Create Privacy in Your Yard - Part 3

Soften the Edges

If you do put up a fence, use plants to soften it. This corner, for example, became a delightful display of color and texture thanks to an 'American Beauty' climbing rose.

Check the Rules

Most municipalities have rules about fence height. Brian and Robert live on a corner lot and needed more screening than the rules allowed, so they found a clever solution. The pair installed the largest fence they could (the bottom fence in this photo). But then just inside it, they installed a freestanding trellis and arbor (which supports a climbing rose and 'Aunt Dee' wisteria). Because the trellis and arbor are a separate structure, they don't violate city code.

 Include Details

An urn set on one of the fence supports looks lovely and provides privacy. It's another way to make a fence seem taller without violating codes.

Advertisements of 2013 Comforter Sets: If you want to decor your bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Bedding US here offers brand new 2013 bedding comforter sets to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.

Rainbow Colored Striped 2013 Cotton Bedding Duvet Cover Set

Create Privacy in Your Yard - Part 2

 Grow a Living Wall

Hedges are a classic way to screen a view and make privacy. They come in a tremendous variety of colors and textures, from dark green yews and arborvitaes to silvery junipers.

Test Garden Tip: Look for columnar (also called fastigiate) varieties that grow tall but stay narrow to keep them from eating up yard space.

Put Up a Fence

Hedges look friendly, but they tend to be expensive and slow to grow. So for instant gratification, put up a fence. Happily, fences don't have to be cold and unfriendly -- install architectural details as Brian and Robert did to make your fence a piece of landscape art.

Add Windows

If your space is small, create windows, as seen in this gate, and vary the height of your plants or structures. That will give the area some visual relief -- and give your yard a playful quality.

Advertisements of 2013 Comforter Sets: If you want to decor your bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Bedding US here offers brand new 2013 cheap comforter sets to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.

Luxury 2013 Light Coffee Brown Plaid Cotton Bedding Duvet Cover Set

Create Privacy in Your Yard

Get tips for making your yard a private paradise from two hardcore gardeners who turned their corner landscape into a secluded retreat.

Screen from Above

If your neighbors have a tall house or it's higher on a hill than yours is, shielding your deck or patio from view can be tricky. But one easy way to do it is to install a canopy of outdoor-friendly fabric as homeowners Brian Caldwell and Robert Shore have done here.

Bonus: The canopy also casts a soft, filtered light on the patio, keeping it cooler on hot summer days.

 Use a Focal Point

Pull a little landscape sleight of hand by using a focal point to create a distraction. Any eye-catching object works if it draws more attention than the view you're trying to screen. Here, a small raised water garden captivates garden guests -- and adds a bit of tranquility.

Add a Natural Soundtrack

Your yard won't feel secluded if you hear noise from passersby, traffic, or barking dogs. So create another layer to privacy like Brian and Robert did by including a water garden with a fountain to give you the relaxing sound of moving water.

Test Garden Tip: Don't forget plants such as ornamental grasses and quaking aspen that generate sound anytime there's a breeze.

Advertisements of 2013 Comforter Sets: If you want to decor your bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Bedding US here offers brand new 2013 cheap bedding sets to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.

Pastoral Style Luxury Purple Floral 2013 Cotton Bedding Duvet Cover Set

Create Formal Style in Your Landscape - Part 4

 Create Surprises

With all their repetition and symmetry, formal gardens can sometimes feel boring. So don't be afraid to add a little interest with surprises. Here, a splash of sky blue is a perfect accent for all the green and white. When just a bit is used, it's a charming accent that doesn't feel out of place.

Keep It Easy

One of the benefits of formal style is that it's easy to maintain. This garden is nearly maintenance free; it requires just a bit of deadheading, weeding, mowing, watering, and fertilizing. The plants look great with only a yearly pruning.

Grow Old-Fashioned Plants

Heirloom plants, such as this blue morning glory, extend an ageless charm to the garden and look right at home among other classic features, such as the white deck railing and Annabelle hydrangeas.

2013 Bedding Advertisements: If you want to decor your bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Comforter Sets here offers brand new 2013 designer bedding sets to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.

Fashion Designer Red Striped 2013 Cotton Bedding Duvet Cover Set

Create Formal Style in Your Landscape - Part 3

Take Advantage of Views

One of the benefits of using lots of straight lines in your garden is that they draw the eye and create views. They're perfect for creating focal points -- just drop your focal point at the end of a path or series of lines and it becomes dramatic.

Here's a hint: While this deck isn't large, it feels bigger and more elegant when it becomes a focal point at the end of a path -- and a prime destination spot!

Consider Your Budget

A lot of gardeners associate formal gardens with big, expensive estates. But you can create the look without spending a fortune. Here, simple furniture painted green helps blend in the garden's color scheme and creates a comfy spot to rest or entertain outdoors.

Here's a hint: If you want a more elegant look, get a tablecloth made from an outdoor-friendly fabric that matches your color scheme. Plain colors are usually best for formal gardens.

Decorate with Containers

Whether it's on your deck or patio or as a focal point in the yard, use containers to create drama and elegance. Here, a plain old terra-cotta pot becomes something magical with the addition of clipped boxwood, 'Silver Falls' dichondra, and purple vinca.

