Mini Garden Makeovers

Do you feel like your garden needs a complete makeover? Well, don’t let it overwhelm you. As with any large project, the best approach is to carve it into smaller, manageable tasks. Here are some ideas.

Border, Side Yard, Path

Transform a ho-hum border in a side yard or path to your front door by layering in colorful shrubs and perennials of varying heights. For easy care, abundant blooms include Flower Carpet roses, available in a variety of colors. Other colorful foliage to consider include Golden Ruby or Crimson Ruby barberry and Limemound or Magic Carpet spirea. For slightly shady areas, add Midnight Rose coral bells, Pink Elf hydrangea or Wild Swan anemone.

Out the Kitchen Window

Are you often looking out the kitchen window as you wash dishes or cook? Plant something that you’ll love to look at from that window such as eye-catching perennials in colorful containers like Tropicanna canna or shrubs like Red Darling hibiscus.

View From the Den

For a nice view out a larger window, consider making a haven for hummingbirds and butterflies. In the background, plant honeysuckle and trumpet vines like Madame Galen. Then add plenty of nectar and fragrance with bluebeard and butterfly bushes and brunfelsia. Want to make it more water-wise? Easy-to-grow bird of paradise attracts hummingbirds, as do Santa Barbara salvia and the brightly colored Heatwave salvias. This garden fix will be colorful and fragrant, plus you can enjoy watching these cute little pollinators all season long.

Tree Base

Do you have a little ring of annuals planted at the base of your tree? It takes effort to keep it looking decent, and the effect is underwhelming. Instead, why not create a seating area under the tree with a small bench or two chairs? Or install a birdbath. Nestle in containers with shade-loving plants like hosta and ferns. Add color with azaleas, and bring in fragrance with star jasmine. For the best balance, use an odd number of containers.

Monrovia
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