Outdoor Living Guide

5 INSPIRING PROJECTS TO TRANSFORM YOUR OUTDOOR SPACE

Fire Pit

THIS VIBRANT LANDSCAPE DESIGN includes low-maintenance and pollinator-friendly choices that provide beauty and nectar from spring through fall. Plant low-growing groundcover closest to the seating area. Use evergreen shrubs like holly to anchor the space with year-round structure.

What’s better than a fragrant lilac?

One that blooms twice a year! Flowers heavily in spring, with a lighter bloom set in fall. Compact, with a nicely rounded shape.

UP TO 4' TALL AND WIDE

FULL SUN

ZONES 4-8 | #40992

An enchanting green cone framed by a changing palette of pink-hued petals. Lush leaves and sturdy stems create a beautiful backdrop for the profusion of blooms late spring through fall.

UP TO 20" TALL, 18" WIDE

FULL SUN

ZONES 4-9 | #41360

A wonderfully dense, rounded, and upright foundation shrub. Shiny dark evergreen leaves take on a purpleburgundy hue in the fall and winter. A male holly pollenizer without berries.

UP TO 4' TALL, 3' WIDE

FULL SUN

ZONES 5-9 | #02109

A thick blanket of dark pink flowers in summer against soft green foliage blends well in waterwise borders. The dense, short-stemmed mound of succulent foliage is not prone to falling open.

UP TO 15" TALL AND WIDE

FULL OR PARTIAL SUN

ZONES 4-9 | #42881

1. LITTLE DARLING® LILAC 2. EVOLUTION ™ COLORIFIC™ CONEFLOWER 3. SCALLYWAG ™ HOLLY 4. EVOLUTION ™ EMERALD ICE SEDUM 5. RED CREEPING THYME 6. DARK MATTER™ MEADOW SAGE 7. DARK KNIGHT BLUEBEARD 8. ELIJAH BLUE FESCUE

Little Darling® Lilac

Evolution™ Colorific™ Coneflower

Scallywag™ Holly

Evolution™ Emerald Ice Sedum

Red Creeping Thyme

This creeping perennial herb makes a beautiful ground cover with deep, lavender-red blooms. Perfect for filling between stepping stones as it tolerates slight foot traffic and has a wonderful fragrance when leaves are crushed.

UP TO 6" TALL AND 18" WIDE

FULL OR PARTIAL SUN

ZONES 4-9 | #06574

Dark Matter™ Meadow Sage

Beautiful, bold, dark-purple flower spikes start blooming early and rebloom throughout the summer. Especially effective in mass plantings, but also nice for mixed borders and containers. Loved by pollinators.

UP TO 12" WIDE, 16" TALL IN BLOOM

FULL SUN ZONES 4-9 | #45216

Dark Knight Bluebeard

A compact, mounding shrub with dense, fragrant, silver-gray foliage and deep purplish blue flowers over a long blooming season. Valued for late summer to fall flowers, when little else is in bloom.

UP TO 2' TALL AND WIDE

FULL SUN ZONES 5-9 | #02289

Alternative Plants to Get this Look

Elijah Blue Fescue

The icy blue color of this compact, clumping ornamental grass holds up even through the heat of summer. Buff-colored plumes create contrast.

UP TO 12" TALL AND WIDE

FULL SUN ZONES 4-11 | #03667

Colorful compact shrub

ZONES 7-11 | #42660

Evergreen structure ZONES 6-11 | #06212

TOP 5 DESIGN TIPS FOR PLANTING AROUND A FIRE PIT

1. Let your specific site conditions and “sense of place” inform your fire pit landscape design. Choose plants that will reflect your style, and are appropriate for your climate, conditions, and size of space.

2. If you have the room, site your fire pit further away from your house. This will create that magnetic outdoor moment that pulls people in.

3. Especially in smaller landscapes and spaces, stick to a simple plant, color, and material palette. This approach will create a more soothing feel.

4. Use soft-textured, low-growing plants to soften the transition from the fire pit landscape to the rest of the backyard.

5. Plantings should be far enough away from the fire to allow for fire safety as well as ample seating space.

7-11 | #42069

Low-water groundcover

ZONES 3-11 | #04487

“Fire is that one visual connector and attractor that can really get someone interested in going outdoors. If you’re inside and you see a cozy fire moment outdoors, it’s a great way to get you outside.”

