Happy Monday GPODers!

Who doesn’t love a little buy one, get one? Today we’re being treated to not one, but two gorgeous gardens created by Mandi White, crew lead of Farwest Nursery and Landscape Design in Boise, Idaho. Distinctly different but both colorful and inviting, these two landscapes demonstrate the way a great garden designer is able to not only create beauty, but to craft a space that is reflective of the home and inhabitant’s style.

I am actually a Fine Gardener at Farwest Nursery. I came across your website ‘Fine Gardening’ and I thought this must be fate. I just wanted to include some of my customer’s gardens for your viewing pleasure 😊 these are two separate properties, both Boise.

Property 1:

Just from this very first introduction, it’s clear that this garden is absolutely packed with plants in a lush, cottage style design. A huge, elegant hosta marks the entrance to this plant wonderland, various roses covered in blooms draw you in, and a rich tapestry of plants covers every inch up to the narrow pathways. Mandi makes the most of every plantable inch of the city garden.

Just a little further in, and the sheer number of blooms becomes more evident. While the fence provides some needed privacy, it also provides more support for trellises that are being consumed by roses. And all of these bright colors and big flowers are connected by a carpet of lush foliage in a range of delightful textures.

The gravel path gives you just enough space to weave through the beds and admire the plants that surround you. Just looking at this photo and all of the beautiful roses makes me imagine the intoxicating aroma that leads you through the garden.

Cottage gardens can easily become chaotic or feel out-of-control, and it’s no small feat to create a space that isn’t overwhelmed by all of these big roses, but Mandi and the rest of her team were able to create a space that strikes a great balance.

Property 2:

Switching gears, the second property the Mandi shared appears to have some more space and a more refined style. High-contrast colors keep the design exciting, even when the plant palette is more limited and beds aren’t so densely planted. The deep, dark foliage of heucheras and what looks to be a meticulously maintained Black Lace® elderberry (Sambucus nigra ‘Eva’, Zones 4–7) are complimented perfectly by the white flowers that surround.

From a thick tapestry of diversity, to a planting a three simple plants done to perfection—is there anything Mandi can’t master?

Again, the backyard is kept more open and understated, with a pop of orange daylilies (Hemerocallis fulva, Zones 3–8) adding some bright color to a sunny spot by the pool.

And a grand front entrance with a mixture of woody plants that draw you in. Aside from the distinct styles that Mandi applies to her client’s gardens, you can also see a serious consideration to maintenance needs. This un-fussy front walkway requires little care from the homeowners while providing year-round interest…

But with a little bit of “wow” factor mixed in. This gorgeous cherry tree clearly steals the show in spring.

Thank you so much for sharing both of these spectacular gardens with us, Mandi! It was fascinating to see a small sampling of the diverse spaces you create, and it’s easy to see that your clients came to the right place to have their garden oases come to life.

 

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to gpod@taunton.com along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

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