Things Are Looking Up!
I don’t know about you, but I feel like things are looking up. Warm weather, vaccines - good things are coming!
The more hopeful I feel, the more ready I am to get OUT.
As an interior designer, of course I love interior spaces. But after a year spent inside, the great outdoors is calling more than ever. Whether you have a porch, a garden, or a yard - show your outdoor space some love this Spring!
Personally, I love using potted plants and containers to add some (very manageable) landscaping design to outdoor spaces. Even if you don’t have much of a green thumb, you can successfully create a lush outdoor area using containers and other solutions!
To help you get started, I’ve teamed up with Melissa from LANDline Modern Landscape Design to share some tips for creating your outdoor oasis.
Photo by LANDline Design
The benefits of using containers in your landscape:
1. Great way to contain plants so that you don’t have to worry about an overgrown, hard-to-manage lawn.
2. Can be used to define seating areas.
3. Make great partitions to obscure views or provide screening.
4. Add greenery to outdoor spaces with a lot of hardscape.
Modern container planting ideas:
1. Minimalist: A container with just a single plant - such as Equisetum (also known as Horsetail).
2. Lush: Use mixed colors and textures of evergreen plants for an exciting arrangement. Lush containers can be used in partial shade, as well!
3. Formal/Architectural: Try a container with a single, columnar plant or tree for a formal feel.
4. Edible: Herbs, berries, and small vegetables can be harvested by even the least experienced gardener.
tips to remember:
1. Plan for irrigation by adding drip tubing up through the drainage hole of your container. This can be connected to a drip system for the added ease of automatic watering.
2. To plan for drainage, use filter fabric in the bottom of the container, then line the bottom few inches of the pot with drain rock of some kind. Then add a lightweight, well-draining soil to fill in the remaining volume.
3. In containers, most plants will need a bit of extra water and a touch of organic fertilizer a few times a year to look their best.
4. It’s important to know that plants in containers have a shorter lifespan than plants in the ground. So don’t be discouraged if you need to replace a plant eventually.
Photo by Interior Design Alchemy
not ready to take on landscaping?
That’s okay! You can incorporate natural materials, small plants, flowers, and other nature-inspired elements into your interior design to bring the outdoors, in.
Here’s some inspiration from Interior Design Alchemy:
Let’s Solve Your Design Dilemmas, Together.
