marvin gardens design wilton ct

Think Like a Landscaper When Planning Your Garden

One of the best tricks for planning you garden like a professional landscaper is to work around a focal point. This component of your design should be capable of drawing a lot of interest and attention from guests all by itself. However, by tying this in with other elements of the garden, a truly cohesive space can be achieved.

garden design — Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

Your focal point can be a naturally occurring element, such as a large boulder or tree, or a strategically placed item, such as a building or sculpture. Larger gardens may employ more than one focal point, but this will detract value from a garden too small to handle it, appearing cluttered.

It’s important to employ a strong sense of contrast when developing your focal point and the rest of the garden. Although many aspects of the garden can be included in this venture, such as color, accounting for the texture of your garden gives one of the most subtle yet impactful impressions. Rhythm and repetition of design motifs are also very effective.

For more help planning your garden, please 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.

Embrace the Sphere in Your Garden

garden accessories — Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

Since ancient times, the sphere has been considered one of the most perfect and beautiful shapes. These days, the sphere is not quite so mystically revered but it is still respected for its uniqueness. Here are some ideas for introducing this magnificent shape into your garden:

Plants – There are many plants that have spherical flowers most notably, the alliums. With their vivid colors and, for plants, unusual shape, they make a strong visual impact in any garden.
Shrubs – Boxwoods, dwarf blue spruce and Japanese cedar are just three of your choices that make excellent spherical shrubs. It does take a little practice to get the trimming just right but after one season, you will be a pro.
Stone & Metal – Whether an intricately welded, metal globe or a simple roughly hewn stone, spherical sculptures in the garden are irresistible. Add one – or three! – to create a fabulous focal point in the garden.

For more information about these and other creative garden design ideas, please contact us at Marvin Gardens. We can be found online at MarvinGardensUSA.com or reached directly at 203-544-2020.

Succulent Spotlight: Echeveria

If you’re looking for a new plant to spruce up your garden, then succulents are the way to go. Succulents will provide your garden with an incredibly unique look, and they are easy to care for as well. There are plenty of gorgeous succulents to choose from; personally, we recommend checking out the Echeveria succulent.

Echeveria succulents tend to thrive in milder climates and can be found in California as well as the American Southwest. They are one of the more popular succulents among homeowners due to the fact that they boast a colorful foliage throughout the year. While they are sensitive to cold, they make for a fantastic container plant, which means you can just take it inside during the winter months.

While they don’t need to be watered often to survive, Echeveria succulents do look their best with moderate watering. They also need full sun, but give them some shelter from especially harsh summer sunlight. Additionally, they are also tolerant to drought and resistant to deer, which means you don’t have to worry about your succulent becoming an afternoon snack!

For more advice on succulent arrangements, contact us at Marvin Gardens USA.

Your Pets Can Enjoy Your Garden Too!

Odds are you’ve put a lot of thought into planning your garden; after all, you have to consider the wants and needs of everyone in your family. However, you don’t want to forget about your pets, because there’s a good chance your pets will spend more time in your garden then you will. The following are a few pet-friendly features that you could implement into your outdoor area:

Water Fountain – Set up a fountain and refresh its water on a daily basis with your sprinkler system. This will give your dogs a fun way to keep hydrated.

Cat Post – If you have a cat, then why not put up a tall wooden stake? Wrap it in rot-proof rope so that your cat can spend its lazy afternoons climbing up and down as well as scratching the post.

Dog House – Give your dogs their own little spot by building a small dog house. Don’t forget to add on a porch so that they can rest easy while enjoying the weather!

These are just a few ways that you can add pet features to your garden. For more assistance planning your garden, contact us at Marvin Gardens USA.

French Garden Inspiration for Your Home

Add a touch of sophistication to your home by letting French influence inspire your garden design. You can’t go wrong with the French when it comes to elegance.

As a start to this project, think about the quaint outdoor cafes France is known for, concrete balustrades, cast-iron seats, porcelain tiles, and topiary shrubs come to mind. Throw in birdbaths, fountains, and glazed pots to complete the mental picture. It’s perfect for an afternoon outdoor tea party, isn’t it?

