Backyard Makeover

BEFORE

To make the backyard appear larger I designed a seating wall with 2 piers at each end that would hold larger containers. This boundary fools the eye and magically the yard is bigger! This is an old trick that painters used to force the perspectives in paintings. I also had a cement overlay installed over the existing cement patio with a faux finish of fieldstone. We replaced some of the furniture with cast aluminum in a dark finish and painted and antiqued the white set of cast iron to match. To finish off the planting beds a new boxwood hedge and roses were planted and graceful topiaries loaded with Mandevilla and Diamond Frost fill the containers. A Beautiful Retreat and a perfect way to create an outdoor room.

AFTER

Closeup of the containers, I painted these to look like weathered terra cotta. They were originally gray. I used an exterior latex paint in chocolate brown and then drybrushed with tan, olive and rust.

I am linking this @ Addicted 2 Decorating.

Tilman Before/After

BEFORE

AFTER

Last Hummingbird

My little hummingbird friend sitting patiently while I refill the feeder. This was the last time I saw him before he headed South for the winter.

Candyland at MBG

Here are a few images of the Candyland figures that were made for the

Missouri Botanical Gardens Childeren's Garden.Gingerbreadmen stand guard around a Lantana standard.

A Gingerbreadman playing in the Coleus

King Candy's Castle with Gumballs and Icecream cones.

Come back and play with us soon!

Diamond Frost

``Diamond Frost'' has delicate white flowers that will remind you of baby's breath. The difference is that Euphorbia ``Diamond Frost'' is grown as a potted plant for both indoor and outdoor use. ``Diamond Frost'' has been available in the nursery trade for only a few years, yet in this short time it has proven itself as winner. Planted outdoors, it blooms nonstop when utilized as a bedding plant or ground cover. ``Diamond Frost'' is highly drought tolerant with a bushy, yet open growth habit, uniquely qualifying it as a subject for hanging baskets and containers.``Diamond Frost,'' as a member of the succulent Euphorbiaceae or spurge family, is not as hung up on the issue of moisture loss. A bonus attached to ``Diamond Frost'' is its ease of propagation so that you are actually getting dozens, if not eventually hundreds, of plants at no extra charge. Detach 3-inch stem pieces and stick them in pots or soft ground to expand the presence of ``Diamond Frost'' in your garden.

Capsicum 'Black Pearl'

Attractive pearl-like black fruits appear on this ornamental pepper in summer, but the real show begins when those fruits mature to cherry red in sharp contrast with the plant’s superb, season-long, glossy black foliage. Plants typically grow in pyramidal shaped mounds to 18 inches tall and exhibit good tolerance for high heat and humidity. This is an excellent selection for beds, borders or containers. Plant in Full Sun.

Dichondra "Silver Falls"

Branching silver stems with soft, rounded, fan-shaped, silver leaves spread rapidly on this creeping/trailing foliage plant. In a single season, stems will cascade from a hanging basket to 3-6 feet or will creep along the ground rooting at the nodes to 3-4 feet. Tiny greenish-yellow spring flowers are not showy. It is the dense, metallic foliage that impresses. Great as an accent plant in containers and hanging baskets. Plant in full sun.

TerraCycle Sells Trash

TerraCycle manufactures affordable, potent, organic products that are not only made from waste, but are also packaged entirely in waste! TerraCycle Plant Food™ is made by feeding premium organic waste to millions of worms. The worm poop is then liquified into a powerful organic plant food and bottled directly in used soda bottles.

Garden Phlox "Robert Poore"

This giant among the garden phlox varieties, with its fragrant, richly colored red-purple flower clusters, is sure to catch your attention when it blooms in mid-summer. Named after Mississippi landscape architect Robert Poore, this is a top-rated phlox for its resistance to powdery mildew, the nemesis of many other paniculata cultivars.

Nandina

noun: also known as Heavenly Bamboo, is completely unrelated to Bamboo. It's common name comes only from it's resemblance to bamboo due to the fine lacy foliage, and the growth pattern of the plant, which is cane like. Nandina is classified as an evergreen, but will lose it's foliage if the temperature drops below 10 degreed F. The canes will die back to the ground at -10 degrees, but will come back readily the next spring.What makes this plant special is the color it provides in the garden, during all four seasons of the year. In the spring, the new foliage emerges as bright bronzed red, and is soon followed by large, six to twelve inch panicles of creamy white flowers.As the season changes, the foliage becomes blue green, fading to light green. Clusters of bright green berries replace the flowers. By late summer, the berries will ripen to a bright red.In the fall, the foliage color again begins to change to shades of pink and red, ending the year with bright red leaves and berries. The berries will remain until they are discovered and enjoyed by the local birds.Heavenly bamboo will slowly grow to 8 feet if it is left alone. However, it can be kept at a very compact size by pruning. This makes it an excellent choice for entryways, patios or foundation plantings. Multiple plantings may be used as a screen or hedge. It is also suitable for growing as a container plant, indoors.

