Most all homes have driveway leading up the carport, garage, and then to the home. Sometimes there is also a sidewalk that takes you to the front door. I love garden decoration that borders the sidewalk or driveway because it finishes the drive and provides a sense of movement toward the home as it becomes home where wind climes sing and welcome your return. Envision your house and how would include that flow and provide a welcoming sense to your visitors and friends. All pretty garden gnome can sit at the head of the border as one of garden statues giving a welcome.
There are several kinds of borders you can use:
- Flowers provide the border area a softer more refined look.
- Cobblestones or bricks can work as a border alone or outline the flower bed.
- A little fence makes the front yard seem extra private.
- A little hedge such as miniature box elder can frame a house of your favorite garden statues.
If you are going to use a flower bed as your border, there are different things to consider.
What time of year will your flowers be flourishing? You can begin the spring season with bulbs that were planned in late October or November. Include spring color with ranaculas or pansies. Rotate blooming flowers into your beds after the early bloomers have started to fade. During the chill months your garden statues may stand alone.
You need to keep in mind the comparative height of the flowers in your border. You could, for example, use purple lobelia as your open-air border or surround with the sweet alyssum. The center should be planted with lavendar, geraniums or snapdragons. If you are going to include statues make plans for them to fit into this place.
Think of the colors of the blooms and how they will balance each other and your house. You can go with opposites on the color wheel using yellows with purples, or a theme or white and red with varying shades of blue to provide you monochromatic color schemes.
Then there are borders of fences or stones.
- Stones could frame a garden area or make a rock garden effects along your walk-way or drive but you need to focus on a natural flow with any rock garden area.
- Fences provide a clear definition of area thus making a statement of privacy.
- Fences you could use are a white picket fence, a rough wood cross bars fence, a black wrought iron fence or a little bamboo fence.