14 December 2014

Garden from Above

It's this time of year that I end up on the roof cleaning gutters or hanging Christmas lights. I can't resist snapping some photos of the garden from up there, which provides such an interesting "plan view" of the space.

Bodi relaxes by the Ocular. A "plan view" of the front garden with yuccas, sedges, loquats and yaupons in view.

The garden has moved fully into its tan and green winter phase. I love the bright yellow color of this young Mexican buckeye, planted from seed a few years ago.

Sedges, pale-leaf yucca, Mexican buckeye and Lacey oak dominate this space.

In planning a garden, it's great to think first about what things will look like in the winter. We often think of blooms and summertime, but taking time to consider how plants will look in winter can go a long way to providing the essential structure of a landscape. What will stay green? What will have vertical form? What stem shapes will be around in the winter to provide geometry and form to your space? 

A grid of Carex retroflexis var. texensis creates anchors the back bed.


5 comments:

Heather/xericstyle said...

Lookin' good! Love the way your sedge is filling in :) :) :)

TexasDeb said...

That view from above is telling, isn't it? Suddenly the varying sight lines you'd get horizontally are erased and the garden's form becomes more about color and shape.

We have a mature buckeye that wrestled a spot out in a fairly bushy area under live oaks. I miss out on the colorful leaves as they get a lost in all the surrounding cover. Yours is splendid!

katina said...

Oh great, now I'm going to have to add a "roof photo" to my monthly wide angles. ;)

LindaCTG said...

Indeed, roof shots and winter pictures tell a lovely story. Your garden is beautiful in every season.

Alex moner said...

I love the bright yellow color of this young Mexican buckeye, planted from seed a few years ago.Daniel