72 GARDEN GATE | The Perfect Autumn Garden | OCTOBER 2019 | ISSUE 149
RECLAIM AN UGLY SLOPE The slope along the
side of this driveway used to be covered in grass
(sort of ). The coverage was thin, and what was
there was diffi cult to mow. Now it looks better and
is easier to take care of, too. One thing that helps
defi ne the space is the mix of limestone retaining
wall and half-buried stones. You don’t have to
tackle a retaining wall that runs a slope’s entire
length. Feel free to create planting pockets and
mix up your materials. It’s easier to do, and in the
end, it looks more natural, too.MAGNIFICENT MUMS Garden mums are the
perfect plants for a quick fall dress-up. Just know
that the ones you buy and plant in fall usually
won’t come back if you live north of USDA cold-
hardiness zone 6. If you want them to perennialize,
buy and plant them in spring so they have plenty
of time to get established in your garden and are
ready for winter. Want more tips on how to choose
and grow gorgeous garden mums year after year?
Turn the page!Fit it all together There are so many
things to think about when designing a garden that it
can be overwhelming, sometimes even intimidating.
But if you break big projects down into smaller pieces
and tackle them one at a time, it’s not so bad. Here’s
a great-looking front-yard planting and a few of the
pieces of the design puzzle that make it possible.35 MPH IMPRESSION Fall may be this driveway
bed’s most colorful season, but it has something
for every season, including spring bulbs and
summer annuals.
Want to get the most out of a bed near the
street? Plant in blocks of color — these huge
mounds of garden mums (Chrysanthemum hybrids)
are easy to see at 35 miles per hour. One plant here
and there wouldn’t make much of an impression.
So if you have three plants, rather than spreading
them out along the driveway’s length, cluster them
all together. In a few years divide them so you can
have another large clump. Same goes for bulbs:
Think 50, not 5!72 GARDEN GATE | The Perfect Autumn Garden | OCTOBER 2019 | ISSUE 149
RECLAIM AN UGLY SLOPE The slope along the
side of this driveway used to be covered in grass
(sort of ). The coverage was thin, and what was
there was diffi cult to mow. Now it looks better and
is easier to take care of, too. One thing that helps
defi ne the space is the mix of limestone retaining
wall and half-buried stones. You don’t have to
tackle a retaining wall that runs a slope’s entire
length. Feel free to create planting pockets and
mix up your materials. It’s easier to do, and in the
end, it looks more natural, too.MAGNIFICENT MUMS Garden mums are the
perfect plants for a quick fall dress-up. Just know
that the ones you buy and plant in fall usually
won’t come back if you live north of USDA cold-
hardiness zone 6. If you want them to perennialize,
buy and plant them in spring so they have plenty
of time to get established in your garden and are
ready for winter. Want more tips on how to choose
and grow gorgeous garden mums year after year?
Turn the page!Fit it all together There are so many
things to think about when designing a garden that it
can be overwhelming, sometimes even intimidating.
But if you break big projects down into smaller pieces
and tackle them one at a time, it’s not so bad. Here’s
a great-looking front-yard planting and a few of the
pieces of the design puzzle that make it possible.
35 MPH IMPRESSION Fall may be this driveway
bed’s most colorful season, but it has something
for every season, including spring bulbs and
summer annuals.
Want to get the most out of a bed near the
street? Plant in blocks of color — these huge
mounds of garden mums (Chrysanthemum hybrids)
are easy to see at 35 miles per hour. One plant here
and there wouldn’t make much of an impression.
So if you have three plants, rather than spreading
them out along the driveway’s length, cluster them
all together. In a few years divide them so you can
have another large clump. Same goes for bulbs:
Think 50, not 5!