2013 Bedding Advertisements: If you want to decor your bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Bedding US here offers brand new 2013 fashion bedding sets to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.

Pastoral Style Green and Yellow Floral 2013 Cotton Bedding Duvet Cover Set

Create Formal Style in Your Landscape - Part 2

Create Cohesion & Balance
Repeat plant shapes and colors throughout your yard for an organized look. Here, concrete finials used as decorative accents repeat the shape and color of Annabelle hydrangea blooms. And the low boxwood hedge mimics the shape of the brick path surrounding the lawn.

Here's a hint: Create balance by mirroring plantings across a walkway or lawn. Symmetrical plantings create calming spaces that don't jar the eye. As a result, they often feel larger.

Add Good Bones

It's common to hear garden designers talk about "good bones." What they mean is the structure of the garden you can see all year, such as the boxwood shrubs, classic fence, and limbed-up trees shown here. If you pick the right structural plants, you'll have a garden that looks good year round.

Limit Your Choices

Though it can be tough to rein yourself in, choosing and sticking to a particular plant palette will help reinforce the feeling of simplicity. Select only a few different structural plants -- but create impact by massing them together.

Here's a hint: White is a traditional color choice for formal gardens. It's also a top pick for shade gardens, as it helps dim, shady spaces feel lighter and brighter.

2013 Bedding Advertisements: If you want to decor your bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Comforter Sets here offers brand new 2013 luxury comforter sets to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.

Pastoral Style Luxury Red and Yellow Floral 2013 Cotton Bedding Duvet Cover Set

Create Formal Style in Your Landscape

Clean and classic, formal landscapes never go out of style. Here's how to get the look in your yard -- even if you garden in shade.

Know the Basics

The first step in developing a formal garden is to know the basics. Formal gardens often feature a simplistic, geometric design, as seen here in Cindy Griffith's Illinois garden. A low boxwood hedge lines a pathway and creates planting pockets for astilbe, hosta, and Annabelle hydrangeas.

Think Linear

Install straight walkways or slightly curved paths made of traditional paving materials such as brick, bluestone, pavers, or concrete. This creates a sense of order and tidiness.

Here's a hint: Keep your yard looking clean by using an edger to keep a crisp line around your grass.

Go with Classic Accents

Little accents, such as this simple planter, can create a big impact in the garden. The key here is simplicity -- the green-and-white combination matches the rest of the garden. Simple urns have been a container of choice in formal gardens for centuries.

2013 Bedding Advertisements: If you want to decor your bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Bedding US here offers brand new 2013 luxury bedding sets to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.

Luxury 2013 Jacquard Style Beige Floral Cotton Bedding Duvet Cover Set

Create Drama with Plants - Part 2

 Repeat Effectively

Garden designers know how effective it can be to repeat an element in the garden. Plants are perfect for this. Use a series of mounded plants to create a beautiful line that draws the eye through your landscape, for example. Or repeat a plant or color in little bursts throughout the landscape.

 Select Soaring Plants

In almost every case, the bigger the plant, the bolder it is in borders. Look for giants such as castor bean, angel's trumpet, or sunflower -- all of which can grow 6 feet or more.

Don't feel as if you have to use them in the back of the border, either. Toss a tall plant in the middle of the border here and there to increase its dramatic presence.

Employ the Unexpected

If you have many of the same species in your garden, mix it up a little. For example, if you have a bunch of variegated hostas, add in a few that have a different variegation pattern (some with white leaf edges, for example, and others with white leaf centers). Or if you have lots of elephant's ear, add in
one or two purple-leaf varieties (such as 'Black Ruffles' or 'Black Magic').

2013 Girls Bedding Advertisements: If you want to decor your daughter's bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Bedding US here offers brand new 2013 CHILDREN BEDDING SETS to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.

2013 Luxury Jacquard Style Red Floral Cotton Bedding Duvet Cover Set

Create Drama with Plants

Design with plants to create eye-catching drama in your garden.

Celebrate Color
Here's a landscaping secret: Use plants in different ways to add interest to your garden. Make them subtle accents to highlight garden structures, such as a pergola; enhance a particular garden style with them; or treat them as bold, dramatic centerpieces by themselves. Here are other tips for adding to your landscape with plants.

Hot colors, such as red, yellow, and orange are very visible from a distance. They stand out best in large groups of color against a green background or walls painted in cool hues. Or use splashes of these hot colors for dramatic accents.

Cool colors, such as pink, lavender, and blue, stand out best when used to create a mass of color. They're great accents for the far end of the yard because they'll seem farther away. This can make your yard feel bigger. Soft, cool tones are also great in shade where they're seen better than more intense, darker colors.

 Take Advantage of Texture

All too often, gardeners overlook the importance of plant texture. But using contrasting textures can be just as dramatic as using contrasting colors. For example, ornamental grasses and other grassy plants shine against large-leaf specimens such as Gunnera, canna, or banana. In shade gardens, ferns can offer an exciting textural contrast to hostas.

