Landscaping
5. Swap a flower border for shrubs. Seasonal flower beds are maintenance time-sucks — requiring a good deal of planting, staking, watering and deadheading for their fleeting display of blooms. While you may not want to get rid of them entirely, consider replacing some of the planting space with easy-care shrubs. This landscape in Sydney, made up almost entirely of shrubs, provides a beautiful example of how enticing a garden without blooms can be.
2. Revamp your side yard. Often a neglected area of gardens, side yards can be transformed into beautiful winding walkways, private seating areas or — if you have enough sun — areas for growing veggies and herbs. You can get started right away in mild climates by planting, clearing the space and installing new walkways or features like arbors. In snowy climates, bookmark ideas for your side yard now and wait until the ground warms up to start digging.
The house was cantilevered above its foundation to protect the native Sabal palms that surround it, giving it the appearance of floating in the trees. Wynne says only one tree had to be removed and he planted three in its place. Built efficiently with mostly local and recycled materials, he says it resulted in less than one dumpster of waste for the entire project.
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