As the summer humidity starts to finally drift away, cooler evenings mean more outside gatherings. We chatted with award-winning landscape designer Linda Greenberg, of Linda Greenberg Landscaping Design (LGLD) about ways we can spruce up our outdoor areas - from window boxes to back yards!
“The arrival sequence from the driveway to the front door is one of the most important considerations when designing,” Greenberg says. She recommends unique planters on either side of the front door, filled with a variety of thriller, filler, and spiller plant materials. “This begins with a larger center piece in the planter, like an evergreen or ornamental grass, then layering in pops of fall color,” Greenberg suggests. She recommends pansies, ornamental cabbages, and snapdragons dianthus with the final touch of a trailing plant like Creeping Jenny or Weeping Rosemary.
Greenberg started creating landscape designs more than 25 years and has won Best of Houzz for the past nine consecutive years. “I pride myself on giving great service and making evert garden extraordinary in some way. LGLD has a fabulous team of professionals that can literally create and install anything that you can imagine for the outdoors,” she says.
Although she’s worked for clients who have large backyards and hard spaces (things like outdoor patios, pools, and kitchens), Greenberg loves working with smaller spaces too, including window boxes.
Here are some of Greenberg’s tips for a cozy fall ambience outside:
1. Gather around a fire pit - Greenberg recommends four teak or Adirondack chairs to circle the setting - and use throws or pillows to add a splash of color.
2. Plant window boxes that are overflowing with a variety of textures, forms, fragrances, and color.
3. Plant a garden filled with trees, shrubs and ground covers that have fall interests so when one stops blooming, there is something else coming, like the turning leaves.
4. Use every inch of your property, beginning with the property lines.
5. An oversized water fountain creates ambiance and tranquility. “They can change the garden vibe completely! Plus, they attract pollinators and birds!”
“Most people have a favorite plant that makes them happy, and I make note of those when working with them. After all, “a garden evokes and creates memories for a lifetime.”
