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Three Steps to A Big Show
Southern Living, Apr 2007 by Riley, Ellen Ruoff
Get a great-looking border with our easy-to-follow tips.
Break down a landscape problem into small ideas, and the solution becomes achievable. This front border is proof. It needed a complete redo, which sounds like a daunting task. But we transformed the look in three easy steps. Check it out, and then adapt one or all of the ideas to your own situation.
1. Don't be afraid to start over. Because the tall arborvitae by the steps was a great plant in the wrong location, we did the right thing and pulled it out. The weak, spindly azaleas planted along the foundation wall also needed to go, so we moved them to a less prominent place in the backyard. Then the border became a blank canvas.
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2. Do some foundation work. (We use the word "foundation" in two different ways.) First, we cleaned the porch foundation wall backing the flowerbed. Then, we painted it a terra-cotta color to complement the brick floor on the porch. Instead of being an eyesore, the wall now blends into the home's facade. Next, we placed three large, square clay pots in the border, centering them in the bed. A cone-shaped boxwood in each established a mature-looking foundation planting instantly. The pots elevate the shrubs, so you get big impact with smaller, less expensive plants.
3. Fill in with flowers. The space between the boxwood containers were just right for seasonal blooms. Last fall, we planted white tulips, violas, and parsley for a spring show. Across the border's back, a row of foxgloves extends the bloom season once the tulips die down. For summer, impatiens and caladiums make an appropriate, long-lasting combination.
-ELLEN RUOFF RILEY
Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Apr 2007
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved
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