Finding Inspiration - A.K.A. Stealing Ideas

Walking dogs around the neighborhood is a great cover for lifting ideas from unsuspecting neighbors who have better yards than mine. I already mentioned that I wasn't too fond of the jumbled native garden look, but there are gardens that combine things well. Sometimes, one element in a design provides the perfect jumping off point for something you can tweak and make your own. With that in mind, I snapped some shots of gardens that inspire in at least one way.

One house on the street has a very attractive garden to which they've added some river pebbles as a decorative element. There is a definite plan to the landscaping, taking into account height and color of various plants. The same pine needles which plague my yard present the problem of wanting to bury the stones, so there is the yearly clean-up effort to bring back that element of design. It is only more or less successful. 

My favorite yard on the block is one with a dry riverbed to give the yard an open feel, and the plants are artfully arranged with height and color in mind. Their front yard is roughly 1/2 size of mine and is more confined and so it works very well. As time passes and the pine needles go about their quiet work, we'll see how it all holds up. So far though, with the drip irrigation and drought tolerant appeal, it's the best on the block.

Down another street, one lined with trees which are not deadly to lawns, one house stands out. The bird bath provides a nice focal point and the steppable ground cover around recycled paving stones gives an open feel among the bushes and grasses selected for their appeal to birds and butterflies. Alas, my picture doesn't do justice to the calm appeal of this garden.

Discovered on one of the longer dog walks which took us out of our normal circuit entirely, a small front garden works for sheer whimsey alone. I'm a sucker for anything in cobalt blue, so stumbling on these cute giraffes and other small treats scattered throughout the succulents and cacti made the walk. The theme is so complete and so magical it can't help but make you smile. 

The takeaway from these excursions is not to copy exactly, but to sample - thus avoiding any serious copyright or plagiarism accusations - though, it is said imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.