat in a corner of your yard.

Create a “Living” Room

Enclose a patio with foliage and flowers.

Another “Room” Out Back

Create an intimate, plant covered nook.

A Big Splash with a Small Pond

Add an extra dimension to your landscape.

Garden in the Round

Create an island bed attractive from every side.

A Beginning Border

Create an intimate, plant-covered nook.

Back to Nature

Create a wooded retreat in your backyard.

Under the Old Shade Tree

Create a cozy garden in a cool spot.

Down to Earth

Harmonize your deck with its surroundings.

Integrated Deck

Enhance the look of your deck with landscaping.

Elegant Symmetry

Fit a formal garden into your backyard.

A Woodland Link

Create a shrub border of nearby woods.

Plant Profiles

Descriptions of all the plants shown in the Portfolio of Designs, plus information on how to plant and care for them

Guide to Installation

Organizing Your Project

Introducing the tasks involved in a landscape installation; how to organize them for best results

Clearing the Site

Removing turf, weeds, and other unwanted material

Making Paths and Walkways

How to choose materials, prepare the base, install edgings, and lay the surface

Laying a Patio

Employing the same materials and techniques as for walks and paths; ensuring proper drainage

Installing a Pond

Siting, excavating, installing a flexible liner or fiberglass shell, and growing pond plants

Building a Retaining Wall

How to lay out, excavate, and assemble a precast modular wall system and steps

Fences, Arbors, and Trellises

Everything you need to know to construct fences, trellises, and arbors, including plans for building them, shown in the Portfolio of Designs

Preparing the Soil for Planting

How to dig and improve the soil, and how to create edging for beds

Buying Plants

Where to go, what to buy, how to get the best quality and price

The Planting Process

When to plant, steps in the planting process, spacing; annuals as fillers

Planting Basics

Plants in containers, balled-and-burlapped plants, bare-root plants, ground covers, and bulbs

Basic Landscape Care

Mulches and fertilizers; controlling weeds; watering

Caring for Woody Plants

Basic pruning for trees, shrubs, vines, and roses; how to make a hedge

Caring for Perennials

Routine care, pruning, and dividing

Problem Solving

Understanding common problems with animal and insect pests and diseases; winter damage

Glossary

Photo Credits

About This Book

Of all the home-improvement projects homeowners tackle, few offer greater rewards than landscaping. Paths, patios, fences, arbors, and most of all, plantings can enhance home life in countless ways, large and small, functional and pleasurable, every day of the year. At the main entrance, an attractive brick walkway flanked by eye-catching shrubs and perennials provides a cheerful send-off in the morning and welcomes you home from work in the evening. A carefully placed grouping of small trees, shrubs, and fence panels creates privacy on the patio or screens a nearby eyesore from view. An island bed showcases your favorite plants, while dividing the backyard into areas for several different activities.

Unlike some other home improvements, the rewards of landscaping can be as much in the activity as in the result. Planting and caring for lovely shrubs, perennials, and other plants can afford years of enjoyment. And for those who like to build things, outdoor construction projects can be especially satisfying.

While the installation and maintenance of plants and outdoor structures are within the means and abilities of most people, few of us are as comfortable determining exactly which plants or structures to use and how best to combine them. It’s one thing to decide to dress up the front entrance or patio, another to come up with a design for doing so.

That’s where this book comes in. Here, in the Portfolio of designs, you’ll find 54 designs for common home-landscaping situations, created by landscape professionals who live and work in the Northeast. Drawing on years of experience, these designers balance functional requirements and aesthetic possibilities, choosing the right plant or structure for the task, confident of its proven performance in similar situations.

Complementing the Portfolio of designs is the second section, Plant Profiles, which gives information on all the plants used in the book. The book’s third section, the Guide to Installation, will help you install and maintain the plants and structures called for in the designs. The discussions that follow take a closer look at each section; we’ve also printed representative pages of the sections on here and 10 and pointed out their features.

Portfolio of Designs

This section is the heart of the book, providing examples of landscaping situations and solutions that are at once inspiring and accessible. Some are simple, others more complex, but each one can be installed in a few weekends by homeowners with no special training or experience.

For most situations, we present two designs, the second a variation of the first. As the sample pages on the facing page show, the first design is displayed on a two-page spread. A perspective illustration (called a “rendering”) depicts what the design will look like several years after installation, when the perennials and many of the shrubs have reached mature size. (For more on how plantings change as they age, see “As Your Landscape Grows,” here.) The rendering also shows the planting as it will appear at a particular time of year. A site plan indicates the positions of the plants and structures on a scaled grid. Text introduces the situation and the design and describes the plants and projects used.

