The Four Season Garden

The winter season in the garden can be flat, uneventful, and even boring if the garden is not planned to have features that are apparent.  Here is where I like to infuse some ‘bones’ into the landscape - features that will prevail, and be visible all year long.  The four season garden takes some planning and fall is a great time to add some elements to the garden that will be featured in the winter garden and well as all year long.


The Four Seasons Garden, created by self-taught gardeners Tony and Marie Newton, started out as a hobby, but slowly grew into one of the most popular suburban  gardens in Britain. 20 years ago, the couple from West Midlands decided to transform their traditional garden into a stunning display of creative gardening. Tony hated weeding, but loved building things, while his wife Marie just loved plants, so together they set out to create Four Seasons, their version of the ideal backyard garden.

The small backyard of a family-owned property in Wallsall, England, was captured in pictures by http://the-world-pictures.blogspot.com/2012/09/four-seasons-one-suburban-paradise.html  in 2012.
 
I think we can learn volumes from this garden with it’s vibrant colors and textures all year long.








Wow!   This garden is stunning, and the plant materials have a strong impact in every season.
What carries this impact along?  Foliage. Texture. Height. Layers of Color.  Color from the Evergreens, the shape of the Evergreens, and the textures of the Evergreens is what I want to focus on here.



This Blue Star Juniper is one example of color, shape and texture.  The ice blue color is present all year long, and the mounded shape will still be visible beneath a winter blanket of snow. 



The Golden Hinoki Cypress is a crisp gold with undulating foliage that has movement to the texture. Chamaecyperis obtusa Fernspray Gold is a slow growing tree, and will reach 3’ after five years – and up to 10’ at maturity. This Hinoki does well in containers as well.  Lifting it up in the garden will add another layer of dimension.



Ilex crenata,  Sky Pencil Holly, literally can stand on it’s own.  The columnar shape will add height to any garden and the dark green foliage will contrast with other plants.  Sky Pencil is hardy to Zone 5 – 9 , and maintains in narrow compact feature with a mature height of 8 feet tall.  Winter interest continues with it’s bright red berries that attract birds.
Sky Pencil can also be featured in containers.



Yellow ribbon cedar, Thuja occidentalis, is an arborvitae the has great gold growth in the early season and turns more green as the summer progresses.  It is hardy to Zone 3 and growth to about 10 feet tall.



This is Juniperus chinensis “Kauzuka Variegated”. The creamy white shoots are slightly twisted and quite showy.  Grown in full sun, this Juniper will grow to about 25 feet.



This little gem is a Globe Blue Spruce, Picea pungens 'Globosa'.  The mature height is only 3' - 5' so it fits well into any small garden.  Monrovia calls this a Sapphire Blue and I can see it is true to it's name.

These evergreen – or ever colorful – shrubs and trees can make a visual impact on the garden all four seasons.  Blending  perennials with evergreens continues to develop texture, shape, and color throughout the year. But the best part of adding evergreens to the garden, in my opinion, is creating ‘bones’ for the garden to lean on long after deciduous trees, shrubs, and perennials have faded into winter.

Trees and shrubs can be planted well into winter, as long as the ground can be dug.  So, I'm on my way to shop to make my space  more of a four season garden. 

Perennials Work Beyond the Blooms

May flowers are getting all of the attention right now.  And in the next few weeks this explosion of color will be spectacular!  As you see bright purples, pinks, and yellows pop up, if you are like me, you will head to the garden center to obtain the 'perennial of the week'.  Just be aware that in a few weeks, perennials blossoms will fade and you will just have the foliage to view in the landscape.

Beyond the blooms will be months of what can be a landscape full of interest, textures, contrasts, and soothing colors.  As the progression of flowers comes and goes, think about the setting, not as a Monet, but as a sunrise or sunset. The swirls and blends of soothing shades of leaves will be a delight. And who doesn't like to view a sunset?

Bright

 leaves of heuchera are brilliant examples of color available in foliage plants. I've grouped these closely so the shading will play off of its neighbor.  A mass planting , say five or seven plants, of just one of these would be an eye catching element in the garden, too. 

