A Simple Garden

I found this postcard at an antique store last weekend.  I was totally enamored by the simplicity of this landscape...bright white walks, crisp green lawn, stately white house.

Yes, I know, it's totally empty (and devoid of energetic plant life).  But, after grading tons of complex landscape designs this past couple of weeks I think my eyes enjoyed the relief.

For those interested, this is an image of a house in Story City, Iowa in the 1920s.

The Ground Plane

When designing your garden think about what you'd like to be standing on.

Photo courtesy of gabrielle kai photography

Is it lawn, brick, gravel, stone, wood, or moss?

Photo courtesy of Jelitan's Fine Art Photography

What activities will take place on this surface? Eating, playing, resting, or are you just passing through?

Photo courtesy of Jackie Rueda Photography

Try to brainstorm a list of possible materials, textures, and colors that could be used on your garden floor.