There are all kinds of options when looking for shade. Some really cool (literally) umbrellas and sails. One of my favorite shade options, though, is really much more simple.
Beautiful, big shade trees. Like this beech tree.
Granted, these don’t pop up overnight the way a purchased umbrella does, but they give beautiful shade and privacy, plus add character and stability to landscaping. These two (plus the Beech above) are a few of my favorites.
Winter King Hawthorn Tree
London Plane Tree
It’s no secret that I have been loving mood boards lately. They are as fun to put together as they are useful. Plus, they are nice to look at. Lately, I have been having a huge color crush on neon accents for outdoor accessories. I love the pop of color they bring to lush, green landscaping. My favorites lately are coral, pink, and orange.
Put together my love for mood boards with my obsession with neon accents and I think you know where we’re going with this.
First, an inspiration color palette I love:
Which led to this mood board:
1. Love the bright folding chairs here. Thinking even spray painting old chairs might do the trick.
2. Designlush coffee table or bench.
3. I think using those neons as pillow accents is a perfect way for that pop of color. The three pillows here are Frontgate. The fabric (great for pillows or cushions) Perennials Fabric.
4. Love this zinc footed bowl (Restoration Hardware) and think pulling in the coral accents from the peonies and dahlias would perfect, though I love the idea of succulents in there as well.
5. Flowers: Peony (Coral Charm) and Dahlias.
6. Tuuci shade umbrella. Always a favorite.
7. I thought these drinks would be a fun (and less permanent way) to bring in those neon accents for a summer party. Don’t these look refreshing?
8. Love this throw. Coral Wind Farm Patterned throw.
There you have it. So fun, right? Time to update the outdoor accessories for a new season.
You know how I feel about a beautiful planter, right? No need to gush about it more than I already do. So I won’t. I’ll just show you a few of my recent favorites I’ve been pinning.
from etsy
from anthropologie
from instagram @happymundane
Love these. Just waiting for some pretty plants to put in them.
I’ve been thinking it would be fun to do an end of school bbq, something for the neighbor kids and friends. Which, of course, is a great excuse to browse pinterest for hours on end. Reason enough, right?
I found lots of great refreshment ideas. A few of my favorites:
Rhubarb and Strawberry Lemonade
Of course some of the fanciness may get lost on a crowd of elementary kids but these could be fun for more special occasions. Also love the idea of outdoor movie with popcorn machine and cotton candy.
Any good ideas for summer get togethers?
Yep, it’s just about that time again for summer barbecues. I can almost taste the watermelon. Yum. I love getting new accessories for the yard, especially when it comes to outdoor entertaining and summer parties. Here are a few things I spotted this week.
1. Pillows. Crate&Barrel. Love getting new pillows. It’s an inexpensive way to feel like you are getting brand-new furniture.
2. Metal Tray. West Elm.
3. Drink Tub. CB2. I love these. Nothing like a drink tub to make bottled water look classy.
4. Tablecloth. Target.
5. Outdoor pouf. Crate&Barrel. These are great to use as seats or sidetables. Very fun.
6. Striped umbrella. Ikea.
7. Lantern. Crate&Barrel.
Found any fun outdoor accessories you love this season?
Putting together some mood boards for planters this week. I should have some good photos of the “real life” versions soon. Deciding where to put planters and what to put in them is one of my favorite parts of landscape design. I’m always surprised at what a difference a few well-placed planters will make on a home. A great place for experimentation as well!
1. These planters are from Crate & Barrel. I like the variety of heights here.
2. Blue Star Agave. I love agave. It is very drought resistant and hardly ever needs to be watered. The look, too, is impressive and dramatic.
3. Cactus Pencil Plant. Another unique plant and also very pretty.
4. Sedum Blue Spruce. Also a great drought resistant plant. Are you seeing a pattern here? It is nice to have plants that don’t need a lot of water in your planters, so you don’t have to worry about leaving on vacation for a week or standing out with your hose hours each day.
5. Agave Quadracolor. This agave has beautiful stripes in bright greens and yellows.
6. Green Mountain Boxwood. Another classic I like using in pots and planters.
We are putting these all together soon at a landscaping job we’re finishing up. Excited to see the end result!