Or use plants that have an interesting texture of their own. Even if it doesn't create a lot of contrast, highly textural plants such as Phormium, Japanese painted fern, or dwarf conifers can add excitement to beds and borders.

 Single Out Specimens

Most planting advice suggests grouping plants together to create more impact. But using specimen plants by themselves can be even more dramatic. Choose plants that really make a statement, such as Melianthus, golden sedge, and tropical tree ferns. Give them a prime spot in your garden or grow them in large containers.

Specimens can also be used as dramatic accents to mass plantings. If you edge your border with hosta, for example, drop in a specimen or two of Japanese forestgrass.

2013 Girls Bedding Advertisements: If you want to decor your daughter's bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Bedding US here offers brand new 2013 Girls Bedding Sets to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.

2013 Luxury Warm Red Winter Bedding Duvet Cover Set with Geometric Printing

Bulb Planting Tips from a Dutch Garden - Part 7

 Pay Attention to Bloom Times

Tulips and narcissus are a classic combination. But because most narcissus bloom earlier than standard tulips, select late-blooming narcissus varieties to partner with your tulips. In this bed, 'Unique' narcissus and 'China Lady' tulip bloom in concert.

Grow Bulbs in Containers

If you're short on garden space, consider growing bulbs in containers like this galvanized pail. You can often find prestarted tulips, narcissus, and hyacinths for sale in the spring at your local garden center.

Make Memorable Combinations

At Keukenhof we found this amazing display of galvanized containers filled to the brim with different varieties of muscari and pansies. By working with just one main species of bulb, you can be sure that all of them will bloom at the same time. This is a great way to decorate a wall, patio, or porch.

2013 Boys Bedding Advertisements: If you want to decor your son's bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Bedding US here offers brand new 2013 TEENS BEDDING SETS to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.

2013 Luxury Blue and Orange Geometric Style Winter Bedding Duvet Cover Set

Bulb Planting Tips from a Dutch Garden - Part 6

Keep Your Color Scheme Simple

Planting bulbs of complementary colors next to each other is a sure way to create impact in the garden. This spectacular bed contains pink double tulips framed with a small army of blue muscari.

Include Shrubs

Dutch garden designer Jacqueline van der Kloet creates many of the outstanding mixed beds at Keukenhof. Here, she combined 'Valerie Finnis' muscari, orange 'Verona' tulip, white 'Tres Chic' tulip, and 'Romance' narcissus with the beautiful white blooms of spirea.

Repeat Colors

Before you plant, do some research. Choose varieties that complement each other in height, bloom time, and color. Here, the petals of 'Orange Emperor' tulip blend perfectly with the centers of the 'Royal Orange' narcissus flowers.

2013 Boys Bedding Advertisements: If you want to decor your son's bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Bedding US here offers brand new 2013 Boys Bedding Sets to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.

2013 Luxury Warm Camel Striped Winter Bedding Duvet Cover Set

Bulb Planting Tips from a Dutch Garden - Part 5

Add Height

Always leave space at the back of your border for tall plants. Growing up to 4 feet tall, variegated crown imperial fritillaria, makes an impressive backdrop.

Test Garden Tip: The bulbs of crown imperial fritillaria have a strong skunky odor. Some people believe they repel moles.

 Underplant Trees

Because they bloom so early in the season, bulbs can be planted directly under deciduous trees. By the time the trees leaf out and shade the area, the bulbs will be done blooming. At the base of this tree, we found 'Paperwhite' narcissus and 'Spring Green' tulip with a few boxwoods.

Mix in Perennials

Brighten a spring garden by planting bulbs among perennials. The bulbs will lead off the flower show, giving perennials time to mature and take over as the bulbs fade. At Keukenhof we found this lovely pairing of lamb's ears and red tulips.

Advertisements of 2013 Comforter Sets: If you want to decor your bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Bedding US here offers brand new 2013 King Bedding Sets to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.

Stunning Rainbow Colored Striped 2013 Warm Winter Bedding Duvet Cover Set

Bulb Planting Tips from a Dutch Garden - Part 4

Combine Varieties

Mixing tulip varieties that bloom at the same time is a great way to add impact to your garden. Here 'Cape Cod' and 'Negrita' tulips share a bed. The dark plum blooms of 'Negrita' look terrific integrated with the amber flowers of 'Cape Cod'. Pink hyacinths bloom nearby.

Plan for Fragrance

Keep fragrance in mind when you plan your garden. Bulbs such as hyacinths are richly fragrant and will quickly perfume your entire yard. In this bed, the delightfully scented 'Pink Perfection' hyacinth teams with blue muscari and 'Grand Style' tulip.

Test Garden Tip: Hyacinths aren't the only fragrant bulbs. Many tulips and narcissus are also scented.

Create Contrasts

The great thing about bulbs is that they are available in so many forms and colors. In this garden, for example, a slender ribbon of 'Monte Carlo' tulips winds its way through a blue border of stocky hyacinths.

Advertisements of 2013 Comforter Sets: If you want to decor your bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Bedding US here offers brand new 2013 Queen Bedding Sets to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.

2013 Luxury Rainbow Colored Striped Warm Winter Bedding Set