By: Maria Wenzel

Lanson B. Jones & Company lansonbjones.com 

1. Garden pathways add safety and charm to landscapes. Using a variety of textures in your garden, such as gravel and steeping pads make your garden more formal and lasts longer than mulch. Also, creating pathways with different textures work well and look wonderful with plant material. 
2. Playing with flowerbed shapes that mirror your homes architecture will add interest to your garden. Flowerbeds that incorporate curves and lines will transform a dull-shaped flowerbed into a beautiful design that is aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable. 
3. Experiment with different heights, too! Add a cluster of pots if you believe your garden is too horizontal. A cluster of pots is easy to incorporate and they’re a great way to add height and elegance to a garden. Fun fact, some gardeners call this design concept, “containerscape”. 
4. Objects that are considered “reward points” in a garden are always fun to find. They affect the garden’s tone and mood. “Reward points” include furnishings to small decorative items, such as statues and candles. 
5. Variance in blooms can also make a garden more exciting. I recommend creating a sequence with two flower colors and structures. Even the same flower in a different color can spice things up. 
6. You can never go wrong with water features-they’re wonderful! They add music, relaxation and will even invite beautiful songbirds. 
7. Lighting creates a fantastic atmosphere at night. Lights accentuate your garden like nothing else. They enhance a dramatic garden or soften a garden’s setting. Plus, lights can sometimes create dancing silhouettes at night. Nowadays, there is a lot of online information for DIYers that explains how they can install garden lights. 
8. Incorporating “hidden areas” in a garden can also be very rewarding. Create secret gardens where you can discover comfort, peace and tranquility. There’s nothing like creating the perfect spot where you can sit, enjoy a book and drink a glass of wine during summer nights! 

Lanson B. Jones puts out a great free landscaping tip-filled newsletter (source of this article idea). 

Contact Maria at 

Lanson B. Jones & Company