The second design, presented on the second two-page spread, addresses the same situation as the first but differs in one or more important aspects. It might show a planting suited for a shady rather than a sunny site, or it might incorporate different structures or kinds of plants to create a different look. As with the first design, we present a rendering, site plan, and written information, but in briefer form. The second spread also includes photographs of a selection of the plants featured in the two designs. The photos showcase noteworthy qualities—lovely flowers, handsome foliage, or striking forms—that these plants contribute to the designs.

Installed exactly as shown here, the designs will provide years of enjoyment. But individual needs and properties will differ, and we encourage you to alter the designs to suit your site and desires. Many types of alterations are easy to make. You can add or remove plants and adjust the sizes of paths, patios, and arbors to accommodate larger or smaller sites. You can rearrange groupings and substitute favorite plants to suit your taste. Or you can integrate the design with your existing landscaping. If you are uncertain about how to solve specific problems or about the effects of changes you’d like to make, consult with staff at a local nursery or with a landscape designer in your area.

PORTFOLIO OF DESIGNS

PLANT PROFILES

GUIDE TO INSTALLATION

Plant Profiles

The second section of the book includes a description of each of the plants featured in the Portfolio. These profiles outline the plants’ basic preferences for environmental conditions—such as soil, moisture, and sun or shade—and provide advice about planting and ongoing care.

Working with the book’s landscape designers, we selected plants carefully, following a few simple guidelines. Every plant should be a proven performer in the region; once established, it should thrive without pampering. All plants should be available from a major local nursery or garden center. If they’re not in stock, they could be ordered, or you could ask the nursery staff to recommend suitable substitutes for them.

In the Portfolio section, you’ll note that plants are referred to by their common name but are cross-referenced to the Plant Profiles section by their Latinized scientific name. While common names are familiar to many people, they can be confusing. Distinctly different plants can share the same common name, or one plant can have several different common names. Scientific names, therefore, ensure greatest accuracy and are more appropriate for a reference section such as this. Although you can confidently purchase most of the plants in this book from local nurseries using the common name, knowing the scientific name allows you to ensure that the plant you’re ordering is the same one shown in our design.

Guide to Installation

In this section you’ll find detailed instructions and illustrations covering all the techniques you’ll need to install any design from start to finish. Here we explain how to think your way through a landscaping project and anticipate the various steps. Then you’ll learn how to do each part of the job: readying the site; laying out the design; choosing materials; addressing basic irrigation needs; building paths, trellises, or other structures; preparing the soil for planting; buying the recommended plants and putting them in place; and caring for the plants to keep them healthy and attractive year after year.

We’ve taken care to make installation of built elements simple and straightforward. The paths, trellises, and arbors all use basic, readily available materials, and they can be assembled by people who have no special skills or tools beyond those commonly used for home maintenance. The designs can easily be adapted to meet specific needs or to fit in with the style of your house or other landscaping features.

Installing different designs requires different techniques. You can find the techniques that you need by following the cross-references in the Portfolio to pages in the Guide to Installation or by skimming the Guide. You’ll find that many basic techniques are reused from one project to the next. You might want to start with one of the smaller, simpler designs. Gradually you’ll develop the skills and confidence to do any project you choose.

Most of the designs in this book can be installed in several weekends; some will take a little longer. Digging planting beds and erecting fences and arbors can be strenuous work. If you lack the energy for such tasks, consider hiring a neighborhood teenager to help out; local landscaping services can provide more comprehensive help.

NORTHEAST HARDINESS ZONES

This map is based on one developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It divides the region into “hardiness zones” based on minimum winter temperatures. While most of the plants in this book will survive the lowest temperatures in the region, a few may not. These few are noted in the Plant Profiles descriptions, where we have usually suggested alternatives. When you buy plants, most will have “hardiness” designations, which correspond to a USDA hardiness zone on the map. A Zone 5 plant, for example, can be expected to survive winter temperatures as low as –20°F, and it can be used with confidence in Zones 5 and 6 but not in the colder Zone 4. It is useful to know your zone and the zone designation of plants you wish to add to those in this book.

