The $150 makeover: they bought the hunkered-down house on the strength of its location, interior, and the mature trees gracing the property. But it had a singularly boring yard until construction for an in-law addition yielded an opportunity for the garden to achieve its full potential--with just a little help.(GARDEN)

Not everyone's heart would sing when first setting eyes on the 1954 Connecticut cottage set on two barren acres. But in 1986, the newlywed Wimperises bought it specifically for the property's promise. And Debbie Wimperis spent the next 11 years dabbling in a starter garden until an in-law addition gave her the opportunity to create the symphony of color she had always wanted.

Debbie had experience, strong instincts, and was fully capable of doing the grunt work, but needed some help pulling it all together. She called a local landscape designer and asked for a consultation. By the ...

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