Water trickles gently over natural flagstones into the reflecting pool of lichen rocks below. Ponderosa pines rustle in the breeze above. The scent of wild rose bushes sweetens the summer air. Ahh… what a relief from the nasty guy who was after you all the way home from the store! Not to mention the co-worker who kept telling you all about his ex all day while seeing twice as many clients. And the dog who escaped, once again, to enjoy his favorite walk around the neighborhood and the subsequent $100 trip to the kennel.

Your resume is calling! An opportunity to relax and connect with nature…

While there are many considerations that go into designing the creation of a relaxing retreat (so that no matter how silly your day has been, you can come to your senses again when you return home!), one of the most important, though often overlooked is the use of color and texture. It is also one of the easiest ways to ensure the beauty of your garden throughout the year.

Beyond determining “the right plant for the right location” (how big the plant will get, sun versus shade, and water requirements), knowing how to use color and texture is the magic that will really make your garden look that way. “shelter”. quality. Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Always incorporate evergreens and “winter interest” plants, both for structure in the landscape and for year-round interest and usability. Especially where I live, in the high altitude Southwest, this is key. Summers are mild, but winters also offer plenty of sunny days and weather warm enough to be outside soaking up much-needed vitamin D. Having a bit of garden therapy in the colder months can be even more necessary and replenish the soul as the days go by. they grow and darken and we can go outside less. With a little research, you may be surprised at the abundance of plants that are evergreen or semi-evergreen. And please… don’t limit yourself to junipers! Also consider non-evergreen plants that offer “winter interest”: rust-colored leaves and red berries peeking through the snow, tufts of dry grass seed heads, peeling bark accentuating crooked branches of a characteristic tree. In Flagstaff, AZ and many places in the Southwest near an elevation of 5,000 feet (extending as far north as Fort Collins, CO and as far east as Santa Fe, NM), consider:

*Western Birch *Corkscrew Willow *Aspen *Hawthorn *Rosa rugosa *Rose of the forest *Apache Feather *Sagebrush *Rabbitbrush *Curlyleaf Mountain Mahogany *Cotoneaster *Oregon Grape Holly *Cotton Lavender *Plumbago *Creeping Barberry *Pineleaf Penstemon *Candytuft * Wild Strawberry *Cut-Leaf Daisy *Red-Leaf Bergenia *Mat Penstemon *Wall Gemandria *Woolly Thyme *Turkish Veronica *Wooly Creeping Speedwell *Yarrow *Periwinkle *Leatherwood Male Fern *Rodgrass *Small Stem Blue *Maiden Grass *Mexican Feather Grass *Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass

2. Mix leaf types (shape, size, and color) and use a mix of trees (if you have room), shrubs, grasses, vines, and perennials to make it. Skip the annuals (except to create fun potted plants as accent pieces—they’re expensive to replace each year and unnecessary with all the other plant options). While many plants can be very similar in texture (have you ever gotten several great plants only to find that they lose something when combined together?), there really is a wide variety if you look hard enough. The finely dissected leaves of Tall Yellow Yarrow contrast and blend beautifully with Red Shrub Rose; add Blue Switch Grass and the effect is magnificent. And don’t forget the natives! Native plants are not only well-adapted and tend to be low-maintenance and low-water, but also offer unique characteristics, attributable to their hardiness, such as Blue Rabbitbrush’s finely cut, evergreen, blue foliage, fuzzy seed heads of Apache Plume that look great backlit against the setting sun, and fern foliage of False Indigo.

3. Go beyond green and consider combinations of purple and grey/blue foliage. This is one of my favorite color combinations because it can add so much vibrancy to the landscape and there are so many plants to choose from. While these two colors look great as a feature in the garden when combined, they can also serve as a background, highlighting flowering plants or interesting fern-like foliage or ornamental grasses. It’s all about contrast! Consider these plants:

*Canadian Red Cherry *Smoke Tree *Purple Leaf Plum *Japanese Maple *Globe Blue Spruce *Dwarf Arctic Willow *Blue Rabbit Zebra *Fringed Sage *Blue Spruce Sedum *Feather Partridge *Silver Speedwell *Pussytoes *Serbian Yarrow *Red Husked Penstemon *Purple Maidenweed *Blue Needle Grass *Japanese Blood Grass *Blue Oat Grass *Blue Fescue Grass

4. Prolong the color in your garden by choosing plants that bloom at different times and are long bloomers or repeat bloomers. Okay, this part of your retirement planning can be a bit daunting and tedious, I admit. But I’m really not a fan of those “spring” or “mid-summer” garden plans. Who wants to go to the trouble of creating a garden sanctuary just to keep it really interesting for a few months each year? To ensure you get good color during the blooming seasons, draw your landscape design plan on paper, then use color overlays for spring, summer, and fall. Also, choose plants that will bloom for 4-6 weeks or will re-bloom, such as:

*Butterfly Bush *Trumpet Creeper *Blue Mistspire *Columbine *Yarrow *Wine Glasses *Red Valerian *Bleeding Heart *Purple Coneflower *Sea Cranes *Mantle Flower *Coral Bells *Lavender *Desert at Four O’Clock *Tufted Evening Primrose *Scarlet Bugler Penstemon *Mexican Hat Echinacea *California Fuchsia *Coreopsis *Hummingbird Mint *Hollyhock

5. Don’t forget ornamental and landscaping finishes! It’s like deciding the color of paint on the wall, hanging pictures or decorating the centerpiece. These elements are so much fun to incorporate, whether you’re choosing custom landscape architect-designed features specific to your site, or just having a fun shopping spree. Some will really help form your garden’s structure, or “bones”, before any planting, while others will be the finishing touches that will find their place nestled amongst the groundcovers. Dry streams of lichen-covered boulders and limestone outcroppings, flat stone patios and winding gravel paths, carved wooden benches and ornate metal tables, architectural planters and garden ornaments, soothing pools of water and waterfalls, rustic pergolas of stripped posts and arches adorned with copper. ..there really is no limit! Use your imagination and explore unique combinations to suit your personality, and have fun adding color and texture to create your relaxing retreat!