 

Ferns and Hosta (this hosta is H. Gin and Tonic) work in the shady garden.  The broad leaves of the hosta and the light, airy fern compliment each other well. 

This combination of Catmint (Nepeta), with its small  leaves, and open clump, sits next to Hosta, and a large Sycamore Tree. The tree trunk bark has alot of texture and adds to the tapestry .   The Sunny spot behind the tree is a Gold Thread Juniper. Don't forget to consider year-round interest when placing plants in the garden.  Our winters can be long and cold here in Zone 5b, and the evergreens and tree trunks put on a show all year long! 

The bright contrast of the euonymous is a year round event, too.  The chartreuse next to the deep green is stunning.  I've tucked a Hosta in the mix here.  The large leaf of the Hosta, and the smaller leaves of the euonymous have a nice effect.( And note:  no flowers!)

Some other elements that offers visual texture to the landscape are stones and boulders. 

The rocks have an edge, and the plant material tucked up close, softens the edges for a calming feeling.

When choosing plants the foliage and textural contrasts play an important role in the overall feeling of the garden.  Wide leaves next to light airy fronds or light colors beside dark shades all complement the eye.  The low round plant next to a tall, spikey one will go a long way to add interest to your yard.

Veriagated foliage, as in this Loriope, can bring a brightness to a group of plants and offer its own sublety.

It may not scream 'Look at me!' but the minds eye will quietly appreciate the effort.

I've presented an insight to my psyche.  I like the long term relationship of plants. I love the blooms when they are here, but the steadfastness of the full season soothes any loss I feel  beyond the blooms. Enjoy.

Foliage – Create Great Gardens

More than color, foliage is that element of the plant that creates its identity.  Foliage can be big, bold, leafy, round, waxy, ferny, and strappy.  The type of foliage creates texture, contrast, and may be the focal point of a section of garden, or foliage can be the backdrop to any manner of visual delights we care to place there.
I have been known to rush to the garden center to purchase the latest perennial that was in bloom. But that love affair with that plant faded along with the blossom a few weeks later. So, what is left after the blooms fade?
Foliage – beautiful, season long foliage.  Here are some plants that I find create moods in the garden just for the color or texture that it’s foliage offers.

 
The staple in my garden is the Hosta.  Mini-hostas 2 inches in diameter, or large Hosta that span 4’ – 5’.  The leaves are so varied in each variety.  Some are gold, some are dark green, some are blue, some are chartreuse, some are green with white edges, some are white with green edges.  Some are blue with green stripes, some are light green with dark green shades. Some Hosta are puckered, while some are smooth.  The point is, the foliage is the attraction and the design element in the garden.

I pair Hosta with plants that have a airy feel in the foliage.  Plants like Astilbe or ferns. My favorite fern is the Japanese Painted Fern – Athyrium niponicum, var. pictum.  This plant does well in shade, and fronds are in various shades of burgundy, silver, green, and rose. 

Japanese Painted Fern

One plant that has great foliage is Hakonechloa macra,  ‘Aureola’, a grass that holds its best color in part shade – right along with the Hosta. 

Maiden Hair Fern

Maiden Hair fern has a airy frond, with black stems.  A very nice plant for shade that is slow growing.



As this Hosta is tucked up near a boulder, the ferns creep in behind, the moss on the stone gives texture, and the Celandine poppies offer yet another shade of green, and a deeply lobed leaf.  No blooms but a lot of color and texture.
 
Another plant group that I’m enchanted with is the Heuchera, Coral bells.  There are many, many new cultivars coming on the market, and the color of these plants is amazing.  I think that ‘salad’ textures are a good comparison, and many of my Heuchera stay looking fresh all through winter. 

This photo is varieties from the “Crisp” series, and I have the ”Dolce” collection.  With names like Carmel, Delta Dawn, Plum Royale, Cajun Fire, Apple Crisp, and Black Out, one can surmise a full range of colors from Black, Browns, Orange, Purple, Red, and Silver.  Mass planting of one variety would most definitely catch your eye from across the yard, or, as in this photo, a mix looks delicious.