LANDSCAPE DESIGNER, SCOTT SHRADER

Champion Hebe

Gulf Stream Heavenly Bamboo

VIBE® Ignition Salvia Bold pollinator favorite ZONES

Angelina Stonecrop

Water Feature or Pool

CREATE THE ULTIMATE TRANQUILITY GARDEN by combining the soothing effect of water with the joyful experience of watching visiting bees, butterflies, and birds. Surround a sparkling water feature or pool with a lush mix of abundant fruit-bearing plants and pollinator-friendly choices.

Rose

An easy-care option with loads of beautiful blooms from mid-spring all the way to fall. Extra cold-hardy and tolerant of sea and road salt. Golden yellow fall foliage.

UP TO 3' TALL AND WIDE

FULL SUN

ZONES 3-9 | #42708

Deep red flowers with dark centers over a long bloom season. Great for wildlife gardens, loved by butterflies, hummingbirds, bees and birds.

UP TO 14" TALL AND WIDE

FULL SUN ZONES 5-9 | #45361

The bluest of foliage on a compact shrub, with pink-blushed spring flowers and a big crop of large, sweet berries. Self-fertile.

UP TO 4' TALL AND WIDE

FULL SUN ZONES 6-10 | #05623

An upright shrub with fantastic, burgundy foliage with softly cut edges. Bright pink flowers are followed by blackish red berries that provide seasonal forage for wildlife.

UP TO 8' TALL, 4' WIDE

PARTIAL TO FULL SUN

ZONES 4-8 | #00408

1. SEASIDE SWIRL™ BLUSH RUGOSA ROSE 2. PANAMA™ RED CONEFLOWER 3. BOUNTIFUL BLUE® BLUEBERRY 4. BLACK TOWER ELDERBERRY 5. HEAVY METAL BLUE SWITCH GRASS 6. JEANGENIE™ COLORADO BLUE SPRUCE 7. KUDOS RED AGASTACHE 8. SEASCAPE STRAWBERRY

Seaside Swirl™ Blush Rugosa

Panama™ Red Coneflower

Bountiful Blue® Blueberry

Black Tower Elderberry

Heavy Metal Blue Switch Grass

Stiff, metallic blue blades on this native grass turn brilliant in fall. Stays upright, topped with airy pink-tinged panicles in summer. Attractive seed heads provide winter food for birds.

UP TO 3' TALL AND WIDE

FULL SUN, PARTIAL SUN

ZONES 4-9 | #06179

JeanGenie™ Colorado Blue Spruce

A handsome pyramidal form with a denser, slower-growing habit for smaller landscapes and brighter blue needles. Provides protection from winds and habitat for birds and other wildlife.

UP TO 15' TALL, 8' WIDE

FULL SUN, PARTIAL SUN

ZONES 2-8 | #05271

Kudos Red Agastache

Red flower spikes offer cheerful, carefree summer color for beds, borders or containers, and are a hummingbird magnet! Loved by bees and other pollinators, too.

UP TO 20" TALL, 16" WIDE

FULL SUN

ZONES 5-10 | #44942

Alternative Plants to Get this Look

Seascape Strawberry

Loads of large, delicious berries with excellent flavor over a long season. This ever-bearing strawberry has good disease resistance and produces well in a wide range of climates.

UP TO 12" TALL, 14" WIDE

FULL SUN

ZONES 4-9 | #06836

Zestful™

Sweet and delicious fruit

ZONES 7-9 | #41549

Little

Aromatic evergreen shrub

ZONES 8-11 | #07993

TOP 5 TIPS FOR DESIGNING A TRANQUIL, ABUNDANT GARDEN

1. A water feature, whether big or small, will instantly add a feeling of tranquility to your space.

2. Remember the comfy seating! You need a place to rest comfortably as you enjoy your space.

Edible groundcover

ZONES 8-10 | #07032

Fruiting tree

ZONES 8-10 | #03570

3. Fruiting trees and shrubs offer sweet snacks while they act as the structural anchor of your garden.

4. Include diverse pollinator plants with different bloom seasons through your garden to provide nectar and color from spring through fall.

5. Use ornamental grasses to soften the look and act as a visual transition between the bright blooms.

“Consider your landscape as a source for both human food and wildlife food. There are so many plants that provide nectar, seeds, berries, and habitat for pollinators that can be used in the landscape to achieve beauty.”

LANDSCAPE DESIGNER, CHRISTIAN DOUGLAS

Waterfall Grape

Ragu® Sweet Bay

Huntington Carpet Rosemary

Pineapple Guava

Dining Room

CREATE AN ELEGANT OUTDOOR DINING ROOM by enclosing the space with a tall, evergreen hedge. Use symmetry in your planting plan and keep the color palette simple for a timeless look.

