Design Ideas Archives - Protracted Garden

Dahlias are the perfect choice for a fall flower arrangement and the cornerstone of a stunning bouquet. Michael Russo, Trout Lily’s farms floral designer, has been a dahlia growing specialist for over 15 years and has quality advice for adding them to your flower design collections.
Choose Your Vase
Asides from choosing the flowers you want to use for the arrangement, something else to consider is the vase/container you intend to use. Michael usually starts by selecting the vases and then pairing them with the flower color and shape that best fits them.
Select the Color Scheme
If you’re …

Gardeners are a very imaginative and optimistic set of people – they can turn almost any place into a magnificent and serene space. What would you do if you had an urban courtyard with red brick walls and all the plant-growing necessities? We’ll tell you what Alecia Manning did – she transformed it into a beautiful getaway just outside her Boston Condominium back door.
Here are some DIY tips for your urban Garden Oasis:
Garden Up, Rather Than Out 
What better way to maximize your yard space than to plant your flowers vertically (on the wall)? It could just give …

Are you trying to grow a shaded garden but failing? Don’t worry. Shades allow you to grow plants that thrive in low sunlight and or have a low tolerance for sunlight. Below are some tips to transform a shaded yard into a relaxing garden. These ideas can be adopted for any garden size.
Add Stone and Water
Shelter from the sun on hot days is one of the many advantages of a shaded garden. Even better will be the relaxing sight of rippling water and stone pavement to stroll on to enjoy the serenity of the garden.
Place Colorful Plants Together
For a big shaded garden, large clusters of plants are better …