Now's the time for me to change out my annuals. Where I live the only flowers that will survive the winter are pansies and kale. So I have a small spot in the front where I can change out my annual color. Although my yard is really small, I can still get inspiration from big estates and their beautifully landscaped grounds. If anything it might change my mind about the colors I use, or encourage me to do more potted arrangements. And, the pictures are just lovely to look at.
If you live in Dallas, there's a good chance you have already heard of Lambert's Landscape Company. They have been in business since 1919 and are arguably one of the most prestigious local landscape designers. And I am sure if I hadn't of mentioned the word Dallas, you might think by seeing the following photographs that these are estates in Italy. They are so well designed and maintained, it truly looks like they could have been in existence for generations.
The first estate has rows of Italian Cypress Trees lining the entrance. Personally, I am a huge fan of the Italian Cypress Tree (and regrettably the four in front of our house recently died and had to be removed.) Crushed granite paths, fountains on fig ivy covered walls, blooming terra-cotta pots.....this is perfection to me.
Also perfect, is the second estate that is designed in an Italian Renaissance style. It is a little more formal, but there is something I just find so appealing about perfectly trimmed boxwood; as hedges and also in planters. It brings so much order to a garden and a high-level of sophistication. On a "non-estate, teeny-tiny lot size" side-note, I bought some $2 big terra-cotta planters from Ikea this spring for my house and put in some Boxwood plants that I keep trimmed to a cone shape. I lined them up the stairs to my back door. Now my neglected back entrance looks quaint.
THE GIARDINO VERDE ESTATE, DALLAS, TEXAS
The pavers here with grass growing randomly is so pretty. It immediately makes this entry look like it has existed for ages.
Monkey grass, mondo grass or liriope are good ground cover plantings where there is a lot of shade and regular grass will not grow. I plant mondo grass (which does not get very tall and is very soft and lush looking) in-between stones or tiles for walkways. My backyard has no room for grass so I have pavers with mondo grass planted in-between. That is what is shown above.
I like walls that are covered in ivy, such as the wall surrounding the fountain above. What a pretty place to sit and have morning coffee. Even a really small patio can have this look with a small table and chairs, a water feature and ivy on the walls to disguise the building. This is a good place for a potted garden too. Or an herb garden?
AN ITALIAN RENAISSANCE STYLE ESTATE, DALLAS, TEXAS
I have always wanted to visit the sculpted mazes in English gardens, and this is a decorative smaller interpretation here. I can imagine it's nice to look out of a second story window and see this.
The duck is a little much, but I like the cast planter with the simple boxwood in it. It softens up the hardscape of the pool surround.
