Dallas Blooms

The days of Dallas Blooms at the Dallas Arboretum are quickly coming to an end. The final day is April 7th. This is a must see while you can. The flowers are spectacular!

As the weather changed to cooler days and cold nights, we removed the summer annuals and installed winter color including blubs.  This meant pulling out the lush and full begonias and coleus.

We had great success with the Alabama Coleus.  They reached a height of 2′ and withstood direct sun once established.  They were starting to show cold damage and it was only a matter of time before the colder weather took its toll on them.

The begonias on the other hand had not shown any cold damage as of the 1st week of December.  Instead, they were more vibrant and took the cooler nights well.

The other summer annuals were not holding up well.  The sweet potato vine, periwinkle and pentas were past their prime.  The sweet potato vine and periwinkles actually should have been removed before Thanksgiving.  They were showing signs of leaf burn or were limited in flowering.

In went the bulbs.  We planted 1000′s of bulbs.  Tulips, Hyacinth and Daffodils.  Most of the tulips we plant are the single late variety.  The later they bloom in the spring, the less likely they will be damaged by early spring bad weather like wind and hail.  The Hyacinth and Daffodils can withstand the elements better.  This also provides an extended amount of color in the spring.

Over the top of the bulbs, we plant 100′s of flats of pansies.  This gives us color during the coldest months before the bulbs break ground.  The combination of the pansies and bulbs offer a huge color palette.

In making our plant selections, we use a color scheme taking into account the colors of the pansies and the bulbs as they will all be in bloom later in the spring.  Keeping the color choices to a dominate color works best.  Its tempting to use a wide range of colors as there are many to pick from but this can create a jumbled look visually and distract from the overall beauty of the plantings.

In the Dallas area, zone 7b – 8, the winter color will last for months with the tulips ending the show with a bang!

Last month the Southwest Regional Chapter of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) hosted the annual APLD International Conference in Dallas, Texas.

A big part of the conference is garden tours.  And we were fortunate to see so many gardens built using a range of design styles.  As a designer, it can be easy to stay in a rut using the same paving material, plant material or focal points.

Here are a gardens that inspired me.

This secluded side yard contains a simple fountain surrounded by a brick base.  The ground plane consists of Zoysia lawn bordered by boxwoods, caladiums and liriope.  Very simple planting scheme so as to not overpower the fountain as the focal point of the yard.

In the photo on the left, the landscape reflects the style of the architecture.  The lines are clean.  So, here we have a limited number of plant selections where each plant has a strong architectural element.  Plants used are horsetail reed, bamboo, Texas sage, and pink muhly grass.

There were many more gardens worth studying.  Even the architecture in downtown Dallas was inspiring.  On the right is a photo of the glass ceiling of the chapel in Thanksgiving Square.  The sequence of color selected in the glass is exquisite.

How many chairs can you put around a table?  A common question.  Here’s a guideline:

26″ diameter table seats 2 

48″ diameter table seats 4 to 6

72″ x 36″ table seats 8

Plan for 3′ of space behind each chair.  Should there be steps or a drop off behind a chair, allow for at least 5′.

I came across a line of rustic furniture (chairs, rockers, tables, bar stools, etc.) with tons of character.  This is a great look for ranches, lake houses, mountain retreats or a setting where you are looking to achieve a rustic look.  I can see myself sitting in one of these chairs overlooking a lake surrounded by trees with the sun setting!

This furniture is made of teak timbers that are naturally high in oil and can withstand extreme temperatures and harsh climates.

Even though they have a rustic appearance, the wood is very smooth as if worn by time.  There is something pleasing about touching smooth wood.  There’s a warmth that is not achieved with metal.

The line has a streak of creativity throughout.  Some pieces are more unusual than others.  Here’s just a few.

The Adirondack Garden Chair is a beautiful rugged twist on the traditional styled Adirondack chair. This piece is composed of recycled teak wood and plow handles to create a one-of-a-kind piece, each with its own distinct personality. The beauty of this chair as are all the others, is the use of multiple pieces of teak wood to compose the piece.

This Jacob’s Ladder Chair has a quirky but fascinating look to it with its ladder for a back.

Of course these can be used inside or outdoors.  But if you’ve decided to carry the theme indoors, you might want your chair to be upholstered.

I started carrying this line on the Landscape Studio website and can be purchased at www.LandscapeStudio.com

I love using containers in the landscape.  They can add a punch of color to any patio or front entrance to a home.  Containers allow you to better control the soil mixture.  However, in our Texas heat, they can dry out fast.  So, I recommend using large containers as they will retain moisture longer than smaller containers.  Here are some updates on containers that we maintain.

I love the look of the SunPatiens.   They are offered in great color selections.  And look at the size of these!  This container holds 3 Variegated Vigorous Coral SunPatiens.  The form is perfect… nice and round covering the soil.  In the Dallas area, I’ve had better performance using these in a semi-shaded area as the intense July / August sun can be a too much for them.

