Retirement Communities Gardens -
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You, too, can have a lovely garden requiring little work using such elements as windchimes, groundcovers and stepping stones, garden ornaments, low-maintenance plants, pottery and patio furniture.
I call this the woodchips and flagstones low-maintenance garden. Just two elements can make it all work. The flagstones meander thru the woodchips adding the right touch with low maintenance plants. You can use many other types of groundcovers such as gravel or sand.
Here's a cute patio. The tilting umbrella seems to echo the tilt of the pinetree. Just add a couple planters,a pot of flowers and the cute 3-tiered arrangements to soften the patio. Notice the soft colors of the patio umbrella. Also, a planting of pastel impatiens to the far right echos the soft color palette on the patio.
I call this the green chairs garden. The owner has blended the colors beautifully to go with her lacy backed green chairs. A pink and green masterpiece of hosta and impatiens-- elegant and luxurious in feel.
Here is a garden probably designed to delight the grandchildren. Little statues of children from nursery rhymes scattered throughout. You could also add stone statues of mushrooms or turtles. How fun. All very low maintenance with woodchips as the groundcover. Notice the whimsical vine on the large wall backdrop. Added lighting as well.
Do you see that bright spot of color? The window boxes of bright impatiens are attached to the top of the patio fence rail and the garden below also is a row of coral and pink impatiens. How dull the building would have been if not for the owner's creativity. She just used color in layers. She also has her patio umbrella neatly tied and a hanging wind chime completes the symphony.
Here are two patios side by side with some similar ideas. Makes them give off a good harmony. Both have patio umbrellas and both have wall fixtures in a similar shape. Just add a row of colorful flowers in the foreground and a hanging planter and it looks so pretty.
Wooden retaining walls enclose this patio and raised beds. His golf cart is parked behind the large shrubs in his retirement communities garden. Low maintenance shrubs keep this patio always neat.
New Gardens for 2007
Here is a great idea for you. I always loved the thought of yellow petunias but thought they looked "washed out" until I saw this arrangement of yellow petunias with purple ones. The yellow really stands out in this contrasting color plan.
A low maintenance garden doesn't have to be drab. A red Japanese Maple is the centerpiece of these easy care plants of Juniper and colorful perennials. Add woodchips to cut back on weeding. Make sure you first layer heavy black plastic wrap under the woodchips. You can poke some small holes in the wrap for drainage.
The following two photos are of the same two above. I thought you would like to see how they look the following year. The owners made slight variations but the design is the same.
Some people have an artistic flair--this retirement communities garden bed is filled with woodchips so there is no weeding..the owner put down black plastic first with holes for air and water and then covered it with woodchips and planted low maintenance plants like grasses. Notice the small shrub is pruned like a tree.
This is a common scenario--the fenced patio is kept clean inside and clutter free--the garden is on the outside in a border around fence. Fill with low maintenance shrubs and woodchips--notice the variety and textures here for interest.
This simple garden has a design--using just two plants--one in foreground and shrubs in back--one light, one dark--very dark green is great against red brick.
The lavish use of red in this entry garden is energizing and uplifting to you and your visitors. You can use perennials for lower maintenance.
The warm copper wind chime and the wrought iron handrail stand out in this garden of clean lines and simple beauty--again the garden on the outside of the fence. Dark green and white make a nice contrast and the shrub on the patio is a camellia for spring color.
Not much work to do in this all-green retirement communities garden. Add a pot of red geraniums or a hanging plant to make this garden stand out and not much work. Notice the Nandina bush to the left which will turn bright orange in Autumn and Spring.
Hostas are a low maintenance plant that are often recommended for shady spots.
When you enjoy working in a garden, good planning produces a lot of gardening areas in a small space.
An edging of some kind keeps the woodchips enclosed. This mixed border will require no weeding using plastic wrap and woodchips.
Analyze mother nature. What makes it interesting--the variety of textures and groundcovers in this natural scene.
Autumn Retirement Communities Gardens 2007 -- It is interesting to see 3 of our favorite gardens from above and how they look in the Fall. If you don't have much imagination, don't worry, these photos should help you plan your Autumn/Holloween garden:
Green Chairs Garden: They removed the summer hostas and impatiens and put in full blooming chrysanthemums, a pumpkin and some Holloween decorations. Nice color change with the green chairs.
Suddenly--Holloween--just add a pumpkin for color, a couple decorations and plop a playful ghost in the front yard for fun. Notice the scarecrow hanging on the brick wall and a twisty tree nearby helps add to the ambience.
They didn't have to add any Fall decorations to this tiny statues garden since the naturally falling leaves did it for them.
A Northeast garden in winter when no plants bloom can still have beauty. This one has been swept up neatly revealing the garden's design--a form of beauty in itself--a tree waiting for spring to bloom, a bench, the green of shrubbery, and the ornaments of bird bath and feeder. Each season for retirement communities gardens has beauty.
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