Seasons in Your Landscape

One of the rewards of landscaping is watching how plants change through the seasons. During the dark winter months, you look forward to the bright, fresh flowers of spring. Then the lush green foliage of summer is transformed into the blazing colors of fall. Perennials that rest underground (go dormant) in winter can grow head-high by midsummer, and hence a flower bed that looks flat and bare in December becomes a jungle in July.

To illustrate typical seasonal changes, we’ve chosen one of the designs from this book and shown here how it would look in spring, summer, fall, and winter. (See here.) As you can see, this planting looks quite different from one season to the next, but it always remains interesting. Try to remember this example of transformation as you look at the other designs in this book. There we show how the planting will appear in one season and indicate which plants will stand out at other times.

The task of tending a landscape also changes with the seasons. Below we’ve noted the most important seasonal jobs in the annual work cycle.

Spring

Daffodils, forsythia, and other early-spring flowers start blooming in April in the Northeast. That’s the time to do a thorough garden cleanup. Remove last year’s perennial flower stalks and tattered foliage, prune late-blooming shrubs and trees, renew the mulch, and neaten the edges between lawn and beds. By the end of April, it’s time to start mowing the lawn.

Many trees and shrubs, such as the Amur maple and ‘Carol Mackie’ daphne shown here, bloom in May. Others, such as ‘Midnight Wine,’ have less showy flowers, but their new leaves are conspicuously bright-colored. Meanwhile, perennials are also sending up clumps of fresh foliage. Bloody cranesbill, shown here, starts blooming in late spring, along with peonies, irises, and other popular perennials.

Summer

In summer, flowering perennials such as blazing star, false sunflower, lavender, daylily, and lady’s mantle shown here add spots of color to the otherwise green landscape. To coax as many flowers as possible from these plants and to keep the garden tidy, cut or shear off spent blossoms as they fade. Summer weather is typically humid throughout the Northeast region, but droughts are not uncommon. Water new plantings at least once a week during dry spells, and water older plants, too, if the soil gets so dry that they wilt. Pull any weeds that sprout up through the mulch. This is easiest when the soil is moist from rain or watering.

Fall

A few bright-colored leaves appear here and there in September, and fall foliage season peaks in early to mid-October in the Northeast region. While trees turn red, orange, and yellow overhead and roadside grasses dry to shades of russet and tan, perennials such as daylilies shown here bloom into the fall. The foliage of lavender, lady’s mantle, and bloody cranesbill is still handsome, while the false sunflower and blazing star have been cut back.

Sometime in September or October, the first hard frost will kill tender plants to the ground, signaling the time for fall cleanup. Toss frosted plants on the compost pile. Rake leaves into a pile or bin, and save them to use as mulch in the spring.

Climate Change

Climate change seems to be on the tip of everyone’s tongues. Indeed, it is a seriously critical problem manifested by such climate conditions as widespread heat waves, droughts, floods, gale force winds, and high waves, to name a few. This is crucially serious not only for mankind but also for plant life, especially food crops. Rising temperatures and carbon dioxide levels affect plant growth, causing earlier or later crops and reproduction often because insect pollinators have yet to migrate to a particular location as is “normal.” Forest fires abound over huge areas due to lack of rain and frequent lightning strikes. The removal of forests causes air quality to be reduced and erosion of soils to occur. Plant breeders are working to breed earlier- or later-blooming plants as well as crops less reliant on dependable rainfall. It beneficial to research how these changes might affect your area and to plan ways to combat them.

Winter

In winter, when deciduous trees and shrubs are leafless and many perennials die down to the ground, you’ll appreciate evergreen plants such as the dwarf bird’s-nest Norway spruce and variegated ‘Carol Mackie’ daphne shown here. Also welcome in winter are clumps of rustling grass, as well as shrubs and trees with colorful twigs, interesting bark, or bright berries.

Normally, garden plants don’t need any care in winter. If heavy snow or an ice storm snaps or crushes some plants, you can trim away the broken parts as soon as it’s convenient. But if plants get frozen during a severe cold spell, wait until spring to assess the damage before deciding how far to cut them back.

As Your Landscape Grows

Landscapes change over the years. As plants grow, the overall look evolves from sparse to lush. Trees cast cool shade where the sun used to shine. Shrubs and hedges grow tall and dense enough to provide privacy. Perennials and ground covers spread to form colorful patches of foliage and flowers. Meanwhile, paths, arbors, fences, and other structures gain the patina of age.

