Landscapes change over the years. As plants grow, the overall look evolves from sparse to lush. Trees cast cool shade where the sun used to shine. Shrubs and hedges grow tall and dense enough to provide privacy. Perennials and ground covers spread to form colorful patches of foliage and flowers. Meanwhile, paths, arbors, fences, and other structures gain the patina of age.
Constant change over the years — sometimes rapid and dramatic, sometimes slow and subtle — is one of the joys of landscaping. It is also one of the challenges. Anticipating how fast plants will grow and how big they will eventually get is difficult, even for professional designers. To illustrate the kinds of changes to expect in a planting, these pages show a landscape design at three different “ages.” Even though a new planting may look sparse at first, it will soon fill in. And because of careful spacing, the planting will look as good in 10 to 15 years as it does after 3 to 5. It will, of course, look different, but that’s part of the fun.
At Planting — Here’s how the corner might appear in early summer immediately after planting. The white birch tree is only 5 to 6 ft. tall, with trunks no thicker than broomsticks. The variegated Siberian dogwoods each have a few main stems about 3 to 4 ft. tall. The ‘Blaze’ rose has just short stubs where the nursery
Three to Five Years — The birch tree has grown 1 to 2 ft. taller every year but is still quite slender. Near the base, it’s starting to show the white bark typical of maturity. The variegated Siberian dogwoods are well established now. If you cut them to the ground every year or two in spring, they grow back 4 to 6 ft. tall by midsummer, cut back the old stems, but it will grow fast and may bloom the first year. The ‘Blue Star’ junipers are low mounds about 6 to 10 in. wide. The blue oat grass forms small, thin clumps of sparse foliage. The ‘Gracillimus’ Japanese silver grass may still be dormant, or it may have a short tuft of new foliage. Both grasses will grow vigorously the first year. with strong, straight stems. The ‘Blaze’ rose covers the fence, and you need to prune out a few of its older stems every spring. The slow-growing ‘Blue Star’ junipers make a series of low mounds; you still see them as individuals, not a continuous patch. The grasses have reached maturity and form lush, robust clumps. It would be a good idea to divide and replant them now, to keep them vigorous.
Ten to Fifteen Years — The birch tree is becoming a fine specimen, 20 to 30 ft. tall, with gleaming white bark on its trunks. Prune away the lower limbs up to 6 to 8 ft. above ground to expose its trunks and to keep it from crowding and shading the other plants. The variegated dogwoods and ‘Blaze’ rose continue to thrive and respond well to regular pruning. The ‘Blue Star’ junipers have finally merged into a continuous mass of glossy foliage. The blue oat grass and Japanese silver grass will still look good if they have been divided and replanted over the years. If you get tired of the grasses, you could replace them with cinnamon fern and astilbe, as shown here, or other perennials or shrubs.
Why wait until a visitor reaches the front door to extend a cordial greeting? Have your landscape offer a friendly welcome and a helpful “Please come this way.” Well-chosen plants and a revamped walkway not only make a visitor’s short journey a pleasant one, but they can also enhance your home’s most public face.
This simple arrangement of plants and paving produces an elegant entrance that deftly mixes formal and informal elements. A wide walk of neatly fitted flagstones and a rectangular bed of roses have the feel of a small formal courtyard, complete with a pair of “standard” roses in planters, each displaying a mound of flowers atop a single stem. Clumps of ornamental grass rise from the paving like leafy fountains.
Gently curving beds of low-growing evergreens and shrub roses edge the flagstones, softening the formality and providing a comfortable transition to the lawn. Morning glories and clematis climb simple trellises to brighten the walls of the house.
Flowers in pink, white, purple, and violet are abundant from early summer until frost. They are set off by the rich green foliage of the junipers and roses and the gray leaves of the catmint edging.
Add a bench, as shown here, so you can linger and enjoy the scene; in later years, the lovely star magnolia behind it will provide comfortable dappled shade.
Once established, these shrubs and perennials require little care beyond deadheading and an annual pruning. Ask the nursery where you buy the standard roses for advice on how to protect the plants in winter.
‘’Blue Star’ juniper Juniperus squamata (use 6) The sparkly blue foliage of this low-growing evergreen shrub neatly edges the opening onto the lawn.
’Bonica’ rose Rosa (use 8) This deciduous shrub blooms from June until frost, producing clusters of double, soft pink flowers.
Dwarf creeping juniper Juniperis procumbens ‘Nana’ (use 8) This low, spreading evergreen with prickly green foliage makes a tough, handsome ground cover.
Star magnolia Magnolia stellat a (use 1) This small, multitrunked deciduous tree graces the entry with lightly scented white flowers in early spring.
