Category Archives: Garden Design

30 Dec

20 Modern Pergola Designs for Your Landscape

Modern landscapes use many architectural elements such as pergolas to make landscape designs attractive as well as useful. A pergola is often used to form a shaded passage or an outdoor sitting area in a garden or landscape. The history of pergola can be traced 3000 years back to the Roman gardens. The art of landscape and garden design has evolved in to many different design concepts but the use of pergola has been popular all through these years.

Modern gardens and landscapes use pergolas not only as design elements but as a practical part of the landscape. Modern landscapes use pergolas as important part of outdoor living. Traditionally pergolas have been built using wood , metals and some times bricks and concrete. The introduction of modern building materials such as vinyl, PVC, aluminium and fibreglass.

Modern Pergola Designs

Browse these wonderful examples of modern pergola designs for your landscape projects. You can use these designs and add garden lights, trailing plants, outdoor furniture and other elements to customize these designs to suit your taste and requirements.

Modern Patio and Pergola

Shop Modern Pergolas Online

If you are looking for a modern pergola or pergola accessories, there are plenty of pergolas and accessories you can buy online.
17 Dec

7 Modern Waterfall Designs for Garden Landscape

Waterfalls make excellent design elements in a landscape design. Not only do waterfalls add music to the garden but also give a sense of freshness and openness. Modern landscape designs emphasize on maximum utilization of space and simplicity of design in order to keep cost and use of real estate as low as possible. With introduction of many new materials, it is easier to design modern waterfall designs that are both space and cost-effective.

Also see: Ideas for Water Features and Fountains for your Landscape Design

Following are a few examples of modern waterfall designs that you can try in your landscape design. Notice how the use of space and modern materials can do magic when it comes to designing contemporary waterfalls.

Modern Waterfall Designs

Modern Waterfall on a Pool
06 Dec

How to Use Best Ground Covers in Your Landscape Design

Ground covers are excellent landscape design elements. When used effectively, ground covers not only protect the ground from drought and erosion but also supplement your design scheme by supplementing additional colors, forms and texture.

Besides the type of soil and climate, selecting the best ground covers for your landscape design depends on a number of factors:

Growing Conditions: You can find ground covers for almost any purpose and for all spots in your landscapes. Some ground covers grow in shady spots where very few plants can survive. Some are drought-tolerant and they make best ground covers when you want to design low-maintenance landscapes.

Formation: Ground covers have different growing habits. Some ground covers produce lateral branches, some form small mounds, some miniature ground covers stick to the ground whereas some develop upright branches.

Color and Texture: Besides their formation and growing conditions, ground covers offer interesting colors and textures. Some ground covers are evergreen and provide excellent ground coverage, some are used for their interesting colors. Depending on your landscape design, you can pick best ground covers in many different texture: soft and evergreen foliage, woody and deciduous, and so on.

Best Ground Covers for Your Landscape Design

The following is a selection of the best ground covers that you can use in your landscape design.

Kennedia prostrata

Kennedia prostrate is a low-growing plant from tropical and summer rainfall regions. It is hardy to heat and spells of drought and makes the best ground cover for low-maintenance landscapes. (Zone 9a – 10b)
Sedum album

Sedum album or Coral Carpet spreads horizontally and effectively covers empty areas with its succulent growth and tiny, star-shaped flowers of white or pinkish color. Flowers usually appear in midsummer. Sedum album can be propagated from cuttings. It requires bright sunlight and moist but well-drained soil. (Zone 3a – 9b)

Callisia elegans
Callisia or Inch Plant is a genus of low growing plants with delicate and lovely foliage. Native to dry climate of Mexico,these sprawling plants server as best ground covers for dry as well as moderate climates where they are protected from long spells of freeze and frost. (Zone 8a – 10b)

Soleirolia soleirolii
Soleirolia soleirolii or Baby’s Tears is an evergreen and low growing ground cover known for its round cascading leaves. It is the best ground cover for rock gardens and landscapes where it can easily take up empty spaces and form thick mounds of attractive foliage. It can also be used as alternate of grass because it would survive cold and shady spots easily and serve as nice ground cover throughout the year. (Zone 9a – 11)

Convolvulus cneorum
Convolvulus cneorum which is commonly known as Silver Bush grows as low growing plant and usually forms a think carpet of evergreen foliage. Because of its capacity to withstand drought and grow in poor soil, Convolvulus cneorum is a best ground cover for sandy or poor landscapes. (Zone 6a – 9b)

Using Ground Covers in Your Landscape

Browse these beautiful examples of best ground covers used in landscape designs.