Constant change over the years— sometimes rapid and dramatic, sometimes slow and subtle—is one of the joys of landscaping. It is also one of the challenges. Anticipating how fast plants will grow and how big they will eventually get is difficult, even for professional designers, and was a major concern in formulating the designs for this book.

To illustrate the kinds of changes to expect in a planting, these pages show one of the designs at three different “ages.” (See here.) Even though a new planting may look sparse at first, it will soon fill in. With careful spacing, the planting will look as good in ten to fifteen years as it does after three to five. It will, of course, look different, but that’s part of the fun.

AT PLANTING

THREE TO FIVE YEARS

At Planting— Here’s how the corner might appear in early summer immediately after planting. The white birch tree is only 5 to 6 ft. tall, with trunks no thicker than broomsticks. The variegated Siberian dogwoods have a few main stems, each about 3 to 4 ft. tall. The ‘Blaze’ rose has just short stubs where the nursery cut back the old stems, but it will grow fast and may bloom the first year. The ‘Blue Star’ junipers are low mounds about 6 to 10 in. wide. The blue oat grass forms small, thin clumps of sparse foliage. The ‘Gracillimus’ Japanese silver grass may still be dormant, or it may have a short tuft of new foliage. Both grasses will grow vigorously the first year.

Three to Five Years— The birch tree has grown 1 to 2 ft. taller every year but is still quite slender. Near the base, it’s starting to show the white bark typical of maturity. The variegated Siberian dogwoods are well established now. If you cut them to the ground every year or two in spring, they grow back 4 to 6 ft. tall by midsummer, with strong, straight stems. The ‘Blaze’ rose covers the fence, and you need to remove a few of its older stems every spring. The slow-growing ‘Blue Star’ junipers make a series of low mounds; you still see them as individuals, not a continuous patch. The grasses have reached maturity and form lush, robust clumps. It would be a good idea to divide and replant them now, to keep them vigorous.

Ten to Fifteen Years— The birch tree is becoming a fine specimen, 20 to 30 ft. tall, with gleaming white bark on its trunks. Prune away the lower limbs up to 6 to 8 ft. above ground level to expose its trunks and to keep it from crowding and shading the other plants. The variegated dogwoods and ‘Blaze’ rose continue to thrive and respond well to regular pruning. The ‘Blue Star’ junipers have finally merged into a continuous mass of glossy foliage. The blue oat grass and Japanese silver grass will still look good if they have been divided and replanted over the years. If you get tired of the grasses, you could replace them with shade-loving cinnamon fern and astilbe, as shown here, or other perennials or shrubs.

TEN TO FIFTEEN YEARS

Portfolio of Designs

This section presents 54 designs for situations that are common in home landscapes. You’ll find designs to enhance entrances, decks, and patios. There are gardens of colorful perennials and shrubs, as well as structures and plantings, to create shady hideaways, dress up nondescript walls, and even make a centerpiece of a lowly mailbox. Large color illustrations show what the designs will look like, and site plans delineate the layout and planting scheme. Texts explain the designs and describe the plants and projects appearing in them. Installed as shown or adapted to meet your site and personal preferences, these designs can make your property more attractive, more useful, and—most important—more enjoyable for you, your family, and your friends.

Up Front and Formal

GREET VISITORS WITH CLASSIC SYMMETRY

Formal gardens have a special appeal. Their simple geometry can be soothing in a hectic world, and the look is timeless, never going out of style. The front yard of a classical house, such as the one shown here, invites a formal makeover. (A house with a symmetrical facade in any style has similar potential.)

In this design, a paved courtyard and a planting of handsome trees, shrubs, and ground covers have transformed a site typically given over to lawn and a concrete walkway. The result is a more dramatic entry, but also one where you can happily linger with guests on a fine day.

Tall hedges on the borders of the design and the centrally placed redbud provide a modicum of privacy in this otherwise public space. Lower hedges along the sidewalk and front of the driveway allow a view of the street and make these approaches more welcoming.

A matched pair of viburnums makes a lovely setting for the front door. To each side, layered groups of shrubs give depth and interest to the house’s facade. From spring through fall, the planting’s flowers and foliage make the courtyard a comfortable spot, and there is ample evergreen foliage to keep up appearances in winter. Completing the scene is an ornamental focal point and a bench for enjoying the results of your landscaping labors.

SITE: Sunny

SEASON: Early summer

CONCEPT: Wide paving, hedges, trees, and shrubs create an appealing entry courtyard.