Other plants offer a coolness in the silver foliage they offer.  Plants like Rose Campion, Artemisia, and lavender  have a silver foliage that blends well into a hot, dry garden.  A nice silver plant, “Helen Von Stein’ Stachys byzantina , has wide soft velvety leaves.

Brunnera

A spring plant that holds up well with enough water during the heat of the season is Jack Frost, a Brunnera macrophylla. Hardy in Zone 3-8, the shade garden is a great place for Brunnera with Hosta and ferns.

 Pulmonaria, hardy to Zone 4-9, likes moist, woodland setting with rich soil.  The silvery shades brighten a shady garden with names like Silver Shimmers, Raspberry Splash, or Victorian Brooch.

Pulmonaria, Silver Shimmers

Pulmonaria, Victorian Brooch

Pulmonaria, Raspberry Splash

 Sunny gardens usually produce plants that like to show off with spectacular blooms.  Here are a few colorful plants that rely on foliage for added interest in the sunny garden.

Marchen Sedum, Dragon's Blood

Sedum, Vera Jamison

Fuldaglow Sedum

These sedums are low growers but don’t underestimate the impact of these bright burgundy flesh.  The Fundaglow is paired with a silver foliage plant, and the contrast is evident.  Many silver foliage plants do well in the full sun, as do the sedums, and both require minimal watering.  I believe the grass in this photo is a Blue Fescue, a small ornamental grass.
Husker Red, a Penstamon,  is one of my favorites for it’s burgundy foliage.  It too, will take sun.  Paired with Artemisia, lambs ear, or the annual, Dusty Miller, this plant is stunning.

Husker Red in Landscape

Black Mondo Grass with Baby's Tears

This black foliage is called Mondo Grass, Ophiopogon planiscapus, ‘Nigrescens.  It is mixed with a Baby’s Tears ground cover in such a way that both plants become featured. Black Mondo grass can be planted en masse or individually as it is here.  Hardy in Zone 5-10, Mondo grass is evergreen.  

Many thanks to SeasonalWisdom.com for this lovely photo using colors and textures of foliage plants in this manner.

These perennials are only a few of great plant choices when you are looking for foliage that will carry the garden past the blooms.  Thanks for visiting today, and leave a comment, please.  I’d love to know what foliage plants you use in your garden.

Garden Gifts are Blessings

The Gift of Touch – Blessing #7

Touching and feeling are sensation of the body and can be quite enjoyable.
 The garden offers many  gift opportunities to feel that touch.

From the cool soft grass between our toes, to the crunchy leaves that dissolve like powder when we touch them, the sensation of touch is a gift.



Picking our crop of watermelon, or cucumbers, or apples, touching can reveal any imperfections or if the produce is ripe. The sense of satisfaction is in knowing we grew it ourselves.


The gift of touch is a two-fer when eating a fresh, fuzzy, juicy peach.  The peel has a soft fuzzy feel, and the juice
running through our finger is unforgettable. A blessing two-fold.




I rarely garden in gloves.  I like the feel of the loose, warm soil too much.

 

And the soft dandelion against the cheek is a touch I won’t soon forget.




Who can resist running their fingers through the plumes of an ornamental grass.  Soft, nice.

One of the first experiences I share with my grandkids is the softness of lamb’s ear.  Usually timid to try, but once they do, they seek out this plant to touch every visit. What a blessing to share this gift with little ones.


The velvet rose petal is shared with little ones too. 


The old well pump may not seem like a gift from the garden, but don’t you remember the cool metal feel, and the energy you needed to pump water from one of these things.  I do.  And I must admit the cool water that came was a blessing on a hot summer afternoon.



Setting up the sprinklers was a nice touch. Cool droplets on the skin ....


Sometimes we cannot time the giving of a gift, but it is a blessing all the same.




The surprise of an innocent child to her first touching experience in the garden is a blessing.





The best gift of touch from the garden is a warm hug.

 
Thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment. Comments are a blessing too.  Thanks.