15 Nov

How to Use Ferns in Your Garden Landscape

Ferns make excellent landscape plants because of their attractive fronds and their ability to thrive where many plants fail. You can plant them under shady trees, use them as border plants, grow them as ground covers or line garden pathways, and fill empty landscapes with low-maintenance ferns.

Most ferns are easy to maintain. They grow under fully or partially shaded parts of gardens where they benefit from moist but well-drained and loamy soil and moderate watering at regular intervals. When provided with these conditions ferns will produce abundance of lush fronds.

Ferns come in large and small sizes. Some are dwarf and some grow taller. Some form small clusters and some sprawl to cover the landscape. Depending on the size and layout of your garden, you can use ferns in your landscapes for many purposes. They can be used as companion plants with other flowering plants. You can use ferns to provide a lush-green background to your flower beds. You can also incorporate them in your landscapes as specimen plants grown in containers or hanging baskets.

Ferns in Garden Landscape

Here are a few examples of ferns beautifully used in garden landscapes.

Contemporary Landscape with Ferns by New York Architects & Building Designers Princeton Design Collaborative
Tropical Landscape by Sydney Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers Secret Gardens
Mediterranean Landscape by Miami Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers orlando comas, landscape architect.
Traditional Pool by Thetford Center Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers Shepard Butler Landscape Architecture
Rustic Landscape by Winchester Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC
Contemporary Landscape by Pasadena Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers EPT DESIGN
Traditional Landscape by Greenville Garden & Landscape Supplies Roots - An Urban Gardener's Oasis
Traditional Porch by Mill Valley Architects & Building Designers Sutton Suzuki Architects
Contemporary Landscape by Sausalito Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture
Mediterranean Landscape by The Woodlands Architects & Building Designers JAUREGUI Architecture Interiors Construction
Contemporary Deck by Sydney Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers Harrison's Landscaping
Modern Landscape by Winters Photographers Dave Adams Photography

 

Some of the ferns suitable for garden landscape include:

  • Adiantum pedatum, Maidenhair fern
  • Athyrium vidalii, Japanese lady fern
  • Blechnum spicant, Deer Fern
  • Cyrtomium falcatum, Japanese holly fern
  • Dennstaedtia punctilobula, Hay-scented fern
  • Dryopteris clintoniana, Clinton’s wood fern
  • Dryopteris tokyoensis, Tokyo wood fern
  • Matteuccia struthiopteris, Ostrich fern
  • Cyrtomium Falcatum, Holly fern
  • Nephrolepis exaltala, Boston fern
07 Nov

15 Ideas for a Beautiful Stone Pathway for Your Garden

Pathways provide a nice solution when you want to control the flow of traffic in your garden. They are also useful when you want to replace uneven and muddy paths with a neat, even and functional pathway.

There are a number of natural and manufactured materials available for laying out garden pathways. My favorite material is stone. It is cost-effective, durable and easy available. Stone is also available in many colors and sizes. Depending on the size and layout of your garden, you can carve out neat and attractive garden pathways using stone. Be creative with you designs but make sure that your design in practical. Do not add unnecessary curves because mowing around curved path is a bit difficult. Also make sure that the surface is even and provides smooth flow of rainwater.

Ideas for a Beautiful Garden Pathway

The following is a collection of 15 impressive ideas for beautiful pathways built with stone.

