Garden Design Goals

The design for this rental property garden focused on improving curb appeal while keeping maintenance simple for property managers. Key goals included:

• Add long-lasting color to the front garden

• Select plants suited to partial shade conditions

• Keep the planting design simple and easy to maintain

• Reuse healthy existing plants where possible

• Create an attractive garden that enhances the rental property for tenants and visitors

Before the Garden Installation

Before the redesign, the front garden had limited structure and seasonal interest. While several existing hosta plants were healthy and well established, the overall planting lacked variety and color. The partially shaded conditions also limited plant choices. The design challenge was to introduce new plants that would thrive with limited sun while adding layers of texture and bloom throughout the growing season.

Rather than removing all existing plants, the design incorporated the established hosta into a refreshed planting plan.

Garden Design Concept

The new planting design focused on a combination of shade-tolerant perennials chosen for foliage interest, long bloom periods, and reliable performance in Maine gardens. The front edge of the border was planted with drifts of ornamental grasses and colorful foliage plants to create texture and movement. Key plants included Hakonechloa (Japanese forest grass) and Heuchera. These plants provide striking foliage contrast and help soften the edge of the garden bed.

Seasonal Flowering Perennials

To bring color into the middle and back of the planting, a selection of flowering perennials was added including astilbe, perennial geranium and coneflower.