Room with a view

As the summer days get steamier, it's harder to be out in the yard, but that doesn't mean an end to the enjoyment and appreciation of your flower gardens. Careful planning and placement ensure visual access to your garden's beauty from any room in the house. As an example, I've taken a photo of the flowerbeds just outside my downstairs bathroom window (shown above). We don't spend much time in that room, but the lovely view from that window enhances every second I'm in that spot.

We all understand the idea of "curb appeal," and most houses have an abundance of plantings in front of their homes. I'm not discounting the importance of this, but when plotting your outdoor spaces, it's vital to pay attention to the places that may be easily overlooked. Remember, friends and strangers alike pass your house and notice the presentation your place makes, but YOU live there. You see the good, and must suffer through the bad and the ugly.

My friend perked up a bare area in her side yard with a climbing clematis (below), and turned a forgettable area into a charming corner that draws the eye, and sparks the imagination. Clematis are a good choice for large expanses of fencing because they break up the monotony and counter enveloping walls with softly curving swirls of nature. Available in a variety of bloom shades and easy to grow (like the Jackmanii, shown here), clematis offers a tempting sight from the nearby kitchen window.

What I like best about this plant: It was first established in 1858, so it's got a track record; it grows in zones 4-11, so nearly all of us can enjoy it's velvety purple leaves and deep green foliage; it blooms from July to August when there is often a lull of flowering plants in the garden; it thrives in full sun or part shade; and it behaves itself, spreading out no more than 10-13 feet, so you won't be hacking it away from the fence post and cursing it for taking over the area.

Other easy growers that offer long-lasting blossoms during the dog days of summer: Daylilies, hydrangeas (with buds just peaking now, to bridge the gap between spring and fall bloomers), rudbeckia and coneflower (many cultivars of these plants now available), aster (in white, purple or pink--will bloom reliably through fall if you deadhead), sunny yellow coreopsis, gaura (boasts "butterfly buds" in pink or white atop tall spikes), yarrow (I like bright yellow "moonshine" best, but available in a range of hues) paired with the perennial purple of catmint (clip the spikes after first bloom and they will blossom again).

Try one or all of the plants I've listed, and place them so that you can offer a room with a view from every window in your house.