Mosaic pathway built with stone:

Mediterranean Landscape by San Diego Landscape Contractors DeMaria Landtech, Inc.
Large rectangular stepping stones in this garden look nice and form a symmetrical design.
Traditional Landscape by Atlanta Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers Howard Design Studio
A simple and cost-effective design made with gravel and stone.
Southwestern Landscape by Bryn Mawr Interior Designers & Decorators Fred Albert Design
Another simple and attractive pathway made with small rectangular pieces of stone.
Mediterranean Patio by Newport Beach Architects & Building Designers Homer Oatman, AIA
Nicely trimmed and cemented pathway made of stone.
Traditional Landscape by Upland General Contractors Rob Clark Construction Inc.
A modern pathway design made of gravel and stone slabs.
Contemporary Pool by Sydney Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers Dean Herald-Rolling Stone Landscapes
Another simple and cost-effective for smaller gardens.
Tropical Landscape by Key West Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers Craig Reynolds Landscape Architecture
Another modern and attractive design.
Contemporary Landscape by Coral Gables Architects & Building Designers OBM International
A simple yet beautiful pathway leading from the front door right into the garden.
 Traditional Landscape by Scottsdale Architects & Building Designers Matthew Thomas Architecture, LLC
Beautiful pathway design with two columns of stepping stones.
Traditional Landscape by Wilmington Building Supplies Chadsworth Columns
Gravel and stone used to form a nice, durable pathway.
Industrial Landscape
Attractive side walks made with tiles of stone.
Traditional Pool by Franklin Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers The Office of Joel Tomlin III, LLC.
Mosaic pathway made of stone.
Traditional Landscape by Seattle Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers Studio AB
A beautiful example of pathway made with stone.
Contemporary Patio Pathway by Lake Forest Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers Architectural Gardens, Inc
A traditional designed with stone.
Victorian Landscape by Minneapolis Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers Heidi's Lifestyle Gardens
30 Oct

Landscaping with Ornamental Japanese Blood Grass

Ornamental grasses add a nice texture, unique formation and stunning colors to landscapes. Take the example of Japanese Blood Grass. Known for its fiery red color, this beautiful grass offers great ornamental value especially in the fall.

Imprata cylindrica’Rubra’ or Japanese Blood Grass grows up to 2 feet and forms tight clumps of green and red leaves this making a good choice for filling landscapes. 

Japanese Blood Grass can be planted along pathways where it grows as a low-maintenance ornamental grass.
Japanese Blood Grass can be grown in large containers and used as accent plant. When grown in containers, it is easier to control its otherwise aggressive growth.
The contrasting colors of Japanese Blood Grass make it a nice border plant. The colors depend on light conditions. Bright sunny exposure result in sharp and deep red color.
Japanese Blood Grass makes a nice accent plant.
Japanese Blood Grass can be grown as ornamental plant along ponds and pools.
There are so many ways you can use Japanese Blood Grass in your garden and landscape.
18 Aug

Interlocking Brick Designs for Backyards and Patios

I recently paved my backyard with interlocking bricks. Yes, I do not have my not-so-lush lawn now but the backyard looks neat and still gives me plenty of room to plant my favorites in the bordering raised beds. As I have observed and experienced, interlocking brick designs dramatically improve the landscape. They are durable and easily withstand long spells of freeze and thaw.

As opposed to concrete or brick and mortar floors, interlocking bricks can be installed in various patterns and offer a variety of material (clay, concrete, stone etc.) texture and color.

If you are considering interlocking bricks in your patio or backyard, this is a useful article on cost, material, pros and cons of installing interlocking bricks. If you want to do it yourself, follow this link for step-by-step DIY instructions on installing an interlocking brick pattern in your backyard or patio.

Examples of Interlocking Brick Design

Browse these beautiful examples of interlocking brick designs for your inspiration.

31 May

Design Ideas for Kids Friendly Backyards

Why the big boys have all the fun. These practical and kids friendly backyards show a lot of potential for turning your backyard into a fun house for the little ones. No, you do not have to compromise on your favorite plants, landscape design or barbecue spot. There are plenty of opportunities for integrating a small swing, a little fun house, a sandbox and a dedicated area for kids to play.

Browse these simple and practical examples of kids friendly backyards for your inspiration.

24 May

15 Ideas for Beautiful Fence Wall Designs

Fences serve many purposes. They can be used to: define borders of your property, keep invading animals away, and serve as privacy screen, architectural element or an extension of your landscape design.

