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What’s your garden style?

Spring Bloom returns March 11! Come learn how your garden style can express your personality — and save water.

Quietly poring over gardening websites while tucked cozily inside this winter? Me, too! Chilly days are perfect for daydreaming and delving into garden designs.

Whether you prefer an exuberant profusion of blooms or clean architectural lines, your garden style can reflect your personality while keeping your water use — and water bill — low.

Your garden style will also be influenced by your site conditions, such as soil type and how much sunlight different areas receive throughout the day. If you’re wondering where to start, explore our garden resources for basic landscape design principles and watering tips to establish new plants. We even have some landscape designs you can download and use!

Learn to “Show Off Your Style” with these design concepts and adapt them to your corner of the world.

 

Cottage style gardens warmly welcome visitors with masses of colorful blossoms and edible herbs spilling over pathways. Pop into these informal gardens to pluck some rosemary, thyme or oregano for your dinner and enjoy perennials such as salvias, bee balm and Mexican skullcap. Leave out or minimize turfgrass.

 

A mid-century garden look includes clean lines, symmetry, and repetitive plantings of a few varieties for an overall appearance of simplicity. Agaves, nolinas and ornamental bunchgrasses are good options to help create an architectural look.

 

Traditional landscapes usually include a sprawling, water-demanding lawn with shade trees and hedges encircling the house. Expanding perennial beds and replacing turfgrass with a groundcover can help create a more sustainable and visually appealing landscape.

 

Texas Hill Country charm includes annual wildflower shows and lovely limestone outcroppings. Work with nature and use native plants on these thin, alkaline soils. Consider keeping part of your property untouched to maintain a sense of place and habitat for local wildlife.

 

Spanish courtyards offer a beautiful, relaxing respite from the hot summers and private retreat from the world. They include paved patios of tile, stone or brick with a refreshing water feature and container plants. Citrus, bougainvillea and sedums are classic plant options, but you can find more in our Spanish courtyard ideas.

 

Wildscaping is an approach to gardening that fits every style. It simply means considering how you can incorporate food, water and shelter into your design to benefit wildlife such as butterflies, birds or pollinators. Learn how to welcome beneficial critters with our Gardens for Wildlife.

Spring Bloom is back at SAWS Headquarters Saturday, March 11! Learn how you can be water-wise while planning your spring gardening projects, chat with local gardening experts and hit the plant sales to restyle your landscape. Look for more details in an upcoming newsletter and remember our $100 Landscape Coupons return March 1.

We want to hear what’s your favorite garden style! Vote in the survey below by March 11. We’ll tally the votes to find the winning style and create HOA-ready landscape design plans you’ll be able download from GardenStyleSA.com later this year.

Picture of Sasha Kodet
Sasha Kodet
Sasha Kodet is a conservation planner whose large garden attracts a myriad of wildlife and curious neighbors with minimal water. At SAWS, Kodet develops outdoor programs to help people create their own beautiful, water-saving landscapes. She draws on her two decades of experience as a naturalist, botanical garden educator and event planner. Kodet enjoys (really) long walks in the woods and has thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and the Long Trail.
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