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GLT's Grow: Using Plants To Create Good Bones

Row of palm trees.
David Prasad
/
Flickr via Creative Commons
A row of tall, slender trees can act as columns in the landscape.

Careful landscape architecture uses spatial composition to help create good bones in your yard.

  • You can create interesting lanscape features with plants.  
  • Plants can make up a floor, walls and a ceiling in your landscape. 
  • Groundcover like mondo grass or lambs ears can create a floor that not only looks great, but gives you something fun to stroll on in your bare feet.
  • Tree allees can act as columns in a landscape. Tall, thin trees like cyprus or palms lined up in a row give a gorgeous formal effect.
  • Tall trees with mighty spreads can act as a ceiling in your landscape.

GLT's Grow is your source for sage gardening advice and down-to-earth tips. Host Patrick Murphy and co-host Laura Kennedy are ready to take on all your gardening questions, so submit yours today.

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Reporter, content producer and former All Things Considered host, Laura Kennedy is a native of the Midwest who occasionally affects an English accent just for the heck of it. Related to two U.S. presidents, Kennedy appalled her family by going into show business.