I find that I tend to gather ideas like that.  Passing by a house and seeing how well an idea works for them that I feel the need to rush out and copy it.  This idea was very simple and made use of cinder blocks and impatients.

The owners of the house had created two large flower beds on either side of the stairs leading up to the front yard, something that tends to be pretty standard for a lot of homes.  Instead of relying on a simple plant to create the boarder of the flower bed, the person took regular cinder blocks and placed them along the flowerbeds with the hollow portion of the blocks facing up.

A passerbyer would only see the dark grey stone and the flowers and shrubbery that peeked over the top of the stones and alone it might not have been that interesting.  That is if they had kept to just the border.  Instead, they took the cinder blocks and built up a mini stair case going up the sides of the stairs in an interlocking pattern.  Once the blocks were in place, the cinder blocks were filled with soil, and an impatient was placed into each one to create a boarder/planter out of each block.  The effect was amazing and it really made me think of different ways to use this little idea.

I felt the overwhelming need to share so that is what I did.  Lately, I have seen a big move to living mosses on stairs but this took the idea to a new level and instead of having to worry about moss tripping guests, the homeowner was able to create a different sort of steps leading to the house and also create a frame for the garden around the front door.

So if you are looking for an inventive way to do your edging, I would strongly suggest cinder blocks and a nice flower that can rest securely in each one.

Sirena Van Schaik

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Nature has cleverly already solved the problem of which plants grow best in full sun, which in partial shade and which in perpetual shade. All you have to do is observe your gardening environment and pick the appropriate plant for a given spot. But, before you can pick a proper plant you have to know what kind of shade you have.

‘Full sun area’ is just what the phrase says, an area that receives a full day of sunshine, anywhere from 6-12 hours or more during the summer, depending on where you live.

Partial sun or partial shade occurs in areas where there is ample light, but it is supplied indirectly. This happens under awnings, beneath large or heavily-leafed trees or under any other kind of covered area.

All the light received, which is usually plenty for most plants, is reflected light. As it reflects off different surfaces it usually loses a lot of energy, which means there’s less for the plant. But that ‘less’ is often just the right amount for healthy growth without producing excessive drying or burning. That helps keep the soil warm and the plant’s leaves well supplied with sunlight for photosynthesis.

‘Full shade’, by contrast, means an area that receives very little light, even indirectly. It’s not completely dark, but it is dim and all the light reaching it has been reflected many times. That causes it to lose most of its energy, leaving little for the plant. Soil in such areas is often no more than cool at best.

Very few flowering plants do well in full shade, but it’s ideal for many kinds of ground cover. Mosses are the most obvious example. Walk around a heavily shaded forest and you’ll find moss growing. It’s often moist and accompanied by other types of fungi, wild mushrooms and the like.

A wide variety of plants, many of which produce beautiful flowers grow well in partial shade. In such areas there is often no more than 1-2 hours of direct sunlight per day, though there will be several hours of reflected light. The sunlight it does receive will rarely occur during the hottest hours of the day.

Hostas do well in partial shade. Their large leaves are great for absorbing the available light and they produce beautiful pale flowers on long stocks during late Spring and early Summer. Impatiens also do well in partial shade and produce a lovely pink or orange colored flower. Foxgloves, too, can thrive well in partial shade, provided the soil is warm enough.

Pick the right flower for the right conditions and you’ll be off to a great start.

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An herb garden is one of the most common types of edible landscape. This is because they are very easy to grow, very tolerant of a variety of climates and conditions, and because they grow rapidly. Additionally, herbs are more than just tasty. Many of them look very nice, with attractively shaped leaves and different shades of green that can add a subtle beauty to the landscape. Not only that, but herbs often smell nice. They can surround your home with a pleasing perfume that exudes a true sense of “home.”

Many people plant parsley, rosemary, and thyme in their herb gardens, but there are other herbs that can be planted as well. Cilantro is a little milder than parsley, and it has a different look. Mint is another herb that many people do not think to plant, as is lavender. Both of these herbs look different, and they both give off very nice scents. Another herb with a very attractive smell is Roman chamomile. Even though some of these herbs may be less frequently used, it is possible to find plenty of recipes that use them, and lavender and chamomile are noted for their usefulness in providing an atmosphere of calm. So even the scents can be of use. Simple bring them into the house and enjoy the feelings that accompany the smell.