One of the most popular and effective shrubs for screening or tall hedge use. Holds its emerald green color throughout winter. Thrives in the heat and humidity of the south and tolerates dry spells when established.

UP TO 15' TALL, 4' WIDE

FULL SUN

ZONES 4-8 | 07301

Foerster’s Feather Reed Grass

Create a stunning vertical effect with feathery stalks that emerge reddish brown in spring and turn a rich golden color in fall. Thrives in wet soils, yet tolerates drier conditions. Sterile seeds do not produce unwanted seedlings.

UP TO 2' TALL AND WIDE; BLOOM

STALKS REACH 6' TALL

FULL SUN

ZONES 4-9 | #01401

Seaside Serenade® Cape

Lookout Hydrangea

Amazingly long-lasting, large blooms that emerge pale green, turn pure white, then develop a light-pink tinge as they age. Thick, dark green foliage has wonderful bronze fall coloring. Resists scorch and burn on hot summer days.

UP TO 3' TALL AND WIDE

PARTIAL SUN

ZONES 4-9 | #41528

A great small-scale, colorful, and low-maintenance groundcover! Dwarf spreading form with dainty violet flowers that show color for many months. Lush mound of deep green foliage is lightly marbled chartreuse.

UP TO 20" TALL, 24" WIDE

PARTIAL SUN

ZONES 4-10 | #02308

1. EMERALD GREEN ARBORVITAE 2. FOERSTER’S FEATHER REED GRASS 3. SEASIDE SERENADE® CAPE LOOKOUT HYDRANGEA 4. ROZANNE GERANIUM 5. GREEN MOUNTAIN BOXWOOD 6. TOKI CLEMATIS 7. GOLDEN JAPANESE FOREST GRASS 8. PETITE PILLAR™ DWARF BOXWOOD

Emerald Green Arborvitae

Rozanne Geranium

Green Mountain Boxwood

A vigorous evergreen shrub with an upright, naturally cone-shaped habit that makes it a striking option for formal gardens and sculpted hedges. The bright green foliage that retains good color throughout winter.

UP TO 5' TALL, 3' WIDE

PARTIAL TO FULL SUN

ZONES 4-9 | #01382

Toki Clematis

Large, pure white flowers with complementary delicate yellow stamens are among the earliest clematis blooms to appear. Plant against a dark background or allow to grow through darkleaved plants for a splendid effect.

UP TO 9' TALL WITH SUPPORT

FULL SUN

ZONES 4-9 | #02637

Golden Japanese Forest Grass

A colorful groundcover for shaded gardens. Slender stems holding bright yellow leaves with thin green stripes create a bamboo-like effect. Foliage becomes pink-tinged as the weather cools in autumn.

UP TO 18" TALL AND WIDE

PARTIAL SUN

ZONES 4-9 | #03868

Alternative Plants to Get this Look

Petite Pillar™ Dwarf Boxwood

An exceptional dwarf boxwood that slowly grows into a columnar shape as it matures. The lustrous, evergreen foliage is easily clipped into formal topiary shapes. Well-suited to containers, making it a perfect table-top topiary.

UP TO 3' TALL, 2' WIDE

PARTIAL TO FULL SUN

ZONES 5-9 | #05761

blooms

ZONES 7-10 | #09655

TOP 5 TIPS FOR DESIGNING AN OUTDOOR DINING ROOM

1. Before planning the landscaping, decide on how you’d like to use your dining space. Is it a casual dining room just for you and your family or is it an entertaining space that can accommodate more people?

2. Surround the dining space with easy-care plants that look good year round so your space always looks ready for entertaining.

3. Define the floors, walls, and ceiling of your dining room with anything from plants to natural building materials and hardscaping.

4. Consider the location, style, and functionality of your indoor dining space as you design your outdoor dining space. How similar or different do you want them to be?

5. To achieve a dining room that has an architectural simplicity, stick to a simple plant and color palette.

Strappy, grassy foliage

ZONES 6-11 | #05890

“You can use just about any plant that gives enough height to define the edges, or “walls” of your outdoor room. Vines can also be used if you grow them on a trellis or fence. Your plant choices depend on how thick and tall you’d like your plant walls to be.”

Silvery Sunproof Lilyturf

Patio Living Room

CREATE A MODERN YET RELAXED OUTDOOR LIVING SPACE by embracing natural textures and using plants that hug the earth or reach for the sky in wispy, dreamy clouds. Keep the color palette simple but allow for strong contrasts, like the shimmering of silvers against the vibrancy of purples and reds.

Unique and compact, with stunning silver foliage and dark violet flowers topped by lavender petal-like bracts. Disease resistant and stands up to summer heat and drought.