‘The Fairy’ rose Rosa (use 2) Clusters of small, double, pale pink roses appear in abundance from early summer to frost. Buy plants trained as standards at a nursery. Underplant with impatiens.
‘White Meidiland’ rose Rosa (use 6) A low, spreading shrub, it is covered with clusters of lovely single white flowers all summer.
Jackman clematis Clematis x Jackmanii (use 2) Trained to a simple lattice, this deciduous vine produces large, showy, dark purple flowers for weeks in summer.
‘Gracillimus’ Japanese silver grass Miscanthus (use 3) The arching leaves of this perennial grass are topped by fluffy seed heads from late summer through winter.
‘Six Hills Giant’ catmint Nepeta x faassenii (use 20) A perennial with violet-blue flowers and aromatic gray-green foliage edges the roses.
Flagstone paving — Rectangular flagstones in random sizes.
Planters — Simple wooden boxes contain blue-flowered annual morning glories (on the stoop, trained to a wooden lattice) and standard roses (in front of the stoop).
Formal gardens have a special appeal. Their simple geometry can be soothing in a hectic world, and the look is timeless, never going out of style. The front yard of a classical house, like the one shown here, invites a formal makeover. (A house with a symmetrical facade in any style has similar potential.)
In this design, a paved courtyard and a planting of handsome trees, shrubs, and ground covers have transformed a site typically given over to lawn and a cement walkway. The result is a more dramatic entry, but also one where you can happily linger with guests on a fine day.
Tall hedges on the borders of the design and the centrally placed redbud provide a modicum of privacy in this otherwise public space. Lower hedges along the sidewalk and front of the driveway allow a view of the street and make these approaches more welcoming.
A matched pair of viburnums make a lovely setting for the front door. To each side, layered groups of shrubs give depth and interest to the house’s facade. From spring through fall, the planting’s flowers and foliage make the courtyard a comfortable spot, and there is ample evergreen foliage to keep up appearances in winter. Completing the scene is an ornamental focal point and a bench for enjoying the results of your landscaping labors.
Site: Sunny
Season: Early Summer
Concept: Wide paving, hedges, trees, and shrubs create an appealing entry courtyard.
Spring is the season for flowers in this planting, with redbud, rhododendron, and candytuft blossoms in shades of pink and white. The colorful leaves and berries of viburnum, redbud, and barberry brighten the fall. While the hedge plants are dependable and problem-free, you’ll need to shear them at least once a year to maintain the formal shapes.
Note: All plants are appropriate for USDA Hardiness Zones 4, 5, and 6.
Redbud Cercis canadensis (use 1 plant)
Small pink flowers line the branches of this deciduous tree in early spring before the foliage appears. The heart-shaped leaves emerge reddish, mature to a lustrous green, and turn gold in fall. Bare branches form an attractive silhouette in winter, especially as the tree ages.
Pachysandra Pachysandra terminalis (use 250)
Hardy, adaptable evergreen ground cover that will spread in the shade of the redbud, forming an attractive, weed-smothering, glossy green carpet.
Japanese holly Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’ (use 19)
Choose an upright cultivar of this evergreen shrub to form a hedge of dark green leaves. In Zones 4 and 5 substitute the hardier compact burning bush, Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus.’
‘Crimson Pygmy’ Japanese barberry Berberis thunbergii (use 34)
This rugged deciduous shrub puts on a colorful show, with small maroon leaves that turn red in fall when they’re joined by bright red berries. A small rounded plant, it can be sheared, as shown here, or pruned lightly into an informal low hedge.
Dwarf double-file viburnum Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum (use 2)
A pair of these deciduous shrubs make an elegant frame for the door. Tiers of horizontal branches are smothered with small clusters of pure white flowers from May through fall. Large, crinkled leaves are medium green.
‘Janet Blair’ rhododendron Rhododendron (use 6)
The wonderful evergreen foliage and light pink flowers of this compact shrub anchor the planting at the corners of the house. Blooms in late spring. ‘Mist Maiden’ and ‘Anna Hall’ rhododendrons are good substitutes.
Dwarf creeping juniper Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’ (use 10)
Layered sprays of this evergreen shrub’s prickly bright green foliage lay like thick rugs on the edge of the lawn. A lovely contrast to the dark green rhododendrons behind. For extra color in spring, plant handfuls of crocuses, snowdrops, or grape hyacinths next to the junipers.
Evergreen candytuft Iberis sempervirens (use 12)
An evergreen perennial ground cover, it forms a low, sprawling mound of glossy foliage next to the viburnums. Bears small white flowers for weeks in the spring.
Pavers
The courtyard is surfaced with 2-ft.-square precast pavers. Use two complementary colors to create patterns, if you choose. Substitute flagstones or bricks if they would look better with your house.
