A Container as a Focal Point
(Above: A container set in my pea gravel patio.)

In my back yard I have a large pea gravel patio with Adirondack chairs. Rather than centering the chairs around a fire pit that would be used a handful of times each year I placed a large flagstone and topped it with an antique Japanese container filled with a mix of annuals, perennials and grasses.

A Container as a Long Term Filler
(Above: A container holding space next to a Weeping Japanese Maple.)

In my front yard I have a weeping Japanese Maple – Acer palmatum ‘Viridis’. This is a slow growing tree that can get quite large – reaching 10-12’ wide after many years. It’s important to site this tree with enough room to grow, but that can leave quite a bit of open space in the short term. Adding a container to the open space helped anchor the tree and can be relocated as it requires more space.

A Container and Shrub Combo for Entrance Drama
(Above: Mixing shrubs with boxwood for year round interest.)

At the entrance to our front walkway I used a combination of boxwood planted in the ground with multiple ceramic containers planted with seasonal color. The boxwood anchors the containers and provides consistent evergreen structure while the containers add color and drama. Mixing the two together makes a statement and highlights the entrance.

Interested in adding containers to your garden? Contact Beth at Beth@brightleaflandscaping.com or complete our contact form. You can also learn more about our residential container program here!

The post Adding Containers to Your Garden – 3 Strategies first appeared on Brightleaf.

I love to use plants with bold texture in our container designs – they contrast with fine leaf foliage and flower color and catch your eye easily. For summer I typically incorporate bold texture via plants with tropical foliage. I like to focus on foliage as opposed to flowers because they don’t require deadheading and can be surrounded by smaller flowering plants that ‘self clean’ or easily shed spent flowers.

Both Alocasia ‘Low Rider’ (Left) and Musa ‘Truly Tiny’ (Right) are dwarf selections – maxing out at 24” and 48” respectively. Low Rider is cold hardy to zone 7, and can survive our winters if planted in the ground. Truly Tiny is cold hardy to zone 9 and best brought indoors over winter.

Interested in adding a beautiful container to your summer garden? Contact Beth at Beth@brightleaflandscaping.com or complete our contact form.  You can also learn more about our residential container program here!

The post Two Great Container Plants for Tropical Foliage first appeared on Brightleaf.

Say goodbye to spending the first weeks of spring waiting in line at the garden center. Instead, sign up now for four seasons of effortless beauty with our seasonal container subscription.

Here’s how it works: Choose your favorite container from our curated selection, and we’ll deliver it to your doorstep along with a custom-designed planting to fill it. As each new season begins, we’ll return with a fresh, stunning design and whisk away the previous season’s arrangement, making the experience truly hassle-free for you. Our experts carefully select plants that will flourish in your specific conditions, and we’ll provide season-specific watering instructions to ensure your plants thrive. With our subscription, you can trust that your patio will look its best all year long, without any of the hard work. No tools, no mess, and no more worrying about whether your outdoor space is ready for friends and family to gather.

Are you ready to embrace the unique beauty each season has to offer? Let us simplify the process so you can step outside and relax in your stunning outdoor oasis. To get started, email Beth@brightleaflandscaping.com or fill out our convenient contact form today.

The post Effortless Elegance: Simplify Your Seasons with Durham Container Planting Subscription first appeared on Brightleaf.

Silver – Teucrium fruticans or Heuchera ‘Smoke and Mirrors’

One of my favorite, simple plant combinations is a mix of silver with glossy green foliage. Many plants maintain their green leaves during the winter, but adding a dose of silver creates depth and interest.

Purple – Heuchera ‘Grape Expectations’ or Ajuga ‘Caitlin’s Giant’

Once you’ve added contrast with silver and green mix in some purple for depth. Both ‘Grape Expectations’ and ‘Caitlin’s Giant’ are reliably evergreen all season.

Gold – Thuja ‘Forever Goldie’ or Hypericum ‘Brigadoon’

Your planting is now an interesting mix of cool colors, so drop in gold for a pop of brightness. Winter can feel long but adding color to the garden can enliven the space and make spring seem closer. Ready to get started? Complete our contact form or give us a call at (919) 475-1015.

The post Colored Foliage for Winter Interest first appeared on Brightleaf.

Dry set stone patios and walkways involve the excavation of a few inches of soil and then setting individual stones level in the ground to create a smooth walking surface. Stones are hand selected to fit together with minimal spacing between them, and these narrow joints are then filled with stone dust or Chapel Hill gravel to match. Dry set stone is both permanent and flexible – stones stay where placed, but individual pieces can be lifted or adjusted as tree roots grow and leaves can easily be blown or swept off. Because of the skill needed to install this type of stone and the cost of the material, dry set paving is a more expensive option compared to others, and I typically recommend it for high impact spaces that will be regularly seen and used.

Ornamental pea gravel is also installed after excavating a few inches of soil and creating a perimeter of edging to keep the gravel from spilling out at the edges. Once the edging is in place the pea gravel can be quickly wheelbarrowed in and spread to fill the space. Installation is typically quite fast, resulting in a lower cost compared to dry set stone. Because gravel is permeable rather than solid, weed seeds can germinate and need to be managed. If gravel is used under deciduous trees leaf litter is also a consideration, and raking or leaf blowing must be done carefully to keep the gravel in place. I love the look and lower cost of pea gravel and recommend it for projects where a more expensive material is not an option.

