This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
Native plants are known for their hardiness and ability to thrive with little maintenance, given the right conditions. After all, they’ve spent plenty of time evolving with and adapting to local conditions. They also offer food and shelter to birds, butterflies, bees and other beneficial wildlife. While it might be too late to plant this year in regions with cold winters, fall is the perfect time to get native plants in the ground in warmer regions. For everyone else, the garden projects below, including one for which the pro was found on Houzz, can inspire your planning for spring.
“After” photos by Carla Capdevila
1. Discovery Channels
Yard at a Glance
Location: Las Rozas, Madrid, Spain
Size: About three-quarters of an acre
Landscape designer: Santiago Herrero de Egaña of Paisajes Pensados
Before: Lawn had a monopoly at this villa in Spain, comprising more than two-thirds of the property’s outdoor environs. The homeowners wanted a yard that would require less water, look more natural and be pleasant to stroll through, and they also wanted to preserve its connection to an adjacent golf course. They found landscape designer Santiago Herrero de Egaña on Houzz and brought him in to reinterpret the site with biodiversity and the natural surroundings in mind.
After: Herrero de Egaña reduced the lawn by 90% and brought in native plants that boost interest and connect with the surroundings — and are less thirsty than all that grass had been. At the home’s entrance, seen here, he created a versatile sandy area that the homeowners can use for parking a car or throwing outdoor parties.
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This garden at the side of the house shows colorful and interesting native plants — and how a winding path can add intrigue and a sense of discovery. The photos here don’t convey how complex the property’s landscape is. At the back of the house, facing the golf course, is a steep slope. It now brims with vegetation and has stairs leading to another garden. An enticing natural pool also now lies at the back of the house, waiting to be discovered. It’s surrounded by plants that offer lovely year-round interest.
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“After” photos by Joshua Link
2. Limited Additions
Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: Tim Lindholm, a senior executive at L.A. Metro; Michelle Fierro, an accomplished local artist; their two daughters; and their goldendoodle
Location: Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles
Size: One-tenth of an acre, including the front and back yards
Landscape architect: Joshua Link of Ecotone Studios
Landscape contractor: Natural Earth Landscaping, which also oversees maintenance
Before: A renovation had given this Los Angeles ranch home contemporary style, but the asphalt driveway and barren front yard had no style to speak of. Landscape architect Joshua Link and the homeowners landed on the idea of using a limited color palette for the yards in front and out back, reflecting the newly redone home’s black-and-white scheme.
After: Nearly every plant used is a native from a neighboring locale, a strategy Link says is important for supporting local wildlife species that depend on these plants for food and shelter. Out front by the sidewalk, a new charred wood shou-sugi-ban gate (by Accoya) backs billowing mounds of ‘Canyon Prince’ wild rye (Leymus condensatus ‘Canyon Prince’, USDA zones 8 to 10; find your zone).
On the gate’s other side is an expansive entry court (shown here) for parking or parties, bordered by more wild rye and other low-growing, finely textured plants — many of which release appealing fragrance when brushed up against.
The entryway is mostly pea gravel; its permeability helps drain and manage stormwater on the site.
10 Gardens That Capture and Drain Water With Style
Formerly a plain brick patio, the backyard area is now an extension of the home and a hub for entertaining. The plantings here are lush and loose, with hardscape blending into them, creating a wild look to balance the yard’s stark, modern features.
Near a new custom spa, the plants include Catalina Island mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus traskiae, zones 8 to 10) and red shanks (Adenostoma sparsifolium, zones 8 to 10). A block wall painted black (Black by Benjamin Moore) sets off the silver, white and gray foliage beautifully.
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“After” photos by Jimi Allen
3. Prairie League
Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: Bob and Robbi Hursthouse
Location: Millbrook, Illinois
Size: 1½ acres
Landscape architect and builder: Hursthouse Landscape Architects and Contractors
Before: Much of this 1½-acre Illinois countryside was covered in lawn. Not only was it uninteresting and water-hogging, but a drainage swale in the front yard made mowing difficult. Landscape architect Bob Hursthouse, who lives here with his wife, looked to the tallgrass prairies for design guidance.
After: Transformed into a meadow, the new front yard brims with pollinator-attracting local natives. Large boulders placed as steppingstones help garden wanderers navigate the swale as they venture through the meadow to the lawn beyond.
This is just a small portion of the expansive front yard, which has five climatic zones — requiring extra-careful planning — and more than 40 species of native pollinator attractors.
How to Find the Right Native Plants for Your Yard
“After” photo by Jeff McNeill
4. Art of Gardening
Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their young children
Location: Toronto
Size: 3,660 square feet (340 square meters)
Designers: Mary Tremain, Eric Klaver, Niloufar Makaremi and Margot Shafran of Plant Architect
Contractor: Oriole Landscaping
Before: With three sculptures by the former artist owner and lush plantings around a curved path, this Canadian backyard had a magical, romantic air. But it was overgrown, didn’t fit the look of the home’s newly redesigned contemporary architecture and didn’t create a strong connection between the house and the greater landscape. Architecture firm Plant Architect came on board for the makeover.
After: The team kept all three sculptures, one of which is seen here, and reused the flagstones and several shrubs and other plants. A wide range of grasses and perennials fills the new backyard design — mostly native species and plenty of pollinator attractors. Woodlands inspired the left-hand side, while the right-hand side nods to meadows.
Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, zones 3 to 8) toward the middle of the yard and bright yellow rudbeckia in the foreground add delightful splashes of color. Note also how both the hardscaping and the plantings transition from crisp and tidy near the house to looser and wilder farther away.
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This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
Once known as Christmas cactuses, the term holiday cactus came about because you can have these plants blooming from Thanksgiving to Easter. The true Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) blooms in December, while the more commonly found Thanksgiving cactus (S. truncata) starts blooming earlier. The Easter cactus (Hatiora gaertneri) blooms in spring. Fortunately, they require the same general care. They also make excellent houseplants during the rest of the year and can even go outside during the summer in colder climates.
During the holiday season. Put it in a spot where it gets bright, indirect light — a west-facing window that doesn’t get direct sun is ideal. Water regularly, but allow the container to drain freely and the soil to dry a bit between waterings.
Post-holiday care. Continue the same care while the plant blooms. You can move the plant outdoors in spring and summer if you live in a cold-winter climate or at almost any time in the warmest winter regions. Provide bright indirect light through spring and summer and into fall. Fertilize weekly with about one-quarter-strength fertilizer from spring through summer while the plant is growing,
Holiday cactuses are also considered short-day plants that are said to need a certain amount of darkness to rebloom. I have found that I can give my holiday cactuses that are both inside my home and outdoors in my mild-winter climate the same care I give my other plants and still enjoy yearly blooms, but you may want to be more proactive.
In September into October, you can reduce the amount of water your plant receives and put it in a cool, dry spot, such as an unheated garage, where it will get at least 12 hours of darkness per day for about a month. If you can’t ensure 12 hours of darkness, place a box over it in the evenings to block the light. Be careful that the covering doesn’t touch the leaves or you may damage them. Once the buds set, increase the watering and bring the plant into a more brightly lit area.
These cactuses can also grow outside year-round in USDA Zone 9 and above (find your zone).