Ornament
An ornament centered in the courtyard paving provides a focal point. Choose a sculpture, sundial, reflecting ball, birdbath, or large potted plant to suit your taste.
Bench
Enjoy the courtyard garden from a bench in a style that complements the garden and the house.
Some things may not love a wall, but plants and gardeners do. For plants, walls offer warmth for an early start in spring and good drainage for roots. Gardeners appreciate the rich visual potential of composing a garden on two levels, as well as the practical advantage of working on two relatively flat surfaces instead of a single sloping one. If you have a wall, or have a place to put one, grasp the opportunity for some handsome landscaping.
This design places two complementary perennial borders above and below a wall bounded at one end by a set of stairs. While each bed is narrow enough for easy maintenance, when viewed from the lower level they combine to form a border almost 8 ft. deep, with plants rising to eye level. The planting can be easily extended on both sides of the steps.
Building the wall that makes this impressive sight possible doesn’t require the time or skill it once did. Nor is it necessary to scour the countryside for tons of fieldstone or to hire an expensive contractor. Thanks to precast retaining-wall systems, a knee-high do-it-yourself wall can be installed in as little as a weekend. More experienced or ambitious wall builders may want to tackle a natural stone wall, but anyone with a healthy back (or access to energetic teenagers) can succeed with a prefabricated system.
Note: All plants are appropriate for USDA Hardiness Zones 4, 5, and 6.
These plants provide color from spring until frost with little care from you. All are perennials or grasses that need minimal maintenance beyond clipping of spent blooms and a fall or spring cleanup. Several offer excellent flowers for cutting or drying.
Baby’s breath Gypsophila paniculata (use 3 plants)
This popular perennial produces a cloud of tiny white flowers in June and July that add an airy texture to the garden and are excellent for cutting. A good foil to the stronger colors and textures of the adjacent plants.
Blue oat grass Helictotrichon sempervirens (use 3)
A carefree grass, it forms a neat, dense clump of thin blue leaves that maintain their color through winter.
Cushion spurge Euphorbia polychroma (use 1)
The electric-yellow spring color of this showy perennial is produced by long-lasting flower bracts, not petals, so it serves as a garden focal point for weeks. Its mound of foliage neatly fills the corner by the steps and turns red in fall.
Daylily mix Hemerocallis (use 6)
For an extended show of lovely lilylike flowers, combine early- and late-blooming cultivars in a selection of your favorite colors. The grassy foliage of this perennial covers the end of the wall.
‘Kobold’ blazing sta r Liatris spicata (use 6)
Magenta flower spikes of this durable perennial rise from a clump of dark green foliage from late July through August. A good mate for its prairie companion, purple coneflower. Flowers are great for cutting and drying, and butterflies love them.
Lamb’s ears Stachys byzantina (use 6)
The large soft leaves of this spreading perennial ground cover are a season-long presence; their silvery color is a nice foil to the blues and yellows nearby. Bears small purple flowers in early summer.
Missouri evening primrose Oenothera missouriensis (use 6)
Large, glowing yellow flowers cover the glossy foliage of this low spreading perennial, which will cascade over the wall. Blooms from late June through August.
‘Moonshine’ yarrow Achillea (use 3)
This perennial’s flat heads of lemon yellow flowers light up the center of the garden much of the summer. Grayish foliage is fragrant, surprisingly tough despite its lacy looks. Flowers are good for drying.
‘Munstead’ English lavender Lavandula angustifolia (use 3)
The gray foliage of this classic bushy herb seems to deepen the greens nearby. Bears a profusion of fragrant pale lavender flower spikes in July, a pretty combination with the yellow yarrow and primroses.
Purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea (use 6)
In July and August, stiff stalks carrying large daisylike pink flowers with dark brown cone-shaped centers rise above this native perennial’s basal clump of rich green leaves. Leave some flower stalks standing for winter interest and to provide seeds for songbirds.
‘Purple Dome’ New England aster Aster novaeangliae (use 2)
This native perennial makes a mound of foliage and is covered with purple flowers in the fall, when the garden needs a shot of color.
‘White Clips’ Carpathian bellflower Campanula carpatica (use 6)
A hardy little perennial with tufts of glossy green leaves and white cuplike flowers that stand out beside the blue oat grass from July until frost.
Wall and steps
This wall and steps are built from a readily available prefabricated wall system. It is 15 ft. long and 24 in. high. Select a system to match the colors and style of your home.
Walkway
This is built from flagstone dressed to random rectangular sizes. Precast concrete pavers or gravel would also go well with a prefabricated wall.
Site: Sunny
Season: Summer
Concept: Low retaining wall creates easy-to-maintain beds for a distinctive two-level planting.