Bristol

Planters encourage experimentation as they change with the seasons.

Sweeps of purple stachys, red bee balm, white shasta daisy, yellow black-eyed susan and green sedum are tidy yet casual.

Large swaths of a few plants provide impact. The red flowers of the bee balm are in full bloom now. The purple coneflower will come along later in the season.

Lush front entry plantings include the red wax leaf begonia, a bed of small round boxwood shrubs surrounded by the dark leaves of the coral bells. The light lift of the purple catmint and vinca groundcover.

The irregular stone slabs of the walkway complement the more polished bluestone patio. Purple flowered penstemon on both sides of the walkway line the path to the back door.

Sit and relax is this conversation area. The loosely set flagstone patio planted with sedum between the joints meets a large sweep of turf and the woodlands beyond.

This elevated bluestone patio is ringed in outcropping stone. Plantings between the large limestone slabs soften the appearance and potted annuals provide seasonal color.

This overhead detail photo shows the exploded flagstone patio with creeping thyme planted between the joints.