Sunny Landscape Ideas

Hard- and softscape elements complement each other in this sunny bed.

• Stone columns define the edges of a slim garden bed.
• A wood fence provides the flowerbed with a bright backdrop.
• Planted at regular intervals, ravennagrass offers wispy foliage.
• Large patches of Shasta daisy accent the color of hardscape elements (such as the fence).
• Purple asters lend pops of color to the space.

Foliage and trees fill a gently sloped site.

• Many trees do best under the warmth of full sun.
• Curves in this sunny garden bed soften the squares and angles of the house behind it.
• Sun-loving beds aren't just for flowers; consider ornamental grasses, which often demand full-time rays to reach their full height.
• Lavender and black-eyed Susans provide pops of color in the garden bed.
• Plants conquer the gentle slope of this site, filling what would otherwise be a boring garden vista with graceful foliage and blooms.

Watch this quick video for easy tips on boosting the color quotient in your garden.

Tall flowers play up color and foliage.

• An open spot in a lawn provides a good spot for tall, sun-loving flowers.
• Most ornamental grasses love full sun. A bonus: They offer good structure during winter months.
• If plants need more day-to-day maintenance, such as daylilies that require deadheading, put them in front to enable easier access.
• Many flowerbeds include plants that gradually transition from short to tall, but this flowerbed offers dramatic height all the way throughout.
• Dahlias and lilies supply bright pops of hot color.

A lovely collection of plants adds beauty to a yard.

• Place plants with contrasting colors -- hot purples and pinks versus pastel oranges -- in separate areas of a garden.
• Edging can be formal or informal; the former, shown in this sunny bed, provide a neater border for a garden.
• To draw winged visitors, offer a moving source of water, such as this pretty birdbath.
• Patches of annuals, such as petunias, fill in empty spots in a mostly perennial bed.
• Strategically placed stretches of boxwood break up large expanses of flowers.

A rippling flowerbed dresses up a garden.

• Undulating curves create a gentle edge to both the border and the beds in this garden.
• In place of a hardscape material, a stretch of lawn serves as walkway.
• A castor bean adds vertical height to the flowerbed.
• Repeating plants, including delphinium and phlox, supply visual consistency.
• Annuals such as snapdragons add welcome bursts of bright color.

A casual cottage garden distinguishes itself with a loose collection of plants.

• Places to sit or display are often separated or surrounded by flowers; here, a table nestles naturally within a bevy of plants.
• Glass cloches are used to shield plants from cool, early-season temperatures, but later in the year, they provide an interesting hardscape element for a garden.
• Tall flowering shrubs, such as butterfly bush, supply vertical interest and draw wildlife, too.
• Another good addition to sunny gardens: herbs, which work well either planted in-ground or in containers.
• Clusters of pastel plants, including zinnias, coneflower, and cosmos, provide color without being too overwhelming.

Purples and yellows supply a flowerbed with subdued color.

• Narrower beds are easier to access from both sides, making them easier to maintain.
• Repeating plants and colors, shown here in a planting of cranesbill and coralbells, fills a pretty flower border.
• Mounding plants maintain a view of the rest of the garden.
• To create a more casual appeal to the garden, flowers and shrubs are left to grow in a natural pattern.
• The foliage of bearded iris offers vertical visual interest to the garden.

Geometry supplies beauty in this stately garden.

• A series of squares and rectangles lends calming visual interest.
• Use sculptures and stately containers, such as the patterned pieces in this space, to reinforce your garden's design.
• A long metal bench provides a spot to enjoy shrubs and trees.
• Site tall trees and shrubs to shield house facades from view.
• Showy flowers dress up most sun-loving gardens; this one relies on elegant compositions of shrubs to define interior spaces.