Plants & Projects

Spring is the season for flowers in this planting, with redbud, rhododendron, and candytuft blossoms in shades of pink and white. The colorful leaves and berries of viburnum, redbud, and barberry brighten the fall. While the hedge plants are dependable and problem-free, you’ll need to shear them at least once a year to maintain the formal shapes.

ARedbud (use 1 plant)Small pink flowers line the branches of this deciduous tree in early spring before the foliage appears. The heart-shaped leaves emerge reddish, mature to a lustrous green, and turn gold in fall. Bare branches form an attractive silhouette in winter, especially as the tree ages. See Cercis canadensis,here.

BPachysandra (use 250)Hardy, adaptable evergreen ground cover that will spread in the shade of the redbud, forming an attractive, weed-smothering, glossy green carpet. See Pachysandra terminalis,here.

CJapanese holly (use 19)Choose an upright cultivar of this evergreen shrub to form a hedge of dark-green leaves. See Ilex crenata, here. In Zones 4 and 5 substitute the hardier compact burning bush, Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’, here.

D‘Midnight Wine’ (use 34)This deciduous shrub bears dark burgundy wine leaves and only reaches about 10 to 12 in. tall. Its light pink blooms appear in late spring. Best foliage color appears in full or partial sun; in shade it may become greenish. See Weigela florida,here.

EDwarf double-file viburnum (use 2)A pair of these deciduous shrubs make an elegant frame for the door. Tiers of horizontal branches are smothered with small clusters of pure-white flowers from May through fall. Large, crinkled leaves are medium green. See Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum,here.

F‘Janet Blair’ rhododendron (use 6)The wonderful evergreen foliage and light pink flowers of this compact shrub anchor the planting at the corners of the house. Blooms in late spring. ‘Mist Maiden’ and ‘Anna Hall’ rhododendrons are good substitutes. See Rhododendron,here.

GDwarf creeping juniper (use 10)Layered sprays of this evergreen shrub’s prickly bright-green foliage lay like thick rugs on the edge of the lawn. A lovely contrast to the dark-green rhododendrons behind. For extra color in spring, plant handfuls of crocuses, snowdrops, or grape hyacinths next to the junipers. See Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’, here.

HEvergreen candytuft (use 12)An evergreen perennial ground cover, it forms a low, sprawling mound of glossy foliage. Bears small white flowers for weeks in the spring. See Iberis sempervirens,here.

IPaversThe courtyard is surfaced with 2-ft.-square precast pavers. Use two complementary colors to create patterns if you choose. Substitute flagstones or bricks if they would look better with your house. See here.

JOrnamentAn ornament centered in the courtyard paving provides a focal point. Choose a sculpture, sundial, reflecting ball, birdbath, or large potted plant to suit your taste.

KBenchEnjoy the courtyard garden from a comfortable bench in a style that complements the garden and the house.

Expanded courtyard

If the paved courtyard on the previous pages struck your fancy, there’s even more here. The basic design idea remains the same, but by extending the paving and adding more shrubs, ground covers, and pe rennials, the lawn is eliminated altogether.

Spring still features colorful flowers, but the most striking time of year for this planting is fall. The blazing red foliage of the tall burning bush hedge, serviceberry tree, and low-growing cotoneasters makes autumn a fiery season.

Summer and winter are more subdued. Lush foliage in a variety of hues and textures and a sprinkling of delightful yellow flowers in the front corners give character to the summer garden. In winter, evergreen leaves and a tracery of bare branches are particularly appealing when dusted with fresh snow.

SITE: Sunny

SEASON: Fall

CONCEPT: Plantings and paving replace lawn to create a formal courtyard entry.

Plants & Projects

AServiceberry (use 1 plant)A deciduous tree with white early-spring flowers and bright-red fall color. See Amelanchier x grandiflora,here.

BMyrtle (use 450)An evergreen ground cover with shiny leaves and pretty blue spring flowers. See Vinca minor, here.

CCompact burning bush (use 19)Dark-green leaves and horizontal branches form a fine deciduous hedge. Flaming red fall color. See Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’, here.

D‘Olga Mezitt’ rhododendron (use 6)The small evergreen leaves of this shrub turn maroon in winter. Pretty clusters of pink flowers in midspring. See Rhododendron,here.

ECranberry cotoneaster (use2)Low-growing deciduous shrub with lustrous dark-green leaves, red fruits, and red fall foliage. See Cotoneaster apiculatus,here.

