Street-side cottage garden by Maria Morrison
Maria Morrison, landscape designer at Ireland-Gannon Associates. (2011) Credit: Handout/
DESIGNER: Maria Morrison, landscape designer, Ireland-Gannon Associates, East Norwich and Stony Brook
Morrison received her degree in ornamental horticulture and landscape development from Farmingdale State College. She is an award-winning garden designer and has been with Ireland-Gannon Associates for more than 20 years. Her work has been exhibited at several designer showcases and published in nationally distributed garden design books.
Morrison's expert tips:
"This garden design can be adapted to fit almost any situation, although you can never go wrong with a picket fence or a boxwood hedge as a backdrop. I love working with garden ornamentation such as birdhouses or a well-placed bench to create a focal point in the garden. In this design, the arbor is the focal point, and the garden radiates off it. The plant palette reflects today's need for low maintenance -- not no maintenance -- long bloom time and repetition of color and texture. The specific plant material can be substituted, but be careful not to choose fussy, weedy, short-blooming plants that will become unsightly in the garden. Most important to remember is that the garden should reflect your personality and lifestyle and provide personal satisfaction and enjoyment."
