A regular reader and commenter (thanks, BTW!) of this blog, Paula, sent me some pictures a while ago and I've been meaning to post them. I don't post too many "before and after" of my own garden designs for clients, since I don't usually do the actual planting, just provide a drawing, so there's nothing much to look at. So, here are some pictures that are much prettier to look at than my sketches!
Some of the front/side garden - nice job Paula!
I especially love this one (above). I always tell clients that the line between where the grass ends and the garden begins is one of the most important things in the overall design - because it is the line that your eye sees. So make big, sweeping, smooth curves, not little squiggly ones. The circular shape of this line and how it follows the circle around the base of the tree looks great. I wouldn't necessarily change a thing, but if you wanted to go for even more impact I could see the bed around the tree becoming just a little bigger, and the grass effectively becoming a narrow pathway around the tree. A bench in there somewhere would also be a visual treat and provide a place to sit and enjoy the view. BTW, the repeat of pink flowers and the various foliage colours and textures look great, too!
Paula sent me a couple pictures of her morning glories, after I complained about mine. Paula, I'm still not convinced! Yes, yours are beautiful! Yes, I finally got flowers too this year and yes, they are big and exotic looking, but the quantity of flowers and length of bloom time cannot beat sweet peas - not to mention morning glories don't have any fragrance! I'm definitely planting more sweet peas next year and will probably skip the morning glories...
Here is Paula's greenhouse (I am so jealous!) in the back, surrounded by lots of garden. I love the green picnic table too - as you know I'm all about colour, there's no beige in my garden! She's done an especially great job because here's what it used to look like...
Wow, what a transformation! And don't get me started on what a pain it is to get rid of all that gravel mulch.... Please people, it is not low maintenance, and unless you are planting a desert-style, xeriscape type of garden, it is ugly, ugly, ugly. Paula, we should start an educational campaign about the disadvantages of gravel mulch! The number of clients I've had who've asked me how to get rid of weeds that are growing in their "no maintenance" gravel mulch... well, I could go on but I won't.
Here's some more "before" pictures from Paula. Paula, I sympathize with you on the paint colours and the gravel! As you know, I've had the same issues at my own house. Sometimes you just want to meet the previous owners, shake them, and ask them what the &*^$#! they were thinking, don't you?!!
Anybody else out there want to share like Paula and show us some of your garden pics?
Now I want to see other before and afters!!
Posted by: Paula H | September 29, 2009 at 12:46 PM
Yay Paula! (SIL Allison here who has seen IRL! I follow along here too!)
Posted by: Allison | September 29, 2009 at 11:42 PM
I am so unblogger-ish in some ways! I had to look up SIL and IRL...
Love your blog, Allison. In my alternative universe where I have more time because I don't garden, I would definitely be a scrapbooker or cardmaker (or a quiltmaker)!
So Allison, where are your garden photos...?
;-)
Janice
Posted by: Calgary Garden Coach | September 30, 2009 at 05:56 AM