Best For Study

My most beloved garden was honored in this months Hill Rag magazine as one of "Five Great Corner Gardens: Our Annual Paen to the Hills Urban Gardeners."  The garden is the parsonage for the pastor of Capitol Hill United Methodist Church.  I designed the garden in collaboration with the previous pastor Ginger Gaines Cirelli and her husband Anthony.  Ginger and Anthony were both avid cooks, so the idea for the garden was to combine an herb garden with an oramental flower garden. 

This garden concept was popular for church gardens in Charlemagnes time.  In France, they are called jardins de cure or jardins de simple in reference to the unpretentious gardens the priest cultivated in the churchyard. These gardens used both edible and medicinal plants as well as flowers for the altar.   Food writer Patricia Wells described these lost medieval gardens, "Whatever is grown in a traditional jardin de cure, it should give the impression of profusion, mystery, and surprise and evoke the simple pleasures of life."

Hakonechloa macra, Chasmanthium latifolium, Hydrangea Limelight, Acanthus hungaricus, Nepeta Walkers Low, and Nasella tenuissima.

The Hill Rag writes:

This is a great example of beach garden meets Victorian herb garden.  The garden is well proportioned since it sits on a raised wall and the homeowners have made sure there are not any oversized plantings.  The garden skirts the home and is a melding of the best of two garden styles.  The grasses and bears breeches are reminiscent of a beach side garden.  The roses and annuals would be found in the best of both garden styles and the lavender and mint are perfect specimens of the formal herb garden.  Large oversized field stone steppers are both functional and add the right amount of drama.  The garden is full and lush, but not messy and unkempt.  Urban tranquility.  Derek Thomas

Perennials, grasses, and shrubs are composed on site before installation.

Mazus reptans blooms in May between large Pensylvania boulders.

Choosing the Best Flowers for your Front Yard is the key to a beautiful landscape. Sure, Flowers, your landscape will look dull and boring.
you may have the most spectacular-looking house, trees and shrubs in the neighborhood, but without

Aside from giving life to your property, beautiful Flowers can provide rest and relaxation to the senses. Plant some fragrant annuals in Front of your windows and youll have a natural air-freshener all-year long.

Careful Planning

All structures, big or small, need careful planning to achieve their full potentials. The same goes for your Front Yard. Unplanned, it will look like a wild garden of sorts, with some Flowers looking healthy while others look dry and even dying. So before you start digging holes in your garden, consider the following factors:

• The climate in your area. The climate is the first thing to consider when choosing the Best Flowers for your Yard. If you live in a tropical area, select Flowers that love being in warm climates. SunFlowers, hibiscus, roses and orchids are some examples. For colder climates, snapdragons, pansies and camellias are some of the Best.

• The amount of sunlight in your Front Yard. Some homeowners wonder why their sun-loving plants look unhealthy and even die in their Front Yards. Its because these plants must be placed in areas where they can get the most sunlight. On the other hand, a shady area can look interesting by planting bleeding-hearts, primroses or bellFlowers.

• Your homes façade. Take a careful look at your façade. What colors do you want to accentuate? Flowers with yellow petals will make your predominantly red porch stand out, while white, pink and lilac Flowers can produce a calming effect to a dark-shaded façade.

Flowers, Flowers, Everywhere

Yes, Flowers in your Front Yard will definitely make it come to life. Here are some tips on How to Choose the Best Flowers for your Yard:

• Consider planting native Flowers. Native Flowers are the top choices for their areas of origin. Its because they have already adapted to the climate and the soil, making them easier to maintain than foreign ones.

• Be aware of the Flowers colors. If you want a harmonious looking flower garden, think of the Flowers colors. An all-yellow or all-white flower garden can be boring. Spice it up by planting Flowers with complementary or contrasting colors. Not sure? Consult your age-old color wheel.

• Consider the Flowers sizes. Keep in mind that some Flowers grow as tall as three feet while others remain small. Plant the taller ones in the middle and the smaller ones on the sides.

• Combine annuals and perennials. Annuals and perennials both complement the garden. Annuals have very beautiful Flowers but they die after a year so it pays to have perennials on the background to provide color during the times when annuals have to be replanted.

These are just some of the tips on How to Choose the Best Flowers for your Front Yard. Use them wisely as they can give you a beautiful garden that you will be proud of.