We are now in the midst of summer and I took my first out-of-the country trip in many years. I feel so blessed and grateful that I was able to spend 9 days with my girlfriends in Italy! My trip was full of eye candy: historic structures, art from history books, and old cobblestone streets in Rome. I also visited the Amalfi Coast with gorgeous sapphire and turquoise water, cliffs, and coastline villages composed of structures carved in the rocks that appear to have been built centuries ago. The textures and color contrasts were inspirational.
And while it is great to get away, it’s also great to be home! I love being at home and spending a great deal of time keeping it fresh, clean and organized. I want to make my house a place that inspires me, indoors and out. I am constantly working in my garden and the other day I reflected on the space, observing the changes I have made over the nearly 24 years I have lived here. Unless you buy a property that is newly constructed, you will most certainly inherit a home with finishes inside and landscaping outside that you may or may not like. For example, when I purchased my home, the front yard had 2 large Japanese maple trees that I loved, while the backyard had 2 Bay Laurel trees that I am not fond of as they tend to shed leaves year round and produce berries that drop and stain the flagstone underneath. So how do you make an outdoor space your own while working with the existing gardens? Here are some tips from my own trials and errors:
Live with what you have for at least all 4 seasons, you may be surprised by bulbs and plants that are hidden. You will learn if some of your trees or shrubs are deciduous (losing their leaves in the fall and blooming again in the spring.).
It is okay to remove some plants and trees for the greater good. For example, I had pineapple guava and Hachiya Persimmon trees that produced fruit that no one in my family enjoyed, attracted unwanted animals and were in the middle of the yard inhibiting my overall vision.
Notice how much light each section of your garden gets: what areas get morning light, shade, and full sun, as you will want to make sure you plant plants that will thrive where planted.
Save photos of gardens you love as inspiration and really try to hone in on your style. I have vacillated between minimalist modern gardens to lush cottage landscapes. Keep in mind some of your garden styling will be determined by conditions of your yard space, for example, my front yard gets a great deal of shade due to the towering, plump branches full of leaves that the Japanese maples produce, so the border garden in front of my house is composed of ferns that like shade and remain green year round. But to keep it modern, I planted only ferns in that section.
Privacy. Many people like a private backyard and that may require that you create a garden wall, which you can do by planting tall shrubs to create the retreat you are craving. If you plan on creating a garden wall, find a plant that grows tall such as Pittosporum or Podocarpus, ideally you will plant all the same plant to span the "wall". Make sure you leave enough space in between the plants as they will expand wide as they grow up (look up the plants’ width and height potential on any plant of interest) and make sure the shrub is evergreen so your garden wall is in place year round. If you create a garden wall, keep in mind that this will create some shade and could affect the type of plants that will thrive alongside it.
To keep a garden cohesive, try to have multiple plants in repetition, which takes restraint. In previous years, I would go to the nursery with no plan or restraint and would buy what excited me. My yard started to look like a hodgepodge of colors, blooms and foliage. If you can tie in some of the same plants throughout the front and backyard, do so, as that can really be impactful.
The backyard of a home Deidre sold with an intentional garden wall
Summer is historically a slower selling season, but I am gearing up for the fall which is historically the second strongest selling season of the year. If you are thinking about buying and are frustrated by the lack of inventory, (keep in mind there is less inventory hitting the market), we should start to see more inventory in mid-August and after Labor Day. If you are thinking about selling, even if it is next year, it is never too soon to start planning, so call me so we can talk about the market, your home and make a plan.
Enjoy the rest of this month, and as always I am an email or phone call away and no question is too small.
