Garden ideass

Flowering shrubs for hedges Cover your yard with flowering hedges instead of fences to add color, texture and fragrance to your backyard space. Check out these top picks for flowering shrubs that you can use to create fast-growing privacy hedges. 1. Azalea Grown for their showy spring flowers, azaleas (Rhododendron spp.) light up the landscape with their trumpet-shaped blooms in a wide range of colors. Some, like the encore azalea (pictured here), bloom on new wood throughout summer and fall. Most azaleas are deciduous and have smaller leaves than true rhododendrons. 2. Beautyberry Although American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) bears small pinkish-white flowers along its stem in late summer, the fruit that follows is what makes this shrub so spectacular. This native plant's flowers develop into bright purple berries in the fall. In zone 6, beautyberry may die back in winter, but will sprout from the base in spring. 3. Beautybush True to its name, beauty bush (Col

 Seattle Edible Landscape   The South Seattle Edible Residence is home to an aspiring chef who sought to redesign his entire property to reflect and support his passion for food. Raised bed annual gardens, beehives, perennial plantings and mushroom habitats have transformed the yard into an edible, functional outdoor living space. Perennial garden beds and extensive production of herbs, berries, vegetables, medicinal crops and pollinated flowers. Fruit trees, patios, stone walkways, trellises and covered seating areas provide structure to the garden and create comfortable spaces for year-round entertaining. The front yard has dozens of perennial edible plants. Beautifully combined, the various patterns and colors provide year-round interest and create a welcoming entrance to the home. The shady sides of the property are cultivated by Pacific Northwest natives and focus on edibles such as sal, evergreen huckleberry and wild ginger. The backyard serves as the primary gatheri

 Drought-tolerant vegetables Whether you live in a dry climate or are looking for ways to reduce your water use, these drought-tolerant vegetables are a great addition to your garden. We all know that vegetables need water to grow, but what happens when you water your garden can get complicated. You may live in a dry climate where drought is common. Or you can use well water and be careful to use a sprinkler or irrigation system regularly. Whatever your reason, choosing drought-tolerant vegetables is a great strategy when planting a water-sensitive garden. Is soil type a factor in drought conditions? A soil's ability to retain moisture depends on what the soil is made of. Some basic soil components are sand, clay, silt and silt. Your soil may contain a mixture of these types or be highly concentrated in one type. The particle size of clay, sand, silt, and silt indicates how much moisture the soil retains. For example, clay has a smaller particle size, which gives it a

Ideas for strawberry pots that aren't strawberries While the strawberry pot is mostly used to grow strawberries (hence the name), there are plenty of other uses for this type of plant. For example, if you want to grow flowers to add some color to your garden or front porch, keep your favorite herbs nearby, or display your succulent collection, the possibilities are endless with this hole-filled container. Discover what a strawberry pot is and get planting tips and ideas to help you use this unique planter. What is Strawberry Pot? A strawberry pot, also known as a strawberry jar or strawberry planter, is a container with several open pockets randomly scattered around its sides. The idea is to place the strawberry plant at the top of the container and then the strawberry runners can grow daughter plants through the openings on the sides. This system allows you to grow multiple strawberry plants in one "track". Usually made from fine terracotta, strawberry pots

 Colorful ground cover plants Low-maintenance groundcover plants offer a simple solution for filling in bare spots under large trees, on sunny slopes and in other challenging areas. In addition to adding welcome color, these plants act as living mulch, protecting the soil from erosion and drought. The following perennial groundcovers work well in a variety of situations without requiring much care. 1. Evening primrose Native to the southwestern U.S. and Mexico, evening primrose (Oenothera speciosa) makes an excellent heat-, drought-, and moisture-tolerant landscape plant. It will reward you with cup-like pink flowers that open in mid-summer evenings or on cloudy days. Although it's easy to grow, it can spread aggressively in the best of circumstances, so make sure it has room to roam. 2. Golden Moneywort Also known as creeping jenny, golden moneywort (Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea') is a fast-growing ground cover that produces mats of small chartreuse leaves alo