Today we are exploring some interesting experiments with fencing wall designs. These experimental designs reflect potential of using various materials, styles and sizes to turn otherwise ordinary fences  into beautiful design elements.

1. Beautiful use of steel blades to form a nicely patterned, secure and durable fencing wall.

 

2. Very unusual and creative use of acrylic bars to form a nice fence. It does not provide privacy but it surely looks neat and attractive.

 

3. A practical use of bamboos to form a defensive fencing wall that serves it purpose and still looks elegant.

 

4. Use of steel wires and wood to create a beautiful living fence. You can grow your favourite plants along this beautiful and low-cost fence.

 

5. Another creative idea for putting a low-cost yet elegant fence that can be modified to adjust to different heights.

 

6. When security is a concerns, use a taller and sturdy fence wall like this one. It also features a lockable entrance.

 

7. A modern and practical kids-friendly fence wall with a chalkboard.

 

8. A plain yet fence wall design idea for modern urban homes.

 

9. A nice fence design made of birch tree sticks, and recycled metal wires and panels.

 

10. Creative use of steel bars to design an architectural element out of a practical fence.

 

11. Panels of steel sheet also give a simple and rustic design element to fencing wall that nicely integrates with the landscape.

 

12. Another use of metal sheets to design a unique and lovely fence wall that supplements the landscape.

 

13. Consider this ‘peekaboo’ fence that breaks up the monotony and unfriendly looks of a long, boring wooden fence.

 

14. Practical use of metal posts fencing that serves it purpose well and yet confirms with visual continuity between the private property and the open landscape beyond.

15. Even a traditional wooden fence can be made beautiful with sensible use of plantation.

22 May

Top Tips for Gardening in a Small Backyard / Patio

Gardening in a small backyard or patio can be challenging – what plants should you select for all-seasons interest, how should you arrange your plants for best display, and how should you integrate your favorite plants with your day-to-day family activities – this article answers all of these questions. You can also look at these contemporary Ideas for Small Gardens and discover a wide range of interesting designs that will help shape your garden and turn into a more practical, usable space

What plants should you grow in your small backyard / patio?

Plants come in many sizes, colors, and textures. And they all have their specific requirements. Because you cannot make major changes to your backyard or patio, you should select plants that can easily integrate in your existing settings – soil type, space, sunlight, and effects of changing seasons.

Small and enclosed spaces tend develop their own microclimate with higher level of moisture and retained heat. Therefore it is important to select plants that are hardy and require less maintenance.

Plants in enclosed backyard or patios are more likely to transfer insects and diseases to other plants. Therefore, it is recommended that you keep a vigilant eye on insects and immediately isolate infected plants.

When buying a plant for your small backyard or patio, carefully consider its growing habits and the room that it would require in coming years. Some plants have columnar growth and do not spread much, some remain solitary but produce heavy foliage, some plants develop clumps and require more space than others, some plants do not attain much height, some shed their leaves in fall, and some are evergreen. Make sure that you plant them in the right place in your backyard or patio. Plants with columnar growth can be used to form a background for plants that attain medium to low height.

Usually low-growing shrubs and bushes make nice plants for small backyards. There are a plenty of flowering shrubs that do not need regular pruning and produce attractive foliage and flowers. Small empty spaces can be cultivated with ground covers.

Mix and match plants for all-season interest. Combine annuals, perennials, small trees, and flowering shrubs. Visit your local garden center and you will find many species with foliage that change colors throughout the year. You can also find interesting accent plants that add architectural interest to your garden.

Top Plants for Growing in a Small Backyard or Patio

  1. Cycas revoluta for interesting and evergreen foliage.
  2. Plumeria, when you need a small tree with lovely and fragrant flowers.
  3. Angel’s Trumpet for stunning and fragrant flowers.
  4. Agaves and Euphorbias for year-round interest.
  5. Bamboos for evergreen foliage.
  6. Canna for nice and colorful foliage.
  7. Mandevilla for nice trailing branches and attractive flowers.
  8. Boxwood for evergreen and hardy foliage.

Top Examples of Small Backyard / Patio Gardens

Small Backyard
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