garden designers wilton ct – MarvinGardensUSA

Incorporate Your Patio in Your New England Garden Design

Even if the majority of your yard is taken up by a large patio, planning your garden to incorporate this feature is not a problem. Here are some garden ideas for your New England residence:

If you live close to your neighbors but desire a little extra privacy during your morning coffee or afternoon yoga, shrubs planted along the outside of the patio or in containers on the border will create a sufficient barrier.

For something a bit more exciting, spring bulbs bring a splash of color early in the season. Hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips all make great choices after a harsh winter.

Incorporating late blooming perennials will fill in the space as the seasons shift.

For a utilitarian approach to patio gardening, herbs and vegetables can be grown in easy to access containers. Herbs are especially viable at the edge of larger planter boxes closest to the door. After all, if you enjoy cooking, why not have a fresh supply of your favorite ingredients?

Even in a shady patio, plenty of shrubs and ornamental grasses will flourish. Also, consider employing out of the ordinary containers for your plants, such as an ornate bathtub or antique wine barrels.

Traditional Landscape by via Houzz

For more help planning your garden, contact us at Marvin Gardens today.

Ideas for Natural Barriers in Your Garden Design

Plants, shrubs and trees are beautiful in and of themselves, but they also make wonderful screens for creating even better spaces in your backyard. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Define a Space – The savvy use of a combination of plants, shrubs and trees can create anything from a cozy, shaded nook for relaxing to a large, dedicated space for entertaining.

Add Some Privacy – Given time, most trees or hedges will completely obstruct the view from your yard to the street and vice versa. The key to getting it done in a resonable time is to use foliage that meets your needs in terms of density and speed of growth.

Eliminate an Eyesore – Another great use of natural barriers is to hide the necessary but unsightly equipment needed to run a modern home. You can use small shrubs around HVAC units and pool pumps but keep them well away from the equipment.

Traditional Landscape by Maine Landscapers via Houzz

For more specific recommendations on natural plant barriers and other creative garden design ideas, please contact us at Marvin Gardens.

Create a Garden That Connects Your Interior Design to Your Yard

One thing that homeowners don’t always consider when it comes to their garden design is how it will connect with their interior design. The following are a few ways that you can help create a more balanced home design by visually connecting your garden and your interior design together:

Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

Color – Make the colors of your garden design compliment those of your interior design. For example, if your interior color scheme is more on the neutral side of things, add soft yellow or purple flowers and plants to your landscape. If your home’s colors are bolder, then use bolder colored landscape elements.

Architectural features – Consider the best architectural feature of your home, then make it stand out. You can do this by clearing the space around it or by repeating its color or shape.

Style – Different architectural styles will work better with different landscape features. For example, a Victorian style home will look fantastic with boxwood hedges, while open lawn areas and picket fences tend to work better for traditional Colonial style homes.

Use these tips to connect your garden design to your interior. Be sure to contact us at Marvin Gardens for all of your garden needs.

Create a Garden Design That’s Great for Daydreaming and Meditation

When it comes to designing your garden, you may already have particular tastes, one design you may want to think about is a space that promotes meditation and philosophy. Having a beautiful space to meditate can bring peace and it can benefit your health.

container gardening — Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

Here are some ideas you may want to consider adding to your garden design.

Adding shapes such as spheres to your garden can bring a sense of structure and peace while also providing texture.
Balance is key when promoting peace in your garden. This does not have to mean mirror imaging; asymmetrical balance can also add calm.
Gardens that are used for meditation often use greenery and foliage instead of flowers. This is thought to provide fewer distractions.
Well-placed seating such as a bench gazing out over the garden can provide a place to stop, breathe, and take in the beauty.
Plants that provide texture can be a great place to draw the eye, also drawing the mind to stop and think.

If you are interested in different types of garden design and finding the right design to suit your needs, contact us at Marvin Gardens.

If You Want to Garden, Just Get Started

Even if you think you have a brown thumb, you shouldn’t give up on the idea of having a garden. Think of any previous missteps as learning experiences and continue your exploration and experimentation of gardening until you found your niche. Now is the ideal time for planning your garden and getting a jump-start on spring!

gardening — Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

Start Small

Going overboard by buying multiple plants and vegetables is easy when you’re eager to take advantage of spring. It’s easy to become overwhelmed with too many projects, though, so start small and focus on one thing at a time. Plant a favorite vegetable or some herbs and once those sprout, branch out to other greens.

Fit Your Space & Style

Planning a garden is feasible even if your property isn’t very big. Keep plants confined via a container garden or choose one specific area to plant. If you’re not an expert gardener, having things closer together makes it less likely plants will suffer from lack of attention.

Every Sprout Counts

Celebrate every new plant sprout as a victory and take heart that your gardening efforts are worthwhile.

