This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

DIY Garden Design: Fun With Foliage (Part II)

Be sure to read Part I for how to get started planning your own landscape makeover. 

Filling in the Blanks

Once you have your larger plantings selected, start thinking about filling in the smaller areas in and around the larger plants. Avoid buying just one of each smaller plant – do as the pros do and plant in groups. One thing you’ll also notice with the professionals – buy in odd numbers! Even numbers rarely occur in nature; plantings appear more natural if you group in threes and fives.

Find out what's happening in Campbellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Stick to a Theme

Just as you wouldn’t paint every room in your house a different color, for a truly professionally-landscaped look, avoid buying flowers in every color of the rainbow – choose a color scheme that will work for the entire yard and be sure to plan your outdoor furniture, pots and accessories to compliment your blooms and foliage.

Find out what's happening in Campbellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Foliage is Fun!

Fantastic foliage is in fashion these days, and new hybrids are being introduced every season featuring showy and gorgeous foliage. Chocolate or burgundy-colored foliage is among the most popular, along with lime and silver. One of my favorite combinations, chocolate and silver, is the color scheme for my front garden. 

No Room for a Kitchen Garden?

While it would be great if we all had the space for a dedicated kitchen garden, most suburban lots don't allow for such luxuries. It’s easy, however, to tuck a few useful plants and herbs right into your landscape. Sage, oregano, chives, parsley, rosemary – all these herbs, while commonly used in many recipes, are perennial in our climate and super easy to grow. Tuck a few herbs into your beds, nearest your kitchen, and have easy access to fresh herbs year round. Don't forget the basil in the summer though! While an annual, it's well worth the yearly investment. I'm convinced that pretty much everything tastes better with basil...I buy mine in fully grown from Trader Joe's every April; then re-pot into a slightly larger container and keep in a sunny spot near my kitchen door. 

Great Ideas

For great ideas on gardening spaces, landscape design and plant selection, here are a few of my favorite resources:

Monrovia, a name you’ll see commonly in upscale nurseries, has a fantastic website that is unparalleled for ideas, a superior plant catalog, tutorials and more. You can even create a plant wishlist (with pictures and descriptions) to take with you the next time you go shopping, or find plants to suit a particular garden style (like cottage, Zen, etc.). 

Gardenweb is the largest gardening site on the Web, with garden forums, articles on gardening, directories of nurseries, gardens and gardening organizations. This is a great place to ask questions of other expert gardens, find gardeners in your specific climate zone, or learn about new or rare plants.

Sunset.com offers Western gardeners schedules, resources, problem solving and great ideas. Their site offers a Plant Finder, tutorials, and great information about exactly what to do and when in your specific Western climate zone.

Don't Be Afraid to Experiment

Take a few risks and experiment! Need immediate help? The gardeners at your local garden center are often an invaluable source of information. I find that stopping by Summerwinds on Winchester in the middle of a weekday is often the best time to find one of the pros available and willing to advise and counsel on your garden questions and dilemmas! 

Now it's your turn - what are your favorite gardening resources locally and on the web? 

Next week I'll share my favorite plant varieties, fun foliage and annuals, tried and tested in a local Campbell backyard! 

************************************************

Adelle Gabrielson is a local writer and amateur gardener trying to live life with grace, humor and great shoes. Read more of her musings at www.AdelleGabrielson.com or follow on Facebook

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?