The house picks the planting: tough plants for modern lines, purple lavender and terraces for a 1920s Spanish bungalow, or green beds with one red accent for a yellow house.
Climate can overrule it. The Spanish palette, including the 25-foot Majestic Beauty olive, needs Zones 8–11, while Kelsey’s dwarf dogwood grows in Zones 2–8.
1. Soften a Modern Design
On a high slope above Puget Sound, Robin Parsons of Spring Greenworks in Seattle gave each plant three jobs:
They need to add visual interest that is strong enough to stand up to the dominant architecture, tolerate extreme conditions of wind and drying, hot sun, and provide efficient stormwater mitigation and infiltration.
— Monrovia
Kelsey’s dwarf redtwig dogwood and soft rush fill the raised planter and stay interesting all year. Japanese blood grass, Elijah Blue fescue, Fox Red curly sedge and Orange New Zealand sedge billow along the walk.
Privet honeysuckle, Georgia Petite Indian hawthorn and Sky Pencil Japanese holly add structure, Ginkgo trees add height, and Hidcote English lavender and purple agapanthus add color.
Recommended Products
Quality Materials: Elevated planter box is made of HDPE, It is waterproof, resistant to corrosion, does not crack, less prone to fading, weather-resistant,easy to clean,offering more advantages than wooden raised garden beds
Each raised metal garden bed size: 4×2×1ft ,7.14Cu
SIZE: The plant bed measure is 23.6"L x 23.6"W x 11.8"H. This round planter box provide ample growing space to raise vegetables, flowers and plants.
2. Pollinator Garden for Spanish Style
A 1920s Spanish-style bungalow already gives you two things to build on: tile and terracing.
The blue tile around the front door sets the color rule, so let complementary shades of purple lead the planting. English lavender carries that role best.
Plant it densely in a deep border, then repeat it elsewhere in the yard. A plant that thrives for you deserves more of itself.
Keep the supporting cast short and cottage-style: shrub roses, Russian sage, ornamental grasses, hydrangeas and shrubby olives.
Layer them up the existing terraces so the slope reads as steps of planting. The mass of flowers also draws pollinators.
Along the path, let plants spill onto the pavement. Brushing past them releases their fragrance, so the walk to the door is scented as well as seen.
Recommended Products
Lavender commonly grows about 18–24 inches tall at maturity
FAST-GROWING & HARDY OUTDOOR PLANTS: Lavender Spanish Eyes thrives in USDA zones 8-11, producing sky-blue flowers from late spring to summer. This hardy perennials are easy to grow and works well in herb gardens or flower beds. Space plants 15-18 inches apart for optimal growth and enjoy a vibrant garden display.
【🌿 REALISTIC LAVENDER BEAUTY】: Bring a touch of nature indoors with these artificial lavender plants. Featuring vibrant purple blooms and realistic greenery, these fake lavender flowers add lasting beauty and charm to any room without fading.
3. Red Accents on Green
When the front door sits on the side of the house, the planting facing the street should frame the view, not compete with it.
Keep it green. Dwarf shrubs, spreading groundcovers, a few ornamental grasses and ferns, and witch hazel add softness and texture, so the buttery yellow siding, classic pillars, and railings stay the focus.
Then spend your color in one place.
Red kangaroo paws in red glazed pots make a triangle of bright color from the door to the ground. That marks the entry and sets off the yellow house.
With so few colors in play, a small dose of red reads as deliberate. The result is low-maintenance with plenty of allure, a good fit if your main garden is out back.
Plant Sizes and Zones
Check your zone in the last column before you buy. The olive and the rest of the Spanish-style palette need Zones 8–11, while Kelsey’s dogwood and Little Lime hydrangea suit far more regions.
| Plant | Mature size | USDA zones |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia Petite Indian hawthorn | 3 ft tall and wide | 7–10 |
| Kelsey’s dwarf red-osier dogwood | 30 in | 2–8 |
| Elijah Blue fescue | 1 ft | 4–11 |
| Sky Pencil Japanese holly | 8 ft tall, 3 ft wide | 5–9 |
| Orange New Zealand sedge | 2 ft | 6–10 |
| Midknight Blue agapanthus | 2 ft tall, 3 ft wide, flowers to 4 ft | 6–11 |
| Blue Jean Baby Russian sage | 3 ft | 4–9 |
| Little Lime hardy hydrangea | 5 ft | 3–9 |
| Grace N’ Grit white shrub rose | 5 ft | 4–9 |
| Majestic Beauty fruitless olive | 25 ft | 8–11 |
Recommended Products
Stylish Design: Space-saving raised garden bed with lovely appearance, full of children's naiveness and fun, suitable for growing herbs and vegetables
Ergonomic Elevated Design: 31” tall raised planter box with legs reduces bending and back strain, making gardening more comfortable and accessible.
Containers and Hardscape
In the modern garden, Olympic pavers and bioretention planters in soft, pale tones form a neutral backdrop, and their lines repeat the strong horizontal planes of the house.
A Corten steel planter holding yellow bamboo in the courtyard adds privacy and a relaxed feel.
The Spanish-style garden builds on what the 1920s bungalow already had: tile on the stairs and terracing on the slope. Keep features like these and plant around them rather than paying to replace them.
Stone boulders add geological character and tie a property to its setting. In a small yard or on a balcony, a few larger vessels make a bolder statement than many small pots.
Recommended Products
Lavender is known for its fragrance and soft purple flowers
FAST-GROWING & HARDY OUTDOOR PLANTS: Lavender Spanish Eyes thrives in USDA zones 8-11, producing sky-blue flowers from late spring to summer. This hardy perennials are easy to grow and works well in herb gardens or flower beds. Space plants 15-18 inches apart for optimal growth and enjoy a vibrant garden display.
LIVE PHENOMENAL LAVENDER — 1 LIVE PLANT — Receive 1 live plant of Lavandula x intermedia 'Phenomenal' shipped in nursery-quality 2.5QTs, rooted, healthy, and ready to plant. Exceptionally cold and humidity tolerant — one of the toughest lavenders bred — every plant is hand-grown on our family farm in Sequim, Washington, the lavender capital of North America.
