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1. Build arbors and trellises. Arbors flanking an entry walkway bring some vertical features to an otherwise plain yard and give you a handsome place to hang potted plants. And a trellis covered with vines is especially effective for enlivening a drab wall, in this case, alongside a garage. The features cost about $200 each and take a weekend to build.
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2. Add mounds to flat areas. If you're stuck with a perfectly flat yard, a mounded "island" of earth is a great place to isolate and display plantings, yard ornaments, boulders or other eye-catching features. A yard with contours looks more natural than a flat yard. Order a dump truck's worth of topsoil for about $200, or use fill generated from patio or pond excatavations.
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3. Feature a few boulders. Boulders are eye-catching and are natural locations for grasses, flowers and other garden plants. You'll find huge piles of boulders to pick through anywhere that sells landscaping supplies. Prices range from $25 for breadbox-size ones to hundreds of dollars for gaint boulders that you'll have to have delivered and placed. Whatever sizes you choose, nest the boulders into the ground a bit. They should look like they were left from a receding glacier—not like they were just rolled off the back of a pickup!
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4. Go for green. Unless you're seasoned gardener, get help with selecting and placing plants. Bring photos or a scale drawing of planting areas to the nursery and enlist the help of a knowledgeable salesperson. Your goals are to choose a variety of plants that lend color throughout the season (including winter), and to position them well, so their mature growth heights and widths fill in the planting beds and blend well.
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5. Erect stone entry walls. Low stone walls are striking features that can define your entry and guide visitors up the walk. Natural stone is ideal but difficult to set. The decorative concrete units shown here are relatively inexpensive ($8 per square foot of wall area) and easy to install. They subtly separate seating areas from public sidewalks and streets. And they're also great places for casual seating and potted plants.
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