317Grow Blog
Read . Grow . Thrive
Ferns don’t typically make me think of Christmas, but this semi-evergreen fern keeps going strong into December. Its foliage remains green into mid to late winter. It is not the most delicate and dainty fern, but its tough, large leaflets are a good addition to shade gardens when evergreen massing is called for.
For most of the year, it can be easy to overlook shade trees as exciting plants. But once fall arrives, we can't look away from the colors. Sweetgum trees are some of the most stunning you'll find. With pale yellow, rich gold, vibrant orange, scarlet, and deep maroon - sometimes all at once on the same tree - they deserve at least as much attention as everyone's favorite maple.
When we first descended on this property we noticed the lack of personality and character in the landscape. The fire-pit seemed to have been merely dropped in the lawn of the yard and the decking didn’t naturally blend in with the home. Our client wanted a one of a kind space that not only reflected their personality but was functional as well as aesthetically appealing, the complete opposite of their existing space. Our team worked hard from the design phase to the construction phase in order to completely transform this outdoor space.
Welcome to September! Schools are back in session, football is getting started, and a certain coffee chain will soon start selling a certain squash-themed coffee-based beverage. One of my favorite early signs of the approach of fall is the way perennial grasses start to gradually shift to their rich winter browns and golds. Switchgrass is a sturdy, stately perennial grass that looks its best in the late summer. It's low-maintenance, which is always a plus, and it's native to Indiana, which gets any plant extra points in my book.
After enjoying all the fireworks on the 4th of July, we'd like to share one of nature's fireworks: bee balm. Bee balm (sometimes called bergamot or its scientific name, Mondarda) is one of our favorite perennials. It has a long bloom season and unique flowers, and pollinators love it, which makes it a perfect pick in advance of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful's second annual pollinator count.
Groundcovers are versatile workhorses in the landscape. Low-growing, low-maintenance, and quick to fill in problem areas - we'd be lost without them. There are dozens of options for groundcover, but chances are most people just know English ivy and its other evergreen counterparts, vinca and wintercreeper. While these plants have a time and a place (expect for wintercreeper - it has turned out to be highly invasive, and we no longer use it even though many nurseries and garden centers still sell it), there are so many more species to choose from.
May's plant of the month is one of my favorites: columbine. Columbine thrives on woodland edges between full sun and part shade. The delicate, intriguing flowers nod gently on slender stalks from mid to late spring. The foliage is light and airy, and helps create a calm atmosphere even after the flowers are gone. Later in the season, the seedpods ripen and produce a gentle rattling sound when the wind blows.
April's plant of the month is dwarf fothergilla, one of my all-time favorite shrubs. Its fragrant puff-ball flowers emerge in April before the leaves unfold, and the blossoms remain until May. I could have chosen dwarf fothergilla for many different months. The leaves have a unique scalloped shape and retain a lovely green with a pale underside through the summer. In the fall, the shrub practically bursts into flame with a range of yellows, oranges, and reds that changes with sun exposure.
At 317Grow our biggest priority is giving our clients a beautiful, unique, and functional outdoor space. We aim to create spaces that reflect the interest and personalities of our clients which is why we encourage client involvment in every step of the process to ensure that what we create is a product of your vision. To us the design process is the most important step of the process which is why we make it a goal to spend as much time as possible perfecting the design. The key to a successful outdoor space is a great design.
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