Make your shed an attractive & inviting destination!
Fri, Mar 14 2014 03:03
| Featured Project, Outdoor Living, Outdoor Storage, Trends Ideas
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Storage + Outdoor living provided by same focal point
The placement of the storage shed in this back yard makes it a focal point and a destination. After dining on the back patio, the owners are beckoned to take a stroll thru the garden to relax on the more intimate patio. There they can view the yard from a different perspective and enjoy flowering shrubs & features hidden from the previous view.
The photo below shows a clearer depiction of the small patio in front of the shed. What a nice place to enjoy a quiet moment in the garden and a chat with a friend! The french doors have a special appeal making it seem more like a garden house rather than a shed. The shape of the patio is interesting and flows with the bed lines.
After reviewing concepts, the owners decided on this position for the shed because it was centrally located and provided easiest access to tools. The French doors provide a wide opening for equipment and for letting in more light and air. All features that make this storage and work space more enjoyable.
All views in the yard lead to this same focal point. Here is the view from a bench on the opposite side of the yard. Large drifting and sweeping bed lines lead the eye thru the landscape.
Danna Cain, ASLA
Get more inspiration from the projects we've designed and built.
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www.homegardendesign.com
Also see this project as the cover story in the AJC Homefinder
"Storage space with style"
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Mini forsythias for small gardens & containers
Fri, Mar 14 2014 09:07
| Cutting Gardens, Featured Plant, Perennial Gardens, Pots Containers, Small Front Yards, Trends Ideas
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| Forsythia 'Show Off Starlet' |
Add early spring color in as little as 16" - 36" of space
Everyone seems to enjoy the bright yellow flowers that forsythia bring to the early spring landscape but not everyone has the space for the full sized shrub that can easily reach 8' tall. Now there are miniature and dwarf varieties available! These jewels ranging from 16" - 36" as lovely in containers, mixed in perennial borders or added as accents among broadleaf evergreens and conifers. |
| Forsythia 'Dwarf Mini Gold' |
The dwarf variety from Proven Winner is Show Off Starlet at 24" - 36". Others in this size range include Arnold's Dwarf, Goldilocks, Gold Tide, Happy Centennial and Golden Peep.
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| Forsythia 'Show Off Starlet' |
Forsythias are tough plants that can be used in any sunny to part sun area of the landscape. They are very forgiving of soil types, help to prevent erosion on hillsides and are even deer resistant!
Looking forward to using these in my designs! Are you ready to add this lovely yellow shrub to your landscape? Then contact me to schedule your Initial Consultation or Garden Walk now!
Danna Cain, ASLA
www.homegardendesign.com
"Green Star Award" received for environmental sustainability
Tue, Feb 4 2014 09:12
| Awards Recognitions, Children's Play Gardens, Herb Gardens, Organic Edible Gardens, Outdoor Living, Recent News, Sustainable Landscapes, Trends Ideas
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Urquhart project by HGD receives more honors!
This back yard was created to provide a healthy and safe place for the children to play and discover nature. Everything is eco friendly from the raised beds of chicken manure compost & worm castings to the selection of plants for an organic vegetable garden, butterfly garden plus other plants in the landscape that will attract pollinators and beneficial insects. Hardscape are permeable. The design is water wise with drip irrigation that has state-of-the-art weather monitoring system for automatic adjustment based on current weather conditions.
Rolling Planters move with the sun
Thu, Jan 30 2014 01:09
| Organic Edible Gardens, Pots Containers, Trends Ideas
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Rolling planters present an opportunity to grow flowers and edibles in places never before possible.
What if the sunniest place in your yard happens to be in the middle of the patio where your tables and chairs are? Since you rarely sit there every day and certainly not all day long, consider this ... push the furniture aside and roll your planters to that location so your plants can benefit from the rays of the sun!I discovered these planters while searching for a solution for a family living in a mid century Modern home. The industrial look of these planters fits their style perfectly. The general concept is workable, however, for any style. Choice of materials, trim and color can easily modify the idea to work with a Traditional or even a Zen garden.
The key is heavy duty wheels that swivel so the planter can be moved easily in a small space. A light weight soil mix would be a benefit too, such as the soil used for roof top gardens, green roofs or hanging baskets.
I can't wait to find more uses for these planters along a driveway, near a pool, or even to transform the parking lot of a church or school. There are so many paved areas that are very sunny and unoccupied during the week or during the summer. Let's make that space productive and beautiful with edibles, flowers, and even fragrant small shrubs.
Get details about the planters shown in the photo above at rollingplanter.com and minifarmbox.com. Both are shipping from the West coast. I will be looking for other planters from suppliers located closer to each job site. Let me know if you discover anything.
Read more about us and my ecological, sustainable landscapes.
