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.

Containers have always been an interest of mine because of their diversity and visual impact.  They are a garden in themselves and can provide a visual focal point in areas where it may not be easy to achieve otherwise.

I like to use large containers as they can function as a focal point in the garden or an accent piece.  If you are going to use containers, go with a large substantial piece.  They may be heavy but you will gain in many ways.  First of all, they will not dry out as quickly as smaller containers.  Nor will they become lost in the landscape.  Objects tend to look smaller outside.  The scale outside is different than indoors.  That is because the sky which acts as the “ceiling” is much farther away and the “walls” are further out.  A bunch of small containers tend to look cluttered and visually get lost.  Besides, it is so much easier to tend to one large container than to several small pots.

5' Tall Container

In this photo, the blue container is 5′ tall.  Talk about impact!  It literally draws your eye to it.  The blue color helps as well.  To capitalize on the color, I selected plants with the same color of blue.  In this case, Plumbago auriculata, which is an annual in zone 7/8.   The lime green of the sweet potato vine is a great contrast to the blue.

These miniature gardens provide a way to create great arrangements because of their constrained size.  You can easily create impact of color because it takes fewer plants to fill the space even though you will be using large containers.

Low Bowl Containers

Take a look at these low bowl containers.  The pots are overflowing with color.  In this arrangement, the main color is purple with silver as an accent.  These containers are positioned on a wall so even though they are low bowls, they are positioned close to eye level.

As with any garden, water and feeding is a necessity for its success.  I highly recommend using irrigation drip lines to water your containers especially during the hot summer months.  Provide fertilizer as well as this will make your plants healthy and provide you with many blooms.

Dallas Texas is known for the Cowboys, longhorns and oil but not so much for fall color.  About this time of year travel advertisements flaunt the beauty of fall colors in those fortunate states where native trees turn crimson, orange and yellow.

Even though fall color is difficult to find in Dallas, there are a select group of plants that consistently provide fall color in our neck of the woods.

One of those is Oak Leaf Hydrangea or Hydrangea quercifolia.

Not only does it provide vibrant fall color but also snowy white flowers in late spring so it is showy for two seasons.  It does prefer well prepared soil, partial shade and water.  During the summer months, additional water may be necessary.

If you have a location for this plant, it will bring your landscape  seasonal interest.  Just give it plenty of room to grow, some shade from afternoon sun, and additional water.  Then next fall you can step out into your own landscape to watch the fall colors!

I was asked to create a meditation garden around a wonderful sculpture for a church in Allen, Texas.  The sculpture is an inspiration.  The surrounding area was not.  I guess that is where I come in.

The grounds behind the sculpture is farm land.  The sides of the statue are framed by buildings.  The space dictated an overall square space but the sculpture is dynamic and called for an asymmetrical design with lots of movement in the plant material.

Here, you can see the area before the installation of the statue.

Based on the client’s desire for a garden with movement to reflect the wind swept clothing and wings in the sculpture, I designed a space with a strong sense of geometry but worked in asymmetrical planting groupings and hardscape.

The selected design fits the space well and incorporates the objectives of the client.

Notice that the hardscape is split into a cresent shape with the left portion being concrete and the right portion being decomposed granite.  The area with the decomposed granite is a more casual space used for sitting and reflecting.  The large tree will provide shade for the sitting area.  The concrete as well as the paver area in front of the statue is to be used for groups to gather.

We implemented phase 1 to much delight of the client and those that visit the space.

With time, the hollies behind the statue will provide a solid screen to block the view behind the statue and create a sense of closure.  Likewise, a Live Oak tree, which can not been seen in this picture, will provide shade for the sitting area.

Additional plantings include Knockout Roses, Salvia, Sedum, Blackeye Susan, and Dwrf Fountain Grass.

It has been an honor to be able to contribute to such an important space for this church