I have been busy putting together mood boards for a new home we are landscaping this spring. In fact, we are now about ready for installation time. It is a lovely home with a beautiful pool and ample entertaining/dining areas. I really enjoy putting together the inspiration boards and thought I would share a few favorites from this design.
This first board is inspiration for the fire pit and entertaining area. I love that this plan provides a lot of seating and an open area for guests to gather around. Here, the fire pit will be positioned in the center with two chairs on either side and a sofa on the third side, making the whole formation a “U” shape.
1. This is the inspiration for the side table we are making. There will be two of these and they will sit between the chairs on either side of the fire pit. Photo from Room & Board.
2. Inspiration for the chairs. Also from Room & Board.
3. Solus Elevated Halo fire pit. Just beautiful, right? Even the name makes it sound cool. This is the actual fire pit for the space.
4. Some vases for the side table to add interest. These are from Crate & Barrel.
5. Throw pillows from Target.
6. Inspiration for the sofa. Photo from Room & Board.
Adjacent to the fire pit and entertaining area will be the dining area. Some really beautiful pieces here as well.
7. Two of these tables from our furniture line OpenAir.
8. Accessories for the tables from Crate & Barrel.
9. Fabric design for a table runner or tablecloth.
10. Chairs for the dining tables, also from OpenAir.
11. Basket for the tables, also from Crate & Barrel.
To finish things off, a lap pool and hot tub area extend the patio further. It makes me want to go sit by the pool with a book right now.
12. Baskets (Target) to hold towels and other pool accessories.
13. A few of these chaise lounges (CB2) in a couple different locations for some nice relaxation spots.
The entire set-up is really just breathtaking. I love watching it all come together.
I made some dipped terra cotta pots for a wedding luncheon last weekend. The client was looking for something simple, but classy. I liked how they turned out. It was a relatively easy project for a wedding or even resting on your kitchen table, where mine sits right now.
Supplies:
So, are you ready for the step by step in-depth, scientific process? No? Good because it’s actually very simple. Take your terra cotta pot and dip it sideways in the paint. Then let it dry. I actually put my pots on a board with nails sticking out so the bottom of the pot doesn’t stick to the board. While it’s drying sit on the couch with a magazine and eat a handful of chocolate chips. It sounds irrelevant, but it’s actually a very crucial step.
After it’s dry (and you’ve finished your magazine), put a thin layer of shellac over the entire pot using a rag. After the shellac dries, you are finally ready to transport the pencil plant in the terra cotta pot and cover the soil with reindeer moss. Of course, you could substitute other plants in the pot as well. I found this pairing looks nice and is easy to transport.
There you have it. A nice, easy DIY that will look great resting on your kitchen table.
Normally, I always draw out my landscape plans by hand. I love doing them this way. They are more aesthetically pleasing. Really, like a piece of art. And more fun for me to do rather than using a computer program. However, there are some aspects of landscape and design that a 3D model is much more useful. And fun to do for a change, too.
Like this one I have been working on for a client.
A design plan for a pergola. The 3D Model is nice here because it has a more engaging design and much easier to see the proportions (like with my lovely virtual model standing here). It also ensures that the client and I understand the intentions perfectly.
And another one for the same project:
You get the full effect here with raised planter boxes, pergola, arbor and fencing and various levels and heights of each.
Then, the inspiration photos for the project. I like using these with the models because it adds life and personality.
Here, the raised planter boxes:
See the fence here:
And the arbor:
The whole thing fits together so nicely, and the models help with scale and proportion. So fun to see it all come together.
I love living walls or hedges. They add so much texture and personality to a space and are a classy alternative to a boring old fence. They help define your outdoor “rooms” better and block unwanted views.
Imagine these European Hornbeams over a chain link fence:
Here are a few good options for hedges or living walls:
Peking Cotoneaster. These make great hedges with a little bit of pruning. They can have that nice, formal shape.
Dogwoods are also nice:
Ivory Halo Dogwood
Or Hedegrow Gold Dogwood
Here is the Hedegrow Gold bordering the property line of a landscaping job we did a few years ago. It has filled in much more now.
Grass can also make a great hedge. I like Miscanthus Sinensis.
Get the full effect here:
Love this look. Are you convinced yet?
Welcome My name is Brooke Hansen, I love design & all things that grow. I am a mother of 3, living in beautiful Cache Valley. This Blog is where I share my inspiration, design ideas, & tips for making the most out of your outdoor space.