Danna Cain, ASLA
Home & Garden Design, Inc., Atlanta
homegardendesign.com
2 Sided Landscape - Hidden vegetable garden in front yard
Wed, Jan 29 2014 01:36
| Curb Appeal, Organic Edible Gardens, Trends Ideas
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| Vegetable garden in front yard can not be seen from street. This is view from owner's driveway |
Plant food, not lawns. Pretty front yard salad gardens
This salad garden is positioned in the sunniest part of the front yard in an area that is hidden from the neighbors. It's visible from my driveway and all windows across the front of the house. These edibles plus others scattered thru the front yard are combined with flowering shrubs and perennials that attract beneficial insects and pollinators. The plants occupy 90% of the space with only 10% remaining lawn.The front lawn at my house is a very small drift of zoysia that flows along the curb and blends with the neighborhood. The entire remaining front yard is landscaped with edibles mixed with perennials and shrubs. The photo below shows the view from the street. The edible garden with the 4 stone raised beds is located behind the pink azaleas. Other low growing vegetables, dwarf blueberries and strawberries are located behind the purple verbena in the upper, left corner of the photo below.
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| This is what the neighbor's see. Edibles are behind the pink azalea. |
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| This is the other side where the main edible garden is located. |
Looking forward to creating something perfect for you!
Danna Cain, ASLA
Home & Garden Design, Inc., Atlanta
homegardendesign.com
Danna Cain is featured speaker at GGIA Wintergreen State Conference
Tue, Jan 7 2014 02:41
| Awards Recognitions, Organic Edible Gardens, Recent News, Trends Ideas
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Interesting Edibles: New, Unusual & Creative is topic for seminar
I'm excited to be one of the speakers at Wintergreen 2014. GGIA invites renowned leaders in Georgia as well as nationwide horticulture specialists to share their knowledge of the latest info and trends related to landscaping. I'm very honored to be in the lineup of speakers that includes Michael Dirr & Alan Armitage of UGA fame as well as Jenny Edge Hardgrave, owner of Simply Flowers, one of the most talented landscapers I've ever meet.GGIA's conference has been Georgia's #1 top horticulture conference for decades. Everyone who's anyone in the horticulture/agriculture world has attended this event since it's inception in the 1970's.
In addition to the fabulous educational sessions, GGIA Wintergreen features a trade show of companies from all over the Eastern U.S. who have the highest quality plants and other materials used for landscaping. It's always a joy to see and learn about the new introductions that will be on the market soon as these items will make my designs and your landscapes shine!
The current trend in the industry is to develop plants that are more dwarf, disease resistant and with longer blooming seasons. For my clients, that means plants that are very colorful, easy to maintain and small enough to not require pruning. I'm always looking for problem-solving plants so hope you contact me when you need advise or are ready to renovate your landscape.
At the conference, I will be presenting "Interesting Edibles: New, Unusual & Creative" ways to incorporate vegetables, herbs and fruit into the landscape. Explore how edibles are being incorporated into trendy urban and suburban landscapes. Receive inspirational ideas and information about extraordinary new plants, containers, vertical gardening, pollinators and more!
If you miss this conference be sure to check upcoming blog posts where I will be posting excerpts. I'm also available to present this hour long presentation at your conference, retreat or meeting. Inquire regarding details by sending email to contactus@homegardendesign.com
Danna Cain, ASLA
Home & Garden Design, Inc., Atlanta
homegardendesign.com
AJC writes about our storage spaces with style!
Sun, Jan 5 2014 11:21
| Awards Recognitions, Outdoor Living, Outdoor Storage, Recent News, Trends Ideas
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HGD in the AJC Homefinder's Jan. 7, 2014 issue
Good Housekeeping features our organic vegetable garden
Sat, Jul 13 2013 10:12
| Awards Recognitions, Organic Edible Gardens, Recent News, Trends Ideas
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"Creating an Outdoor Oasis" article about HGD
Good Housekeeping's official website has selected one of our projects to feature in an article about "Creating an Outdoor Oasis". Here, you'll see an interesting oasis in a front yard landscape that just so happens to be a beautiful organic vegetable and herb garden. We're excited to be picked up by this well respected national magazine.
More about this project ...
In Good Housekeeping
In UAC journal
Atlanta InTown features HGD's Buckhead play garden
Mon, Apr 15 2013 10:29
| Awards Recognitions, Children's Play Gardens, Outdoor Living, Perennial Gardens, Recent News, Trends Ideas
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Before & After section features the Starr project
This kid friendly back yard design for a Buckhead home was featured in the April 2013 issue of Atlanta Intown. This client wanted an attractive play area that could easily be converted to more garden space when the kid grew older.
Here we leveled the yard and used granite cobble stone edging that complimented the architecture of the house. The large round sandpit will one day become a fountain just off of the rear patio with fireplace. The area where the custom play set sits will be an extension of the shade garden that features hostas and ferns.
On the cover of the AJC Homefinder!
Thu, Apr 4 2013 10:35
| Awards Recognitions, Children's Play Gardens, Organic Edible Gardens, Outdoor Living, Recent News, Trends Ideas
| Permalink
"Outdoor Activity Havens" article
What a thrill to open the Sunday paper and see one of our projects on the cover! The custom play set that we designed as a part of the Urquhart discovery play garden gets center stage.