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In this design, evergreen screening trees and flowering shrubs combine to create a nice blend of texture and color, as well as a sense of privacy. View and print a larger version of this design. | Imagine spending a quiet Saturday morning in the garden, enjoying breakfast and reading the newspaper. Only instead of doing the weekend crossword puzzle from your patio table, you’re relaxing in your backyard gazebo among the flowers. Gazebos aren’t reserved for resorts, public gardens and parks. For more and more home gardeners, these site amenities are becoming attractive – and functional – focal points in their landscapes. If you’re considering adding a gazebo in your garden – or if you’ve inherited one when you moved into your home – surround it with a stunning landscape that offers as much privacy as it does beauty, enhancing your overall outdoor living experience. In this design, evergreen screening trees and flowering shrubs combine to create a nice blend of texture and color, as well as a sense of privacy. (And because “privacy” is one of the top three points that realtors and homebuyers look for in a landscape, a well-designed living screen like this can help add to your property value.) Upright perennials, mounding and trailing annuals, and a few accent plants add extra color, and, when planned carefully, can offer year-round interest – even if you can only enjoy your garden through the windows in winter. A climbing rose growing on the gazebo itself and some landscape edging that matches the exterior of your home and lines the garden’s long, graceful curves elegantly completes the look. But don’t stop there: Consider adding a natural pathway that leads through your yard right up to your gazebo. This extra touch helps further define your space, as well as offers nice variety to an otherwise ordinary grassy yard. (Avoid straight paths when possible. Curves or unique patterns create more interest to a garden design.) Every home gardener deserves a quiet, restful place to sit and enjoy the beauty they’ve created. Instead of reserving your usual seat on the patio, why not go a few steps beyond – and enjoy your garden in elegant style. Remember, when you shop for plants, pick the ones you like that match the functions identified on the plan!
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