Planning a tasteful landscape, part III

The landscape will be viewed from within the house as well as out-of-doors, and this must be taken into consideration.

My patio is an extension of the indoor room it adjoins. I consider it an outdoor room. Some homeowners want weed-free turfgrass in the public area while another might plant an English-type garden of colorful blooms.

Both are great; it’s a matter of taste. Regardless of one’s taste, it’s important to grow plants and grasses that will suit the site, climate, and conditions. Some plants, though highly desired, may not do well in our coastal area. It’s good to ask yourself if you want a summer garden or winter garden or both.

I love the waving of brown dormant ornamental grasses or Autumn Joy sedum in the wintertime, but another may not. I like to have berries for the birds, so I have plenty of hollies and pyracantha. I like pansies and ornamental kale in the winter to add some color. Other people think of the landscape as a spring and summer thing. It is foreign to them to think of a winter garden.

Is your property shady or sunny? Is this a condition you might want to change? It’s easier to plant a tree than to remove one. Some homeowners who do not have green thumbs may not want to transplant a tree from one area to another.

Homeowners who want some guidance with their landscape can watch cable garden television shows that can inspire ideas for your particular area. Plant nurseries can be invaluable. Libraries and bookstores are full of books that will help. And of course, our Cooperative Extension Service has a myriad of information to aid in landscaping; this information is free and can be requested by telephone. This is a good way to ensure that plants you select will grow in our area.

Time spent in planning will repay you in time and resources. When we moved into a new house, we planned and reworked one area at a time. We treated each area as an outdoor room having a flow to the indoor rooms and the rest of the yard. Just as one redecorates rooms inside the house from time to time, the outdoor rooms will need changes as plants mature and tastes change. Your landscape need not be done once and forgotten. Use your imagination to plan the best landscape for your property and you will be able to enjoy it for many years. Landscapes are a “work in progress.”

Send your gardening questions or comments to: Brunswick County Master Gardener Column, P.O. Box 109, Bolivia, NC 28422, or call 253-2610. Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope if requesting information or a reply. Answers may be printed in this column.

Employment and program opportunities are offered to all people regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability; North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.