Green With Envy

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, my new yard is going to be a work in progress. I'm itching to get to it, but things will have to wait until the blazing heat subsides before I venture beyond the planning stage. In the meanwhile, I have been pouring over landscaping books looking for ideas that I could adapt for my own use. I thought about Anne Edwards and her beautifully landscaped yard-a ten year project in the making. Of course I am not that patient, and have never stayed in one place for ten years, so that would be a stretch for me.


Anne and I were recently introduced by a mutual friend and I was very impressed with the transformation she made to her Allandale home and gardens. The stylish and harmonious results she achieved using native plants and well designed hardscape areas are testament to her creative talent. She has managed to make a relatively small home feel much larger, linking the contemporary aesthetics of the interior to the surrounding space.


Anne has decided to sell her home and move to Asheville, N.C. where she can enjoy gardening without the threat of heatstroke! Our loss, but Asheville's gain. I admire her courage moving to a place where she knows not a soul, but with her attitude and talents, it should be a very soft landing.


Here are some photos that Anne has shared with me. I hope they will inspire even the most reluctant gardener among you.
Enjoy.

A bed of native plants softens the curb approach 

Path leading from the driveway to the front door

         The clean lines of the steps complement the architectural lines of the 

                                            house

   The steel arbor defines an area for outdoor entertaining

A nice balance of lawn, beds and hardscape