Sunday, November 29, 2009

ROUNDABOUTS HERE & THERE

Roundabouts, below, get you around a garden.
Roundabouts are a fabulous landscape design tool. Use where 2, or more, paths intersect.


This woman, above, was beyond ready to take her frontyard in hand. Corner lot, too big, unattractive, way too much mowing, little property value, and most importantly, it did not make her happy. (Ha, beware the woman not happy with something.)



Grass was reduced, paths with roundabout designed, groundcovers, evergreen shrubs, & understory trees to survive drought/flood & aging in place. Aging in place? Want to be 88 with weekly garden chores? Ha, didn't think so. It's designing for unskilled labor, tough plants, and timeless beauty on axis from window views.

From the house, above, a stone roundabout anchors the view. Evergreen hollies anchor the entry path, variegated sweetflag (groundcover) surround the roundabout.
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Designed in the grand tradition with a low maintenance theme. Not completed, above, and already showing promise. And her? She's HAPPY.
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Small roundabout, above. Notice something important about the pot, above? It doesn't HAVE to be planted.
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Garden & Be Well, XO Tara
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Pics of completed roundabouts I took last January in the botanical garden in Birmingham, England. My client sent the pics of her roundabout.


4 comments:

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Ah, I just new this had to be England!! Lovely!

Brenda Pruitt said...

I wish I could have all my lawn (front and west side) taken out and made into something like this. It's in the east and back garden where I play.
Brenda

Maria Killam said...

Love the images, were you helping her with her garden? Landscaping is so, so important for happiness in your home!

Tara Dillard said...

Yes, I finished her landscape design, en plein air, on the hottest most humid afternoon a Southern summer can create.

She, & her husband, are general contracting the job themselves. It's a joy working with them.

XO Tara