Back in 2011, I needed extra money and did quite a bit of landscaping. Mostly design, but some labor and installation as well. I was headed down south to headed family, close to where I worked then and decided to check up on a couple of gardens.

I was a bit nervous. Being a landscape designer is hard. I install or design a landscape and it looks great…but you never quite know how it will actually turn out. Gardens take years to fully develop. Much of my design work is actually in the hands of the gardeners. If they take proper care of it and love it, the garden thrives. But if not…well a good design can only go so far.

First up: I talked briefly to the owner of this lovely garden. It is well loved. I love it too. When I came up with that lovely curved design, I knew it would look pretty good. Curves are usually all floppy and too tight: this is loose, structured and actually rather functional as well. There’s a pathway for the mailman, small patio, and tons of gorgeous flowers. 

This garden looked pretty good too. I did space plants a bit too close together. (It’s very easy to do when plants are small, even when you are designing for mature size.)

All of the shrubs in this bed flower, but right now it is in between. The shrubs have mostly taken off and they are huge. I think I should have planted more dwarf varieties of shrubs:  it’s currently a lot of pruning to keep everything as small as it should be.

This garden is lovely. Although I think my only contribution is the ninebark shrub in the background. Most of the other plants were existing or weeds turned perennials. (Yarrow is good like that.)

Next up is my own garden!