UP TO 30" TALL AND WIDE

FULL SUN

ZONES 6-10 | #08887

Smoke Signal Little Bluestem

A strongly upright grass with bluegreen foliage taking on scarlet tones in late summer, deepening to purple through the fall. Excellent planted in groups, or alone as a vertical accent.

UP TO 4' TALL, 2' WIDE

FULL SUN

ZONES 3-9 | #45345

Laurel

A lush, evergreen, dwarf shrub with glossy dark green leaves and showy, fragrant flower spikes. Excellent for use as a hedge, background plant, or privacy screen.

UP TO 3' TALL, 6' WIDE

PARTIAL SUN

ZONES 6-9 | #04824

Attractive sparkling blue foliage on dense, spreading branches. Creates a colorful contrast to purple and green foliage plants. Ideal for mass plantings.

UP TO 3' TALL, 4' WIDE

FULL SUN

ZONES 4-8 | #05339

1. SILVER ANOUK SPANISH LAVENDER 2. SMOKE SIGNAL LITTLE BLUESTEM 3. JADE ENCHANTRESS® CHERRY LAUREL 4. BLUE STAR JUNIPER 5. CELEBRATIONS™ CARNIVAL KANGAROO PAW 6. SYLVITA BASKET SHRUBBY EVERLASTING 7. DESERT ROSE PADDLE PLANT 8. SILVER WHISPERS™ SWISS STONE PINE

Silver Anouk Spanish Lavender

Jade Enchantress® Cherry

Blue Star Juniper

Celebrations™ Carnival Kangaroo Paw

Drought-resistant perennial provides vibrant color and great texture with clusters of unique, fuzzy, soft-purple flowers. An excellent, long-lasting cut flower.

UP TO 16" TALL, 20" WIDE

FULL SUN, PARTIAL SUN

ZONES 9-11 | #45485

Sylvita Basket Shrubby Everlasting

This Mediterranean plant has low water needs and can tolerate poor soil; perfect for dry, rocky, and sandy areas. A wonderful addition to container plantings.

UP TO 1 ' TALL, 2' WIDE

FULL SUN ZONES 9-10 | #45654

Desert Rose Paddle Plant

Dramatic color and texture from thick, round, paddle-shaped succulent foliage with a chalky blue-green color and red tinge. Easily grown in containers, indoors or out.

UP TO 18" TALL AND WIDE

FULL SUN, PARTIAL SUN

ZONES 9-11 | #06940

Alternative Plants to Get this Look

Silver Whispers™ Swiss Stone Pine

A near perfect compact, very hardy evergreen. Exceptional form is densely packed with white-striped dark green needles that produce a silvery effect.

UP TO 12' TALL, 6' WIDE

FULL SUN

ZONES 3-7 | #06542

SunSparkler® Dazzleberry

Sedum

Colorful succulent

ZONES 4-9 | #00733

DAKOTA ™ Burgundy Beardtongue

Dramatic, waterwise perennial

ZONES 3-8 | #44085

Little Rick Mugo Pine

Evergreen structure

ZONES 4-9 | #08183

TOP 5 TIPS FOR DESIGNING AN OUTDOOR LIVING ROOM

1. Design and build the floor of your outdoor room first. Start with the size you need for the desired functionality, and then choose a natural material that functions as the flooring.

2. Choose comfortable seating, and consider splurging on highquality pieces that elevate your space.

3. Create privacy by using tall trees and shrubs as “green walls” around your room.

4. Keep the color palette simple but allow for strong dark-meetslight contrasts.

5. Use indoor-outdoor plants like succulents and tropicals as outdoor décor in warm weather, and indoor décor when temperatures drop.

Silver Mound Artemisia

Shimmering groundcover

ZONES 3-9 | #00101

LANDSCAPE

“When designing an outdoor living space, we should think about what makes us happy when we’re outside. That’s why an outdoor room should be surrounded by, if not solely created by, beautiful plants.”

ARCHITECT AND ILLUSTRATOR, LISA NUNAMAKER

Personal Retreat

TURN YOUR BACKYARD INTO A SERENE PARADISE by surrounding a comfortable lounge with tropical florals, lush foliage, and a simplified color palette. Choose plants and furnishings that create the soothing atmosphere of an upscale spa or boutique hotel.

Winged Phoenix™ Hardy

Schefflera

This magnificent, hardy selection adds sensational tropical flair to landscapes or containers. New foliage emerges soft green and ages to a deep silvery green on yellow-green petioles. Greenish white umbels produce purple fruit.