For more helpful tips on planning your garden, contact our experts at Marvin Gardens today!

Maximize the Appearance of Your Garden With These Tricks

If you love gardening but don’t have much space, you can still have a great garden. With creative visual planting, your garden can look larger than it really is. Here are some helpful garden design ideas to help you create the illusion of a spacious garden.

Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

Plant larger plants near the front of your garden and smaller plants at the back. This will give a two-dimensional illusion of depth that will make your garden area feel larger.

Select tall trees with slender trunks that will create height in your garden. Many arborvitae, juniper and Leyland cypress trees are fast growing and provide good height without width.

Plants with large leaves and coarse textures create strong contrast. Plant them towards the front of your garden with finer-textured plants towards the back to create the illusion of more space.

Color creates strong visual interest. Strong, warm colors like red, orange, yellow and brown expand and appear closer. Soft, cool colors like green, blue, lilac and pink recede and appear further away. To create depth in your garden, plant warm colors near the front and cool colors near the back.

For more garden design ideas and gardening advice, contact us at Marvin Gardens.

Want to Start a Vegetable Garden? Tips to Get It Going

If you think you might have a green thumb, then you should consider the benefits of growing a vegetable garden outside your home. Not only is gardening an incredibly relaxing and rewarding activity, you’ll have fresh vegetables to use for your meals as well! The following are some vegetable garden care tips to help you get going:

Do your research – Some plants will thrive better than others depending on the time of the year. Keep in mind how long it will take for the plants to grow as well.
Purchase seeds – Seeds are far cheaper than buying small plants. One bag of seeds will probably cost as much as just one plant. Watching the seed flourish into a full plant is also much more rewarding.

Read the packet – Always follow the directions. The packet will provide details about spacing and the depth at which they need to be planted.

One seed at a time – Plant each seed individually. If they are grouped together, they will compete, making it difficult for them to germinate.

Use these tips to start a vegetable garden and be sure to contact us at Marvin Gardens USA for all your gardening needs.

Tips to Keep Your Lawn Healthy No Matter the Season

If you want to keep the curb appeal of your property high, then you have to take care of your lawn all year round. The following are a few tips that you should be sure to follow in order to take care of your lawn during each season:

Spring – Fertilize your lawn during the spring in order to keep the lawn’s fresh green look. Look for fertilizer with a lot of nitrogen in order to encourage stronger growth. You’ll want to mow regularly as well.

Summer – Don’t use fertilizer unless rain is predicted; otherwise it will stress the lawn. Make sure to water it regularly to prevent it from drying out in the summer heat.

Fall – Fall is all about preparing your lawn for the harsh weather of winter. Fertilize your grass using a high potassium fertilizer to toughen it up for the winter months.

Winter – Avoid walking on the grass during the winter during more frosty periods. Remove debris from the lawn in order to prevent it from blocking sunlight from the grass.

Use these tips to care for your lawn throughout the year. For help designing an outdoor space, contact us at Marvin Gardens.

Why Bats Can be a Great Addition to Your Garden

If you are in the process of planning your garden for spring and summer, you may want to consider bats and how attracting them can be an advantage to your garden.

Bats do many things to help your garden grow and thrive. You can use bats as natural pollinators as they help plants flower and set their fruit. Bats are also good at naturally controlling pests in your garden, especially at night why you aren’t watching.

Here are some great ways you can attract bats to your garden.

Plant some night blooming flowers. Plants such as night-blooming jasmines, datura, and nicotiana attract bats.
Install some bat houses. Build them yourself or purchase houses at the hardware store then place them around your garden. This will encourage bats to stop and nest in your garden.
Add lights to your garden. Lights will attract those insects that the bats love to eat, and the bats will see them and swoop in to enjoy them.
Add some more trees. Trees will provide both food and homes for the bats.

If you would like help planning your garden, contact us at Marvin Gardens.

Design Tips to Create a Festive Holiday Container Garden

holiday planter decorating — Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

Container gardens are a great way to add color to any space in your home but are especially useful in the winter months around the holidays. They can be kept growing through the most intemperate winter making them indispensable for people who love to have plants nearby all year-round.

Here are a few reasons you should use container plants at holiday time:

They’re Alive – It often seems that many decorators resort to twigs and dead branches to fill out their holiday décor. While that is a reasonable strategy, it does not bring the same vibrancy and aroma as live plants.
They Can Fill Window Boxes – Don’t plant them directly in the window box – just insert them in their containers and move them indoors when necessary.
They Move – These little biomes can be used over and over again. Place them inside in the dining room for your cocktail party one week and then move them outside for a night of entertainment under the stars.

For more information about these and other creative garden design ideas, please visit us at Marvin Gardens. You will find us online at MarvinGardensUSA.com or you can reach us directly at 203-544-2020.