January 26, 2015

Gardening Made Easy

Nancy Guest shares her ideas about how to create stunning, low maintenance gardens.
                           
Hanging baskets with bright cascading flowers are a cheery welcome at her entrances.
All they need is water and an application of slow release fertilizer.



Flowering shrubs and interesting trees of various sizes require very little maintenance and
 provide changing colours throughout the seasons. .


The flowering shrubs take their turns coming into bloom
providing glorious displays
throughout the spring, summer, and fall.
Low maintenance perennials like Hostas come in various colours and textures.


Nancy used to have large perennial borders, but now prefers to use smaller gardens
 and fills them with bright long flowering annuals.

Climbers like the clematis and roses add a vertical interest and take very little garden space.
That means 'less weeding'



Window boxes are a bright and colourful addition to the decor.

Nancy combines a variety of flowering annuals and vines.

Every year the arrangements and colour themes change.


She adds a few potted plants around the patio
 to coordinate with the flowers in the window boxes..

There can be nothing easier to maintain than plants in containers.
She situates these in various strategic locations around the yard.
Notice the pot is sitting on an antique chair to give the plants some height.

This plant is perched in the tree with the trunks framing the plants.

The flower colours are reflected in  water bowls. 

.Nancy advises us not to throw away those old wood stepladders...
 a very creative way to display plants and her birdhouse collection. 

One can't help but smile at seeing  the happy 'creatures' around the floral displays.
The worlds smallest garden!
Nancy created this miniature garden for the fairies and other wee folk
 that come by to stay in the wee house.
This fantasy garden was set up on a table on Nancy's front porch.
Absolutely delightful!