Backyard Resort

I really love a landscape that is both relaxing and beautiful. Today I’m visiting this resort-like landscape. The pool is framed with this gorgeous bed of annual color. The blues, purples, and silver add to the restfulness of the water. Behind the pool area turtle and alligator containers are perfect selections. Sweet potato, lysimachia, and bronze leafed begonia are good planting partners. The blue fescue ornamental grass is an unusual, but effective choice, for the thriller plant in this turtle planter. This landscape bed is a great example of highlighting color using foliage. The red, pink, and green tricolor ginger glows in the back light of the morning sun. I love the terra cotta frog hiding underneath the white Christmas caladium. Heavy use is made combination containers, such as this trio featuring the sago palm with the sweet potato flowing from the top and contrasting red verbena and petunia. There are other good container combinations including this red geranium and ornamental kale, or these combination containers of kale, sweet potato and petunia. Though the emphasis of the landscape is ornamental, a small herb and vegetable garden is tucked into a corner. The green and red cabbage with the flowering cilantro adds a homey character. I like the use of mint and oregano as fragrant and culinary ground covers. We’ve only just begun to show you the beauty and variety of this magnificent back yard. This is truly an amazing landscape. I’m horticulturist Gary Bachman for Southern Gardening.