FBigroot geranium (use 10)A perennial with large fragrant leaves. Bears magenta flowers in June. See Geranium macrorrhizum,here.

G‘Moonbeam’ coreopsis (use 6)Perennial with dark fine-textured foliage and tiny lemon-yellow flowers. Blooms for several weeks in late summer. See Coreopsis verticillata,here.

H‘Brilliant’ sedum (use 7) Perennial with fleshy leaves and rosy flowers makes a colorful backdrop behind the bench. See Sedum,here.

See here for the following:

I‘Midnight Wine’ (use 40)

JDwarf double-file viburnum (use 2)

KDwarf creeping juniper (use 18)

LPavers

MBench

NOrnament

PLANT PORTRAITS

These trouble-free plants need little more than regular pruning or shearing to maintain their clean lines and well-defined shapes.

• =  First design, here

=  Second design, here

Redbud (Cercis canadensis,here) •

Dwarf double-file viburnum (Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum,here)

‘Midnight Wine’ (Weigela florida,here)

Bigroot geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum,here)

Dwarf creeping juniper (Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’, here)

First Impressions

THIS PLANTING LETS YOU PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD

Well-chosen plants and a revamped walkway not only make the short journey to your front door a pleasant one, they can also enhance your home’s most public face and help settle it comfortably in its surroundings.

The curved walk in this design offers visitors a friendly welcome and a helpful “Please come this way.” The first stage of the journey passes between two clipped shrub roses into a handsome garden “room” with larger shrubs near the house and smaller, colorful perennials by the walk. An opening in a hedge of long-blooming shrub roses then leads to a wider paved area that functions as an outdoor foyer. There you can greet guests or relax on the bench and enjoy the plantings that open out onto the lawn. A double course of pavers intersects the walk and an adjacent planting bed, and the circle it describes contrasts nicely with the rectilinear lines of the house and hedge.

SITE: Sunny

SEASON: Summer

CONCEPT: A distinctive walkway and colorful plantings make an enticing entry to your home.

Plants & Projects

Mixing shrubs and perennials, this planting offers colorful flowers and attractive foliage from spring through fall. The shrubs provide structure through the winter and are handsome when covered with new snow. The perennials are dormant in winter; cut them to the ground to make room for snow shoveled off the walk. Maintenance involves pruning the shrubs and clipping spent flowers (deadheading) to keep everything tidy.

A‘Sea Green’ juniper (use 3 plants)This rugged evergreen shrub anchors a corner of the first garden “room” with arching branches that provide year- round pale-green color. See Juniperus chinensis,here.

BDwarf cranberry bush viburnum (use 5)This small deciduous shrub has a dense, bushy habit and dark- green, maplelike leaves that turn shades of red in fall. It won’t outgrow its place beneath the windows. See Viburnum opulus ‘Nanum’, here.

C‘Frau Dagmar Hartop’ rose (use 18 or more)With its crinkly bright-green leaves, fragrant single pink flowers, and colorful red hips from autumn into winter, this easy-to-grow deciduous shrub puts on quite a show. Flowers all summer; forms a dense natural-looking hedge. Extend the planting along the house as needed. See Rosa,here.

D‘Little Princess’ spirea (use 7)Another compact deciduous shrub, with dainty twigs and leaves. Bears clusters of pink flowers in June and July. See Spiraea japonica,here.

EBasket-of-gold (use 4)The planting’s first flowers appear on this perennial in spring. After the fragrant yellow blooms fade, the low mounds of gray leaves look attractive through late fall. See Aurinia saxatilis,here.

F‘Goldsturm’ black-eyed Susan (use 20)A popular prairie perennial, this bears large golden yellow flowers (each with a dark “eye” in the center) that are a cheerful sight in late summer. See Rudbeckia fulgida,here.

G‘Moonbeam’ coreopsis (use 22)For months during the summer, this perennial features masses of tiny pale-yellow flowers on neat mounds of lacy dark-green foliage. See Coreopsis verticillata,here.

H‘Moonshine’ yarrow (use 17)A perennial offering flat heads of sulphur yellow flowers for much of the summer. The fine gray-green leaves contrast nicely with surrounding foliage. See Achillea,here.

I‘Stella d’Oro’ daylily (use 30)Distinctive golden yellow flowers hover over this perennial’s attractive grassy foliage from mid-June until fall. See Hemerocallis,here.

JWalkMade of precast concrete pavers, the walk and decorative edgings require careful layout and installation. Consider renting a mason’s saw to ensure accuracy when cutting pavers. See here.