Vegetable gardens are other edible landscaping devices that can look very attractive. They, too, can be planted in a variety of climates, and can be grown in a variety of soils. There are some plants that grow only in certain regions, but your basic garden fare can be grown almost anywhere. Just the look of green plants has been shown to be soothing, and when you grow your own food, it adds another dimension of satisfied feelings associated with self-confidence and accomplishment. Every vegetable has its own look to it, and so it is possible to enjoy a variety of different looks by carefully choosing the plants that you grow. However, you should choose, first and foremost, plants that you will eat. If you are not going to eat much squash, avoid planting it. But there are plenty of vegetables that have very attractive looking plants and even flowers. Peas have cute little flowers and send up beautiful curly vines. And there are many species of pepper that look beautiful after the fruit has arrived, with their yellow, greens, and reds.

When you use herb and vegetable gardens as part of the landscape, there is no need to plant them all together in one place. Spread them around the yard. Use tomato plants and squash plants (including pumpkins) can be used as accents. Herbs make excellent ground cover. Most vegetables and herbs can be grown very successfully in containers. You can make a very attractive landscape design if you use flower boxes for your herbs, and if you use quaint old antique washtubs for things like beans. Pretty sticks can be decorated to emerge from decorative tins for your peas.

The great thing about growing vegetable and herb gardens as part of your landscape is the fact that they are edible. They do not cost very much to plant, and they can save you even more money down the road when you buy less produce at the grocery store. Additionally, if you have too much you can always bottle or freeze it for later. Many people use the excess plants from their gardens as gifts to their neighbors or family members. There is no reason to relegate herb and vegetable gardens to some hidden corner of the property, or even to garden in a conventional way, with large plots. You can add distinction to your yard by using the unique and inexpensive method of landscaping with herbs and vegetables.

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The first thing you need to do is make sure that you have all of the necessary tools and materials. You can make your beds out of rocks, concrete blocks, bricks, naturally rot-resistant wood (cypress is very slow to decompose), or wood treated with a safe preservative. It is important to make sure that treated wood does not have anything harmful in it that could leach into the soil and thus be absorbed by the plants. This is especially important if you plan to eat whatever you are growing in your raised bed. Other things that you will need include optional wood preservative (like sealant) or sheet plastic, spading fork, shovel, iron rake, hammer and nails, measuring tape, compost, and topsoil. All of things are necessary for creating a successful raised garden bed.

When making a permanent garden bed, you should make sure to use more permanent materials. If you plan to use your bed for flowers as a prominent part of your landscape, bricks make very nice beds, as they are attractive and often complement most traditional landscape designs and plants. The bed can be as long as you would like it to be, but it should be at least one foot deep and no more than four feet wide. Wider beds can make it difficult to reach the middle of the bed to take care of things like weeding and fertilizing. If you have the bed against a house or fence, wide beds make it difficult to reach the backside of the bed as well.

Temporary beds, unlike permanent beds, allow you to change the design every year. If you like the idea of being able to make small changes to your landscape each growing season, then temporary beds can help you achieve this. Additionally, they are easier and less expensive to remove if you decide that you would like to take them out. Wood is best for these types of beds, as the wood can easily be taken apart. Choosing attractive woods can add to the look of your landscape design. You can also decorate the wood with non-toxic paint if you would like to have a little different look. As with permanent beds, make sure that you build them at least with a foot of depth and not very wide.

When planting your beds, whether permanent or temporary, you should begin by preparing the bed. Remove rocks, sticks, and debris from the beds and make sure that they are prepared for plantings. Be sure to allow for drainage. You can build your bed on a patio or on soil, but either way you should ensure that there are adequate pathways for excess moisture to escape. When using brick or concrete blocks, they can be stacked in a staggered fashion to allow water out of the bed. When building on top of soil, loosen the bottom soil with a shovel or spading fork. The bed should be filled from bottom to top with a compost and topsoil mixture. After this is done, rake the top of the bed so that it is smooth.

Once the bed is prepared, you can plant flowers, herbs, or vegetables inside the bed. Tall plants should be put in against a fence or wall, or on the bed’s northern side. Make sure that you take proper care of your plants in your bed, and remember that raised beds can dry out faster. They may need a little more water. Avoid stepping on the bed as much as possible to prevent soil compaction, and follow up your planting with a proper application of mulch.

 

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