The Mottisfont Abbey is a popular historical priory in Hampshire, England, which is located in the River Test Valley. The lands are operated by the National Trust, and they are visited by about 200,000 guests each year. In addition to the beautiful historic home, guests are welcomed by the manicured lands surrounding the abbey, which include fairytale-like wooded areas, riverside gardens, an extensive lawn for picnicking, and a romantic rose garden. Read on to see the extraordinary features of these famous lands, which may serve as inspiration for your own garden at home.

Walled Rose Garden

The walled rose garden houses many different rose species in an old fashioned landscape designed by Graham Stuart Thomas. The garden is maintained by a dedicated head gardener, who ensures the health and beauty of a wide range of stunning rose varieties.

Riverside Walk

Guests can easily stroll down to the River Test, which is lined with a gorgeous river walk featuring a rustic fishing hut tucked away in the lush natural landscape. There is a dedicated River Keeper among the landscaping team, who helps to preserve the natural beauty of the wooded area for years to come.

Winter Garden

The winter garden showcases the beauty of the colder season with a variety of shrubs and perennials planted in unique ways and blended with rare specimens for a distinctive aesthetic. The garden showcases a surprising amount of color and is lined with a path that guides visitors through the unique landscape.

More information can be found on the Mottisfont website at http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/mottisfont

When it comes to the aesthetic appeal of your home or business, your landscaping in Tucson makes a substantial impact. This is why it is important to consider the look of your landscaping, the maintenance it requires, as well as the service you will use to install it. Read on for a closer look at these factors to consider for your customer landscape design.

Aesthetics

You might think of plants and shrubs when you think about landscaping; alternatively, you might think about walkways and hardscape features. Both of these are aspects of landscaping, so they should both be considered when you formulate your design. Try using your hardscaping features like stone pathways and walls in conjunction with your flowers, plants, and other softscaping elements. A tasteful combination can boost your curb appeal and give your neighbors a nice view to admire.

Maintenance

It is easy to get carried away when you plan out your landscape design, but remember that it is your responsibility to make sure it is cared for. If you plan on maintaining your landscaping yourself, try not to bite off more than you can chew. On the other hand, you might create an extensive and elaborate landscape design to be maintained by a professional.

Company

Whether you hire a landscaping company to help with your design or to keep it maintained, it is important that you work with trusted professionals. Research local landscaping companies, find reviews for their services, and choose a team that offers quality work for their price; going with the first or cheapest company you find could leave you spending extra money in the long run.

If you are interested in creating a custom landscape design, please do not hesitate to call Santa Rita Landscaping at (520) 623-0421. Our goal is to help home and property owners craft the perfect landscape design in Tucson. Feel free to visit our website or stop by and meet us if you live in the area.

Your bushes, shrubs, and other assorted plants make for important components of your landscaping in Tucson, so it helps to understand how to care for them. Fortunately, with an eye on the weather channel and a few simple materials, you can keep your plants in top shape all year long. Continue reading for help in protecting your plants in December weather.

Protective Materials

Your plants might need a little extra protection throughout the winter. Fortunately, you can typically find the materials you need within your home. Your aloes and citrus could use some help in getting through the colder months, and this assistance comes in the form of blankets and frost cloths. This extra protection becomes more important when temperatures dip under 30 degrees, so be sure to have the materials on hand. You can also use Styrofoam cups to protect the tips of your columnar cacti.

Watering Schedule

Although your garden and softscaping requires water in order to thrive, it might need less during certain times of year. Make sure your plants get the water they need throughout the winter, but slow down your irrigation whenever possible. Wildflower seedlings, for example, only need to be watered every week or so. If you are looking for trees that can handle minimal amounts of water, consider mature trees like mesquite and palo verde. 

Weather Forecast

The way you care for your plants will not only change from season to season, but even from day to day in certain circumstances. Be sure to check your local weather forecast regularly to judge how you should be taking care of your plants. Pay close attention to the weather and help your plants thrive all year long.

See the information from the ALCA in the document below for more detailed ideas on protecting your plants from freeze damage:

12-1-15 Landscaping Tips – Frost Protection

Would you like additional tips on protecting your plants from December weather? Contact Santa Rita Landscaping or visit our website. We specialize in landscape design and landscape maintenance in Tucson. You can find out much more about our services by calling us at (520) 623-0421 today.

The Villa Taranto Gardens, or Giardini Botanici Villa Taranto, are botanical gardens located along the western shore of Lake Maggiore in Pallanza, Italy. The gardens sprawl over 16 hectares and are open to the public daily. Throughout the garden, guests can explore a variety of exotic plants with more than 20,000 plant varieties representing 3,000 species on display. There are many distinct areas of the gardens, which include a fountain and sculpture garden, herbarium, dahlia garden, mausoleum, and Valletta. By looking to the Villa Taranto Gardens, you may find some exotic inspiration for your own landscape at home, where you might capture the romantic and whimsical nature of coastal Italy in your own private retreat.

Garden history

The Giardini Botanici Villa Taranto was established between 1931 and 1940 by Scotsman Neil McEacharn, who had purchased a villa and neighboring estates to clear the landscape for the development of the distinctive features that define the gardens today. The gardens did not open to the public until 1952, and they were taken over by a non-profit organization in 1964 following McEacharn’s death.

Unique features

The villa within the gardens is not open to the public, but there are many features to explore across the sprawling gardens. There is a pond filled with a stunning variety of lotus plants, colorful terraced gardens, and an artificial valley under a single-arch stone bridge that houses a rare handkerchief tree. Through the months of April and May, guests are delighted by the presence of a myriad of white blossoms on the branches of this rare tree.

Visit the garden’s official website at www.villataranto.it

When most people think of the desert, they envision a barren wasteland of little more than sand and tumbleweeds. However, dwellers of the Sonoran Desert know that the desert landscape is a diverse and unique biome bursting with distinctive plant and animal life. At the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona, visitors can explore the amazing array of plant life that thrives in the hot, dry desert climate not unlike that of Tucson. This garden spans 140 acres and is a designated Phoenix Point of Pride that attracts visitors all year long. Read on to get to know more about the Desert Botanical Garden and get some inspiration for your own desert landscape at home.

Garden History

The Desert Botanical Garden was formed when a group of local Phoenicians began conservation efforts to protect the fragile desert environment with the Arizona Cactus and Native Flora Society. One member of the society, Gertrude Webster, became invested in seeking financial support through her social connections, and her contributions led to the establishment of the park.

Special Garden Features

The most notable features of the Botanical Garden are an extensive collection of agave totaling 176 taxa and cacti totaling 1.350 taxa. In addition to an array of plants native to the Sonoran Desert, the garden showcases plants from deserts of less extreme climate conditions in shade-protected areas. These include an Australian, Baja California, and South American collection, which represent the mesquite bosque, semi-desert grassland, and upland chaparral ecosystems. Visitors can explore these exhibitions through a series of trails that wind throughout the gardens.