KBenchA nursery or garden center can usually order a simple curved bench like the one shown here, although a straight bench will do, too.

A Step Up

PLANT A FOUNDATION GARDEN

Rare is the home without foundation plantings. These simple skirtings of greenery hide unattractive concrete block underpinnings and help overcome the impression that the house is hovering a few feet above the ground. Useful as these plantings are, they are too often just monochromatic expanses of clipped yews, dull as dishwater. But, as this design shows, a durable, low-maintenance foundation planting can be more varied, more colorful, and more fun.

Broad-leaved and coniferous evergreen shrubs anchor this planting and provide four-season cover for the foundation. But they also offer contrasting shapes and textures and a range of colors from icy blue through a variety of greens to maroon.

What makes this design special is the smaller plants fronting the foundation shrubs. Including perennials, grasses, and low shrubs in the mix expands the foundation planting into a small front-yard garden. From spring until frost, flowers in white, pink, magenta, and mauve stand out against the blue-and-green backdrop. When the last flower fades in autumn, the evergreen foliage takes center stage, serving through the winter as a welcome reminder that the world will green up again.

Plants & Projects

Eye-catching as the flowers in this planting are, the foliage is the key to its success in every season. The evergreens are attractive year-round. Each of the perennials has been chosen as much for its foliage as for its flowers. A thorough cleanup and maintenance pruning in spring and fall will keep the planting looking its best.

A‘Wichita Blue’ juniper (use 1 plant)This slow-growing, upright ever green shrub has a neat pyramidal form, lovely silver-blue foliage and blue berries to add year-round color at the corner of the house. See Juniperus scopulorum,here.

B‘PJM’ rhododendron (use 5)An informal row of these hardy evergreen shrubs beautifully conceals the foundation. Vivid magenta flowers in early spring, small dark-green leaves that turn maroon in winter, all on a compact plant. See Rhododendron,here.

C‘Techny’ American arborvitae (use 1)This cone-shaped, slow-growing evergreen fills the corner near the front steps with fragrant, rich-green, fine-textured foliage. See Thuja occidentalis,here.

D‘Blue Star’ juniper (use 3)The sparkly blue foliage and irregular mounded form of this low-growing evergreen shrub look great next to the peony and germander. See Juniperus squamata,here.

E‘Sea Urchin’ blue fescue grass (use 3)The very fine blue leaves of this perennial grass contrast handsomely with the dark-green rhododendrons behind. Flower spikes rise above the neat, soft-looking mounds in early summer. See Festuca ovina var. glauca,here.

F‘Sarah Bernhardt’ peony (use 3)A sentimental favorite, this perennial offers fragrant pink double flowers in early summer. Forms a multistemmed clump with attractive foliage that will look nice next to the steps through the summer. See Paeonia,here.

GWhite astilbe (use 3)The lacy dark-green foliage and fluffy white flower plumes of this tough perennial stand out against the blue foliage of its neighbors. Flowers in June or July. See Astilbe,here.

HGermander (use 1)This rugged little shrub forms a tidy mound of small, dark, shiny evergreen leaves next to the walk. Mauve flowers bloom in late summer. See Teucrium chamaedrys,here.

I‘Sheffield’ chrysanthemum (use 1)A longtime regional favorite, this hardy perennial forms a broad mound of fragrant gray-green foliage. Small, pink, daisylike blossoms cover the plant from September until frost. See Dendranthema x grandiflorum,here.

SITE: Sunny

SEASON: Fall

CONCEPT: A mixture of easy-care perennials and shrubs provides a colorful setting for a home’s public face.

Setting for a shady porch

This foundation planting graces a front porch on a shady site, making it an even more welcome haven on a hot summer’s day. Like the design on the previous pages, this planting mixes the year-round attractions of evergreens with perennials and vines that shine during the growing season. The result is a garden in shades of green accented by bursts of bloom. All plants are shade tolerant.

Foliage is the key to the planting. The shrubs are broadleaved evergreens with leaves in a pleasing range of size, shape, and color. The sheared hedge contrasts nicely with the naturally neat but informal shapes of the other shrubs. The ferny astilbe, ruffled lady’s mantle, and large-leaved Dutchman’s pipe vine are worth growing for their foliage alone.

Flowers sprinkle this leafy backdrop from spring to midsummer. Spring is most striking, with masses of pink rhododendron and white andromeda blossoms. In summer, the vines and perennials chime in with flowers in a white-andchartreuse color scheme.

