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09.05.2024 - 19:29 / finegardening.com
Creating an entryway that truly works is a worthwhile investment. You will enjoy how it makes your home look and feel, and providing a welcoming first glimpse of your home and property will increase that all-important ‘curb appeal’ if and when you sell your home.
If you don’t use your entry path every day, or even if you do, it can be easy to overlook design problems that would be more obvious to a first-time guest. To see your entryway with fresh eyes, spend some time in the space; take photos and pay close attention to your senses.
Imagine you are visiting for the first time. From the spot where you would park your car, is it immediately clear which door you should use? Is the approach easy and safe? How does the space make you feel? Do major visual elements— the building facade, hardscaping, and plantings—feel balanced?
When evaluating a landscape, I always look at the hardscaping first. At a minimum, all walking surfaces should be stable and even, never smooth or slick, and free of tripping hazards. Grade changes should be handled in a safe, predictable way.
If possible, a front walk should be wide enough for two people to walk comfortably abreast, which requires at least a 4- to 5-foot width. The front door stoop should be large enough to accommodate an outward-swinging door—code requires a minimum width and depth of 3 feet. If space allows, consider including a “milling area” near the front door. This is a sort of mini patio where people can pause for greetings and goodbyes as they come and go.
Good lighting will keep your entry walk safe and accessible after dark. Entryway lighting should be bright enough to help visitors find your front door and navigate your walkway with confidence.
This large home had a
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This year we are celebrating 30 years of 2-for-1 Gardens, and we have 407 gardens taking part, from local hidden gems to national landmarks! To kick off your year of garden visits, we’ve picked out some of the 2-for-1 Gardens in the scheme this year which are perfect for a visit this month. Head out with your 2-for-1 Gardens card and enjoy saving money on days out with friends and family, whilst gathering lots of garden inspiration!
Happy Friday, GPODers!
The Best Flowering Vines and Climbers to Grow in Garden & Containers can add vertical interest, frame doorways, or even create privacy screens. And the best part? They’re really easy to take care of.
Twenty-five years ago when my wife Kathy and I started searching for a new home for our growing family, she focused on all the qualities one looks for in a new house. I, of course, looked at what every gardener considers imperative—the lot. Thanks to Kathy, we ended up with a wonderful new place. And much to my delight, the property had one particularly important feature—good soil. The other nice bonus was that the backyard bordered a small city park, with lots of open space for the kids to play, so my garden design did not have to include an area for kicking a soccer ball. Plant-wise, however, there wasn’t much other than invasive shrubs and trees. So after removing all the nasty invasives, I had a clean slate to work with.
Starting a new garden from scratch can be daunting, but it’s also a fantastic opportunity to create exactly what you want. The vision I had for my new garden (two decades ago) was based on the many small English gardens that I was lucky enough to visit—not the gardens with impeccably maintained lawns and neatly clipped hedges, but those that had plants spilling out of every nook and cranny. Since its inception, the landscape has been slowly undergoing a transformation over the past decade, from a traditional shade garden to a more naturalistic one that embraces an ecology-first mindset. This evolution, however, hasn’t sacrificed the original intention of my dream garden—that it be a visually appealing space with plenty of activity.
Cucumbers are among the most popular crops for home gardeners. They’re easy to grow and just a handful of vines can provide enough cucumbers for fresh eating from mid-summer through late fall. But proper cucumber plant spacing can mean the difference between healthy, productive plants and disease ridden, low yielding ones. Let’s take a look at how far apart to plant cucumbers based on your growing technique and the method you use to plant them. Why properly spacing cucumber plants matters Before we dive into the details on proper plant spacing for cucumbers, let’s take a
Image: Newby Hall Gardens. Credit: Newby Hall Gardens. Wondering what there is to do around Yorkshire this spring and summer? There are plenty of Gardens to Visit in Yorkshire, with lots to see and do — including impressive gardens, glorious stately homes, and much much more! Here are just a few picks that might tickle your fancy this season. Newby Hall Gardens Newby Hall and Gardens is located in Ripon, just a 40–50-minute drive from York and Leeds.Their gardens cover 40 acres and includes a whopping 15 areas of interest — including one of the UK's longest herbaceous borders! Not only that, but they also have a miniature railway, boat trips, an adventure playground and more to explore. Perfect for a family-fun day out, whatever the weather. Sheffield Botanical Gardens Image: The pavilions at Sheffield Botanical Gardens. Credit: Sheffield Botanical Gardens. Opened in 1833 and spanning over 19 acres, are the impressive Sheffield Botanical Gardens. They’re a Grade II site of special historic interest, featuring traditional glass Pavilions and sweeping gardens. There’s lots to see and do, including a Mediterranean Climate Garden, a Rock and Water Garden, and even a traditional Victorian Garden display. A must-visit if you’re near the area! Did you know that Manchester once had a Botanical Gardens? There’s even remains of the epic entrance, which can be seen at the front of the White City Retail Park near Trafford. You can read all about Manchester’s Lost Royal Botanical Gardens here. Harlow Carr (North Yorkshire) RHS gardens are a gem of the UK, and RHS Harlow Carr is no exception. This Harrogate-based Garden has lots to do and see throughout spring and summer – a perfect pick for all the family. Their main borders
I have often thought of myself as “gardening against the odds.” My rural Black Earth, Wisconsin, garden is adjacent to a marsh and pond and is technically in Zone 5a, but the open farmland and subsequent winds around me place it closer to Zone 4b. I’ve lost plants to harsh winters, deer, rabbits, and woodchucks. I’ve had snapping turtles till up my garden beds to make nests and beloved woody plants destroyed by beavers. As if all that weren’t enough, the majority of the shade in the garden is from black walnut trees, which cause lots of problems, like robbing moisture and nutrients from surrounding plants.
Bridgerton is coming to Chelsea this month, as Netflix makes its debut at the flower show, with a garden themed around its popular TV show. First time Chelsea designer Holly Johnston has created a garden based on the personal journey of the show’s main character, Penelope Featherington. The Bridgerton Garden is part of the Sanctuary Gardens area at the show.
Pale brick pavers, laid in a herringbone pattern, run from the open-plan ground floor out into the garden, creating a seamless transition between the two spaces.