UP TO 15' TALL AND WIDE

PARTIAL TO FULL SUN

ZONES 7-10 | #09498

Mondo Grass

Attractive, evergreen clumps of dark green, grassy leaves make a beautiful small-scale groundcover or low border. Tiny lilac flowers appear in summer. Easy to grow and ideal for adding texture to the garden.

UP TO 15" TALL AND WIDE

PARTIAL TO FULL SUN

ZONES 6-11 | #06310

Tropicanna® Gold Canna

Vivid orange-yellow flowers with darkorange speckled throats bloom atop tall stems. Large leaves, striped green and gold, add dramatic interest. An outstanding selection provides lush texture and color and is an excellent container specimen.

UP TO 5' TALL AND WIDE

PARTIAL TO FULL SUN

ZONES 7-11 | #01741

Jurassic™ Brontosaurus Tongue Fern

Growing on rocks under extreme drought conditions, this curiously beautiful evergreen species was collected in Hunan Province by plantsman Dan Hinkley. Makes for a splendid specimen over time.

UP TO 1' TALL AND WIDE, SPREADING WIDER OVER TIME

PARTIAL SUN

ZONES 7-11 | #41938

1. WINGED PHOENIX™ HARDY SCHEFFLERA 2. MONDO GRASS 3. TROPICANNA® GOLD CANNA 4. JURASSIC ™ BRONTOSAURUS TONGUE FERN 5. ROYAL HAWAIIAN® HAWAIIAN PUNCH ELEPHANT EAR 6. BLACK MONDO GRASS 7. JAZZY JEWEL® GOLD HIBISCUS 8. TROPICANNA® CANNA

Royal Hawaiian® Hawaiian Punch Elephant Ear

Striking bright-green leaves with bright-red stems adds bold color and tropical flair to any garden. A dramatic choice for patio containers. Spreads freely in rich, wet soils; more slowly in dry, heavy soils.

UP TO 3' TALL AND WIDE

PARTIAL TO FULL SUN

ZONES 7-11 | #40849

Black Mondo Grass

Stunning evergreen contrast for the front of the border with exceptional, dense, purple-black, grass-like foliage. Produces dark lavender flowers in summer that are followed by purple berries in fall.

UP TO 6" TALL AND WIDE, SPREADING SLOWLY

PARTIAL TO FULL SUN ZONES 5-10 | #03022

Jazzy Jewel® Gold Hibiscus

This dazzling gem produces a prolific amount of large, long-lasting, goldenyellow flowers with a deep red eye on lush, glossy green foliage. An outstanding selection for bold, exotic color.

UP TO 5' TALL AND WIDE

FULL SUN

ZONES 9-11 (OR ANNUAL) | #43645

Alternative Plants to Get this Look

Tropicanna® Canna

Tall stems are crowned by large, bright-orange blooms. Exotic foliage with emerging bright-burgundy leaves mature with stripes of red, pink, yellow, and green. This dramatic specimen provides bold color and lush texture.

UP TO 5' TALL, 4' WIDE

FULL SUN

ZONES 7-11 | #02248

Sirens’

Heuchera

Dramatic foliage

ZONES 4-9 | #42866

Ice

Lush and dense groundcover

ZONES 5-9 | #03583

Ghost Fern

Large, dynamic foliage

ZONES 4-9 | #01876

TOP 5 TIPS FOR CREATING A RELAXING RETREAT

1. Select leafy shrubs, tall grasses, and trees that catch the breeze with gentle movement.

2. Plant trees and taller hedges to lend a feeling of enclosure and privacy.

3. Use plantings to frame a seating or lounge area.

4. Choose low-growing mounding grasses and perennials to soften hardscape.

5. Add tropical color or indoor plants in containers to lend a feeling of an at-home paradise.

Chateau™

Cold-hardy hibiscus

ZONES 5-9 | #40950

“There is something powerful about an enclosed space. When designed well, it envelops you in a way that you feel comfortable and at peace.”

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT AND ILLUSTRATOR, LISA NUNAMAKER

Song™ Dark Night

Dance Japanese Sedge

de Chantilly Rose of Sharon

More Ways to Grow Beautifully

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Landscape

ON THE COVERS

BACK:

SPECIAL THANKS

FRONT: Purple beardtongue, French lavender, meadow rush, and New Zealand flax in a drought-tolerant landscape. Photograph by Michele Lee Willson, courtesy of Arterra Landscape Architects

Spicy Lime Heucherella

Plant photography by Doreen Wynja

plans and illustrations by Lisa Nunamaker of Paper Garden Workshop