Some garden porn to start your day

[2curlydogs]

freshome.com/2012/06/20/30-landscape-design-ideas-shaping-up-your-summer-dream-home/

I think there's a little bit there for everyone.

[NitaX]

Can I move here?

[treedimensional]

Meh. Is it wrong to say I don't really like any of them?
They're all very high maintenance designs. And not because of how big they are, but because of the plant choices and layouts. They're overly contrived. Too much clipping and pruning, too much symmetry, and lacking in plant diversity and shade... all of which combine to mean you will be heavily reliant of chemical pesticides. If your landscape looks like this, you'll probably never be bothered by birds singing.
I'm sure the designer made boatloads of money too, but these are so different from even my most formal designs.

[2curlydogs]

Jun 20, 2012 11:27:23 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

They're all very high maintenance designs. And not because of how big they are, but because of the plant choices and layouts.

That's why it's PORN.

Like, think of shower sex. Fun to fantasize about but odds are someone ends up wet, cold and injured if you actually try it.

Though a few don't look too bad. Like this one:

[NitaX]

This one also isn't bad TD. There is a house in my neighborhood that has a bed that is pretty much designed like this one:

[treedimensional]

My idea of a really fun passtime would be to GTG at a bar with everyone on this board, and critique each one of these designs. Somehow, the more I look at them, the more flaws I see. The one with the conifer in front... okay, but needs shade. That much direct sun is a desert phenomenon. It's unnatural, and creates maintenance (not good porn! I'd rather have shower sex!). And the blooming overkill on the bottom... well the design is CRAZY lopsided. Look at the back of the house- there's NOTHING there. There are no foundation beds and no window boxes. It's like they took away all the foundation plantings from everywhere on the property and dropped them all on that one side of the house. It was designed by a pink glitter unicorn. And gnomes live there.

Maybe I've just been out in the sun too long and need a drink.

[krisandgrace]

Jun 20, 2012 14:34:34 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

My idea of a really fun passtime would be to GTG at a bar with everyone on this board, and critique each one of these designs. Somehow, the more I look at them, the more flaws I see. The one with the conifer in front... okay, but needs shade. That much direct sun is a desert phenomenon. It's unnatural, and creates maintenance (not good porn! I'd rather have shower sex!). And the blooming overkill on the bottom... well the design is CRAZY lopsided. Look at the back of the house- there's NOTHING there. There are no foundation beds and no window boxes. It's like they took away all the foundation plantings from everywhere on the property and dropped them all on that one side of the house. It was designed by a pink glitter unicorn. And gnomes live there.

Maybe I've just been out in the sun too long and need a drink.

This made my day- I always like the expression retina burner for bed like these.

[2curlydogs]

Jun 20, 2012 14:34:34 GMT -5 treedimensional said:

The one with the conifer in front... okay, but needs shade. That much direct sun is a desert phenomenon.

Wait, what do you mean by that much sun being a desert phenomenon? Because my yard gets that much direct sun and I sure as heck don't live in the desert.

I do agree it needs more shade though. Though what kind of shade tree would you put in on a single story house with a western exposure like that? I suck at ranch houses cause everything I think of is so off-scale.

[treedimensional]

quote author=2curlydogs
"Wait, what do you mean by that much sun being a desert phenomenon? Because my yard gets that much direct sun and I sure as heck don't live in the desert.
I do agree it needs more shade though. Though what kind of shade tree would you put in on a single story house with a western exposure like that? I suck at ranch houses cause everything I think of is so off-scale."

What I mean by that comment is that most of the earth would be shady in it's natural state. Shade is removed when people come. We tear down all the trees and strip off the topsoil and pave over everything, and make little patches of this ridiculous plant called TURF. So a full-sun landscape is usually completely man-made and unnatural. We should ALL have shade creation as a goal in landscape design, but most of us live in cities that are man-made deserts, devoid of trees and plant diversity.
(gets off soapbox)
The tree choice depends on more factors than you gave me. I'd need to know whereabouts you live, for starters.