Vitex

noun: also know as the chaste tree is a beautiful little deciduous tree or large shrub with a showy summertime flower display. The leaves are 3-4 inches in diameter and palmately compound with 5 to 7 fingerlike leaflets. Also called sage tree, the foliage is likewise aromatic and is typically grey-green to dark green above and lighter on the undersides. When in bloom, due to the similarity of the flowers, the chaste tree is sometimes mistaken for butterfly bush (Buddleia). The chaste tree is a sprawling plant that grows 10-20 feet and about as wide. Branched flower clusters are produced on new wood in late spring and early summer in a great flush that makes the tree look like a hazy purple cloud. It continues to bloom sporadically until early fall. Not only is the tree strikingly beautiful when in full bloom, but it is also fragrant and attracts pollinating bees and hummingbirds make hungry visits. Flower color ranges from violet to blue to deep purple.

Catalpa

noun: deciduous tree growing 10-25 feet tall, and can be recognized by their large heart-shaped to three-lobed leaves, showy white or yellow flowers in broad panicles, and in the autumn by their long fruits which resemble a slender bean pod, containing numerous small flat seeds.Due to their large leaf size, Catalpas provide very dark shade and are a popular habitat for many birds, providing them good shelter from rain and wind. These trees have very little limb droppage, but they do drop large bean pods during late summer.

Arborvitae

noun: the narrow, pyramid shape makes it a natural choice for windbreaks. Tall and elegant, it requires almost no care when used as a hedge or screen. Pairs of these hardy trees make great accents for doors and garden gates while single specimens soften house corners. In the wild single specimens commonly grow 40' to 60' with a spread of 15'. In urban settings a height of 20' to 30' with a 12' spread is more typical. Plant 3 feet apart for hedge. (zones 3-7)

Plant Hardiness Zones

The Plant Hardiness Zones divide the United States and Canada into 11 areas based on a 10 degree Fahrenheit difference in the average annual minimum temperature. (The United States falls within Zones 2 through 10). Suggested hardiness zones have been indicated for all trees and perennials available at nurseries. If a range of zones, for example, zones 4-9, is indicated, the tree or perennial is known to be hardy in zones 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. Suitable hardiness means a plant can be expected to grow in the zone's temperature extremes, as determined by the lowest average annual temperature.
Keep in mind that local variations such as moisture, soil, winds, and other conditions might affect the viability of individual plants.

Pentas

noun: dark green, lance-shaped leaves provide a lush backdrop for prolific clusters of never-ending, five-petal flowers. These may be red, white, lavender, purple, or shades of pink. All are extremely attractive to butterflies, and the red and dark pink varieties delight hummingbirds. Depending on the variety, the habit of growth may be upright to about 3', or low and mounding. The flowers are held in terminal clusters and self-deadhead. In warm weather the plant grows fast and stays in bloom constantly. Where winters are not too severe, pentas are perennial. They may always be treated as an annual and replanted after danger of frost for long lasting summer color. Blooms better and is more robust in good sun, but will still bloom in shade and look good!

Magnolia grandiflora

noun: commonly known as the Southern Magnolia or Bull Bay, is native to the southeastern United States, and is the official state flower of both Mississippi and Louisiana. A medium to large tree, 20-30 feet tall with a striking appearance, both in leaf and in bloom. The leaves are evergreen, 8 inches long and 5 inches broad, with smooth margins. Leaves are dark green, stiff and leathery, and often scurfy underneath with yellow-brown pubescence. Like most broadleaf evergreens, the leaves are replaced by new foliage in the spring. The large, showy, citronella-scented flowers are white, up to 13 inches across and fragrant, with 6-12 petals with a waxy texture, emerging from the tips of twigs on mature trees in late spring. The seed pods are often dried and used in floral arrangements. The leaves are are used in many Southern Christmas decorations often mixed with pine boughs to create garlands and wreaths.

Bee Balm/Monarda

This is a new series that I am calling The Language of Herbs. I will spotlight common herbs and their symbolic meanings. Keep these meanings in mind when creating arrangements for family and friends. Our first entry in Bee Balm/Monarda for Sympathy.

Weigela

noun: a rounded; spreading shrub that is ideal in groupings and makes a fine border plant with its green leaves and rosy pink flowers, which are especially attractive to hummingbirds. Flowering lasts from late spring into fall. Requires only a minimum of care to yield years of beauty. Hardy in zones 4-9, pest and disease resistant, can easily be pruned to control size.

Tuscan Inspired Garden

"Sweet Autumn"clematis in all it's glory invites you to explore beneath the bower.
The tranquil sounds of the stone fountain create a relaxing retreat.

Gardens of Spyglass Summit

Profusion zinnias add dramatic color

Sculptural shrubs meet free form Knockout Roses

Althea standard creates a vertical focal feature

Sit and enjoy the overflowing containers featuring yellow lantana