Plants & Projects

A‘Brouwer’s Beauty’ Japanese andromeda (use 1 plant)A handsome, compact evergreen shrub with shiny foliage that darkens through the growing season from pale yellow-green to olive green. Its reddish flower buds look pretty through the winter and produce clusters of small white flowers in June. See Pieris,here.

BCompact inkberry holly (use 3)An adaptable evergreen shrub with small glossy green leaves. The plant’s naturally round and bushy form defines the corner of the planting nicely. See Ilex glabra ‘Compacta’, here.

C‘Manhattan’ euonymus (use 6)A row of these upright evergreen shrubs is ideal in front of the porch railing. These plants have glossy green leaves and interesting pink-and-orange fruits in fall. Shear to a geometric shape as shown here, or prune more informally. See Euonymus kiautschovicus,here.

D‘Scintillation’ rhododendron (use 1)The dark-green foliage of this evergreen shrub is a handsome backdrop to striking clusters of pink flowers in late spring. A vigorous plant, it will quickly fill in the corner of the planting by the steps. See Rhododendron,here.

EDutchman’s pipe (use 3)This old-fashioned twining vine will clothe the porch posts with large heart-shaped deciduous leaves. Its interesting pipe-shaped green-and-maroon flowers open for a few weeks in early summer. Prune the vines down to the level of the porch floor in winter. In spring, tie new shoots to the porch railing to start them climbing. See Aristolochia durior,here.

FLady’s mantle (use 6)Large mounds of ruffled light-green leaves of this perennial look fresh next to the walk all summer. In June, plants are covered with a froth of chartreuse flowers. See Alchemilla mollis,here

See here for the following:

GWhite astilbe (use 7)

PLANT PORTRAITS

Combining lovely flowers and handsome foliage, these evergreens and perennials make something special of a foundation planting.

• =  First design, here

=  Second design, here

Dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia durior,here)

Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys,here) •

White astilbe (Astilbe ‘Deutschland’, here) •

‘Sarah Bernhardt’ peony (Paeonia,here) •

‘Sheffield’ chrysanthemum (Dendranthema x grandiflorum,here) •

‘Sea Urchin’ blue fescue grass (Festuca ovina var. glauca,here) •

A Warm Welcome

MAKE A PLEASANT PASSAGE TO YOUR FRONT DOOR

Why wait until a visitor reaches the front door to extend a cordial greeting? Have your landscape offer a friendly welcome and a helpful “Please come this way.” Well-chosen plants and a revamped walkway not only make a visitor’s short journey a pleasant one, they can also enhance your home’s most public face.

This simple arrangement of plants and paving produces an elegant entrance that deftly mixes formal and informal elements. A wide walk of neatly fitted flagstones and a rectangular bed of roses have the feel of a small formal courtyard, complete with a pair of standard roses in planters, each displaying a mound of flowers atop a single stem. Clumps of ornamental grass rise from the paving like leafy fountains.

Gently curving beds of low-growing evergreens and shrub roses edge the flagstones, softening the formality and providing a comfortable transition to the lawn. Morning glories and clematis climb simple trellises to brighten the walls of the house.

Flowers in pink, white, purple, and violet are abundant from early summer until frost. They are set off by the rich green foliage of the junipers and roses and the gray leaves of the catmint edging.

Add a bench, as shown here, so you can linger and enjoy the scene; in later years, the lovely star magnolia behind it will provide comfortable dappled shade.

Plants & Projects

Once established, these shrubs and perennials require little care beyond deadheading and an annual pruning. (See here for rose care.) Ask the nursery where you buy the standard roses for advice on how to protect the plants in winter. (See here for a method of attaching lattice to the house for the planters and clematis.)

A‘Blue Star’ juniper (use 6 plants)The sparkly blue foliage of this low-growing evergreen shrub neatly edges the opening onto the lawn. See Juniperus squamata,here.

B‘Bonica’ rose (use 8)This deciduous shrub blooms from June until frost, producing clusters of double, soft-pink flowers. See Rosa,here.

CDwarf creeping juniper (use 8)This low, spreading evergreen with prickly green foliage makes a tough, handsome ground cover. See Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’, here.

DStar magnolia (use 1)This small multitrunked deciduous tree graces the entry with lightly scented white flowers in early spring. See Magnolia stellata,here.

E‘The Fairy’ rose (use 2)