Inspiration for Beautiful Gardens

Want a great-looking garden all year long, no matter what’s in bloom? Then you need strong garden bones. These are foundation plants—evergreen and deciduous shrubs and trees that blend your home in with your garden and anchor your planting.

While hardworking foundation plants add essential interest, shape, color and texture throughout the year, they’re not the only way to get great bones. Hardscaping elements, like a wall, arbor or fence, and ornaments work alongside plants in your garden to provide long-lasting structure in beds and borders. So on the pages ahead, you’ll also see a variety of inspiring hardscaping and learn how it helps create the framework of the garden, in addition to adding beauty.

First, let’s take a look at all the ways plants add structure, shape, texture and architectural interest to your space. Together, these traits make for multiseason appeal that keeps going, even when blooms have finished.

The impressive entryway planting in photo 1 greets visitors with tons of texture and color. And this isn’t just the case in spring, when sweepsspp. and hybrids) and forget-me-nots () you see here are blooming. Much of this color and texture stays year-round, thanks to a mix of evergreen shrubs. Planted near the front door, evergreens ensure there’s always something interesting for guests to look at as they come closer.