But what makes French design so distinctive? There are two main elements, and these are geometry and water. Patterns are geometric: big and bold, whether they’re on the pathway, on the gate, or on the table. But even in their boldness and size, they are delicate. This is because water is often incorporated into the landscape to soften the otherwise hard edges. Combining these two elements in perfect balance is the secret to having a beautiful French design.

Don’t want to take chances with your garden? We, at Marvin Gardens, will be happy to turn your ideas into tangible results. Call us at 203-544-2020 and ask us how we can help you achieve your dream garden.

Succulents Can Help Keep Your Yard Fire-Safe

Local conditions can have an enormous effect on how fire spreads and the rate at which it spreads. For example, arid regions are more prone to wildfires than their humid counterparts because dead and dried-up plant matter ignites more easily and burns faster. You might be interested to learn that the same principle applies on a smaller scale and that plants such as succulents can help reduce the risk of fire.

As their name suggests, succulents are plants with thicker and fleshier parts than other plants. These plants are frequently found in arid regions, where they have adapted to store water; some succulents, such as Haworthia store the water in their leaves, but others store water in their stems and roots. Gardens often feature succulents because of their beautiful appearance, which can be used to highlight their surroundings.

Succulents are slow to burn, making them a beautiful way to make your yard more fire-safe. Similarly, concrete decking are also resistant to fire, meaning that their combination with succulents can help you further fireproof your yard. However, be sure to clear away dead plant matter such as fallen leaves as soon as possible.

For help planning your garden, speak to an expert at Marvin Gardens.

Yoga in the Garden: Creating a Peaceful and Healthy Outdoor Space

yoga-garden — Source: Freedigitalphotos.net

If you’re looking for a way to relax and live a healthier life, yoga is wonderful for both of those things. Not only is yoga very calming, it also helps improve your flexibility, balance, and strength. It can be extremely beneficial to gardeners, who have to spend a lot of time in uncomfortable and damaging positions to care for their plants.

You can do yoga at any time inside, but when the weather’s nice it’s an incredible experience to perform yoga exercises in the fresh air and surrounded by the scent of flowers. When you’re designing your yard or garden, it’s easy to include a space for yoga that’s large enough to fit your mat and maybe another mat for a friend. Just make sure you choose a relatively flat area of your yard so that you can perform the exercises safely.

Two things should dictate the design of your yoga area: privacy and serenity. After all, it’s difficult to relax if you feel like people can come by and watch you attempt some of the more challenging poses, and you want this to be as calming a place as possible. If you don’t have or want a fence around your yard, consider shielding your yoga area with some tall plants.

It can also help to bring some Asian design influence into a yoga space. The Asian garden design suggests three levels of plants, rocks and/or water to represent heaven, man and earth, and a Japanese sand and rock garden is a great addition. Also consider choosing soothing fragrant plants near the area.

Waterfalls, fountains and ponds are always soothing. You can add a waterfall or fountain to your pool area or build a small serenity fountain on your patio deck. A small pond bordered by a shade tree with an aerator recirculating the water creates a relaxing place for yoga.

At Marvin Gardens you can find some soothing and beautiful garden accessories to create your yoga haven. Visit us today to see what we have in stock!

Our New Store Has Officially Opened!

gardening — Source: Marvin Gardens Facebook

June 1 was an exciting day for us at Marvin Gardens. After ten years of serving the Wilton area from our location on Route 7, we opened for business just 300 feet north at our new location on Danbury Road. Our location may have changed but we are still proud to offer the unique home and garden items you’ve come to expect from us.

Regardless of what you are looking for, you’re smart to start at our marketplace. Our owner, Amabel Chan, has been searching high and low for the most special pieces to add to the store’s inventory. Greek garden columns? Check! Reclaimed wood benches? Find it here! Indoor vintage accents? You got it! Our new store provides the space, peaceful surroundings, and eclectic atmosphere that will best highlight these unique offerings. A trip to our marketplace is more than just shopping, it is an opportunity to reconnect with your senses and to become inspired. If you’re ever feeling in need of a creativity boost, an afternoon browsing our store will leave you full of ideas for your home and garden.

We’d love to see you at our new location on Danbury Road! Come and learn what makes our store so incredibly special.