These fancy leaf caladiums performed wonderfully underneath the yaupon holly.  The fancy leaf caladium requires more shade than the strap leaf caladium.  Those that you see in the sun are a strap leaf variety.  You can identify the difference by looking at the shape of the leaf.  The fancy leaf caladium has a heart shape leaf whereas the strap leaf is arrow shaped.

For a bright flower that can withstand the sun and heat, we had success with the Cora Periwinkle.  This is the burgundy Cora Periwinkle.  These plants filled in the container.  I have found that they will bounce back quickly if they become dry which can easily happen in July and August.

Another great plant combination for a mostly sunny location is crotons and Zebrina pendula.  The colors are so vibrant ranging from reds to yellows and purples!

We almost always install a drip line from the existing irrigation system to each container.  You can run the tube through the bottom of the container or have it come up over the side of the container.  A drip line will save you many hours of hand watering.  And you can go on vacation knowing that your plants will look good on your return.

I like to use the perennial Purple loosestrife or Lythrum salicaria in planting plans.  What I find interesting is that this plant is considered invasive in some parts of the country.  Fortunately, I have not seen that to be the case in my part of the country.  This plant has a long bloom period, takes the Texas heat and the winter cold.  It made the list of Texas A&M University Horticulture’s “Perennial Plants to use in Texas”.

In this photo, the purple loosestrife is the taller plant in the back with the purple / magenta flowers.   In front is artemisia and pink flower carpet rose.

The use of rock in the landscape has had a huge following for the past decade or so.  There are several different ways to install flagstone depending on how it will be used and the look that we are trying to achieve.

Flagstone Walk

When we make a flagstone walk or patio where we expect a lot of foot traffic, we build it so that the joints are close together.  When a flagstone walk is built like this, we use over sized pieces with 2″ thickness and cut the stone where needed to minimize the gaps between each piece.  This helps to make an even surface to walk on.  This picture shows an example where we set the rock on decomposed granite and filled in the joints with the same.  There are advantages to using decomposed granite as it allows for minor shifting, drainage and locks the flagstone in place.

Another method of installing flagstone is to plant between the rock.  Often times this is accomplished with dwarf mondo grass.  For this type of application, we leave a larger space between the flagstone, fill with soil and plant.  I still prefer to use 2″ thick over sized pieces as it creates a surface that is easier to walk on.  There will be more waste but the end result is better.

If we do not expect much foot traffic, then we often times will randomly place large pieces of flagstone.  It provides a path for accessing an area but takes on a less important role for walking.  This is often used to access a water faucet or a secluded utility area of the yard.

A goal that I am constantly working on is finding new and different color combinations that work well in the landscape.  Most recently, I’m intrigued with the use of chartreuse… that bright clean and electric green/yellow.  This color seems to make the plantings vibrate with energy.  I like the way it contrast with reds.  I like the way it perks up pinks.  I like the way it reminds me of magical places.

Here is a planting combination using  Lime Mound Spirea, Purple Diamond Loropetalum and Blushing Knockout Rose.  The Lime Mound Spirea puts the sparkle in the planting scheme.

Other plants can be used that have the same or similar vibrant chartreuse color.  One of the easiest to grow is the Marguerite Potato Vine .  It is an annual in Zone 7 which may be a good thing if you want to tone it down or try a different combination the following year.

Another great plant selection is the Lemon Coral Sedum.  This plant hugs the ground and is chartreuse green all winter.  Then in spring it burst out with tiny bright yellow flowers.  The color is vibrant and carefree with a touch of whimsical.  You can see in this photo how the scale of the plant is perfect for this miniature setting of a girl and her dog.

Chartreuse is a great color to perk up the landscape… I think you’ll like the sparkle it adds.

Sometimes I think I must live in Versailles, France.  In my suburban America, shrubs and small trees are trimmed on a regular basis into balls and cones.  Probably this is done to keep the plants in scale to their surroundings.  Sometimes, it looks to be just something to do.  Just like everything else, there is a time when this should be done and a time when it shouldn’t.

I prefer to select plants that fit the site and naturally grow into the desired shape .  When this is done at the design phase, then there is less maintenance required later in life.  Like a conical evergreen?  Select a Blue Point Juniper.  Like a short round evergreen?  Select a Dwarf Yaupon Holly or Carissa Holly.  Like a natural small tree? Select a Yaupon Holly or Crape Myrtle.

Here you can see how natural the setting is when selective plants are allowed to grow in their natural growth habit. Trim plants as needed to accentuate their natural growth habit and to keep them in scale with the surroundings.  The natural forms are wonderful to view throughout the seasons.  This example is of a Deciduous Yaupon Holly.  The berries of these plants are shown in all their glory after the leaves fall off in Autumn and hang on through the winter.

The berries are a draw for birds as they flock to the small trees seeking food.

Now to me, this is more pleasing than viewing a hedge trimmed lollipop shaped Yaupon stuck on the corner of a house looking like it came direct from Versailles.