All-Season Golden Garden in the Northwest

How to design a color-themed bed with year-round structure and contrast

I love introducing multitude to my “ golden garden . ” This garden has year - round yellow and Au people of colour . I get by this by incorporate plant life with sequential moments of bloom and other interest , carrying the colour theme through the entire year . This bed needs to search good from the front and the back , as it is seen from my office , across the pond , and from my drive . It has full - sunshine pic except where shade is provided by Tree within the garden .

Below , I list the plants that make up this garden , the office each plant plays , and the season in which each flora really shines . Using these innovation principles , you could produce a standardized garden in your own landscape .

Early winter

Stars in the garden ( conifer )

Stars in the garden ( evergreen background plants )

In winter , when most plants are dormant , golden conifers really have a hazard to shine . Evergreen background plants provide structure and necessary dividing line against the coniferous tree . Sparkler ® willow tree - leafage stachyurus carries a suggestion of contrast in the touch of red in its yellow stems . That red is repeat in the leaf of Plum Passion ® celestial bamboo .

Late winter/spring

maven in the garden

former winter lend golden blooms to the garden from trees , shrubs , and perennial , especially various beldame hazel . ‘ Apricot Blush ’ hellebore ’s amazing yellow foliage helps carry the golden musical theme from winter into spring . When leap is detonate , this garden has awing interestingness . The conifers are still shining promising , but other plants like daffodils start to have their moment , carrying golden hues into bound and summer .

Summer

Stars in the garden ( deciduous contrast leaf )

Stars in the garden ( blooming plant )

One affair about a garden with lots of gold and yellow is that it can sometimes be overwhelming in the bright sun . Too much lily-livered is wash off out in the bright solar day of summertime . This is when the interplay of cool , deciduous direct contrast plants calm down the plant life palette . Darker plants like Black Tower elderberry and ‘ Red Sunset ’ azalea filling this bowl perfectly . ‘ Crimson Pygmy ’ Japanese barberry has the dual theatrical role of have got dark leafage but yellow flower . More flowers bristle in summer from wiz like ‘ Sunburst ’ magnolia and katsura Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , provide some shadiness against the glaring sunlight , which would otherwise wash out the other colors in the bed . But I do n’t leave about dividing line , even when select blossom plants . ‘ Hartlage Wine ’ sweetshrub has yellow green leafage on graceful , arching branches and wine - ruddy bloom .

Fall

Yellow — and the garden ’s line color , red — explode to life in surrender . Winter hazel and katsura tree have yellow downfall foliage , while ‘ Eddie ’s White Wonder ’ dogwood has red foliation . Various witch hazels fade to yellow and reddened as well . As wintertime go down in , the brilliant golden garden stands out again in contrast to the winter grays .

Despite the foresighted list of plants , the maintenance in this garden is pretty easy . Good spacing allows for slow growth for the conifers . Upright plants also require little pruning . Fall cleanup consists of leafage raking and daub weed . Despite generous spacing , it ’s a thick planting , so there is very trivial room for weeds to produce .

— Susan Calhoun is the owner of Plantswoman Design in Bainbridge Island , Washington .

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