Home improvement projects always involve tradeoffs, and a skilled landscape designer can help you make the best choices for your project. Ready to get started? Complete our contact form or give us a call (919) 475-1015.

The post Natural Materials for Patios and Walkways – Stone vs. Gravel first appeared on Brightleaf.

I planted this combo in the central courtyard at Brightleaf Square in Durham. The Osmanthus ‘Goshiki’ has upright interest with variegated foliage which is echoed by the Brunnera ‘Frostbite’ and Thymus ‘Silver King’. These white tinged foliages contrast in turn with the bright green of Ajuga ‘Cordial Canary’ and deep purple of Heuchera ‘Midnight Rose’.

I can’t wait to see how this combo grows throughout our cool season. Looking for the right plant for your garden? Complete our contact form or give us a call (919) 475-1015.

The post Can You Make a Dynamic Plant Combination Without Flowers? first appeared on Brightleaf.

I tend mostly towards cool colors in the garden, especially when it comes to summer flowers. Our NC temperatures are so hot that even thinking about a cool color makes me feel better. But, last summer I decided to try a deep red flowering perennial in my very hot and dry front yard. After doing some research I settled on two plants – Helenium ‘Mariachi Salsa’ and Gaillardia ‘Arizona Red Shades’. Both are US natives for full sun and can tolerate my now Zone 8a conditions.

However, after a season in the ground it became clear that the plants were not performing in the same way. The Helenium burned while the Gaillardia increased in size and bloomed consistently. Once the Helenium emerged in the spring I transplanted it to a cooler, but still bright location in my back yard, which also tends to stay wetter for a longer period after the rain.

Although I prefer the aesthetics of the Helenium I was so impressed with the Gaillardia’s toughness that I decided to add an additional cultivar ‘Arizona Apricot’ to the front beds. All three plants are now doing great in their respective locations.

Looking for the right plant for your garden? Complete our contact form or give us a call (919) 475-1015.

The post Helenium vs. Gaillardia – A tale of two perennials first appeared on Brightleaf.

I was inspired by the gardens of La Louve by Nicole de Vesian which embraces a mix of evergreens to create a beautiful tapestry of textures. I can’t wait to see the plants in my garden grow and mature into a similar tapestry. My plant choices included:

• Silver – Teucrium fruticans, Juniperus ‘Grey Owl’, Lavandula stoechas ‘Silver Anouk’ and Centaurea ‘Silver Swirl’
• Green – Ilex vomitoria ‘Nana’, Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’ and Thymus vulgaris
• Blue –Stachys ‘Helen von Stein’, Sedum ‘Blue Elf’ and Sedum ‘Blue Pearl’

In addition to being beautiful, all these plants are heat and drought tolerant and highly deer resistant. Interested in a similar plant palette for your garden? Complete our contact form or give us a call (919) 475-1015.

The post Embracing a Mediterranean Palette of Interesting Evergreens first appeared on Brightleaf.

Flower power – Salvia ‘Arctic Blaze Purple’ and ‘Mirage Salmon’, Vitex ‘Flip Side’

Annuals for extra color – Coleus ‘Gay’s Delight’ and Ocimum kilimandscharicum × basilicum ‘Dark Opal’

The perennials emerged in late spring and have been filling in over the course of the summer. I added in a few summer annuals and the density of the planting has kept weeds and Bermuda grass from taking over. The plants have tolerated both the high heat and drought of early summer, and the significant rain we received recently. I’m looking forward to the fragrant blooms of the Hedychium, but plan to cut the bright orange (not my color) flowers off the Canna when they emerge. Focusing on one season of interest allowed me to create a really dynamic summer display and while we don’t have deer in our yard (thankfully) all these plants are highly deer resistant as well.

Interested in adding bold plants for summer to your garden? Complete our contact form or call us at (919) 475-1015.

The post A Plant Combination for Hot, Dry Weather and Deer first appeared on Brightleaf.

Lycoris radiata (Hurricane Lily)

Lycoris radiata is a fun bulb to grow for bold color and spidery texture. They arrive around hurricane season in Zone 8a NC (Sept-Oct). I found Lycoris online and my local garden center, but it was sold out. I’ll keep my eye peeled and hopefully I’ll add some to my garden this year.

Fritillaria persica (Persian Lily)

Fritillaria persica is another bulb I want to add this year. I like the plum purple bell shaped flowers and the blue green foliage. I found some at my local garden center, Stone Brothers in Durham, NC.

Dahlia

Dahlias are beautiful bulbs that come in a range of colors and textures. I’m currently drawn to some of the dark purple or coral varieties and want to add summer blooming bulbs. I recommend a docuseries called Growing Floret and her website to learn more about Dahlias for cut flowers.

Want to fill in your landscape? To contact Bright Leaf Landscaping, call (919) 475-1015 or fill out our contact form. Design and installation are our expertise, and we are always happy to meet with new clients to discuss potential projects!

The post Bulbs I Want To Add To My Garden In 2024 first appeared on Brightleaf.