"Doctors bury their mistakes, Architects cover them with ivy." - Frank Lloyd Wright

[F, Calla & Luca]

Frank Lloyd Wright, who was a great architect, was not the nicest man. He had some pretty memorable statements, though. He also said, when asked his occupation, when he was being sworn in for a trial, "I am the world's greatest architect."  Later when asked why he responded that way he relied, "Because I was under oath." : ) At any rate he was right about hiding things.Plantings can be a wonderful way to camouflage unattractive structures, improve the view and make things prettier in general. Some would say, and have said, my garden is wild but I prefer to think of it as natural. No neatly edged lawns here.

Gardeners plant anything and everything or let them plant themselves to conceal them. When I first saw my house I had no idea there was a big studio/garage across the brook behind my side yard. Here is that studio in early spring:


and now:

My garden shed is an even more dramatic example, Early spring:

and now:

Needless to say I don't really use the shed. I also lost 2 large pine trees a few years ago. Nature took care of covering one stump and I'm helping her with the other. There is a stump under here:

And here is the other, clearly in need of more planting!

Anyone else have examples?

[Linda and "Toby"]

Oh, F. Parker, what a charming home and property! I long for a place that has trees/foliage growing "eau natural" around it, like that!!!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Thank you. But the building you see is not my home. It is a studio-garage of the neighbor behind me and across the brook. That said , au natural is a nice way of putting a bit wild and untamed but I like it that way. I'm not one for edging and "just so" gardens.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I want to live at your house or your neighbor's.

[F, Calla & Luca]

And I sometime envy your climate : )

[F, Calla & Luca]

This is in case you have an big, not very attractive mail box : )

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

:)   I've tried this ( Clematis/Mailbox ) with no success because of the location, salt, and road run-offs.  But I adore mailboxes covered in plants.  My mailman once could not deliver the mail because of the bees.  :)

This year, I do have a few Morning Glory vines at the mailbox.  Certainly, nothing this Glorious.

[F, Calla & Luca]

This Clematis nearly met it's maker after the mailbox fell over. But it has comeback in all it's glory this year. I hope the Sweet Autumn Clematis, which is white with tiny but lovely smelling flowers, thrives this year too. This plant traveled here form my old house about 20 years ago.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Beautiful.  Sadly, I live in a neighborhood with group mail boxes set on a post on the sidewalk - ugly, ugly.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Thanks, sorry about your set up.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Me too! 

[Janie, Jackson and Jilly]

Wow F., you really can't see the garage in the summer! Your property is beautiful! Love how nature screens the view where you need it! I love a green "wall" around the property so that the view is as natural as can be and have tried to fill in all the holes with trees and shrubs. This is an arborvitae wall surrounding the spa part of the pool. It hides the pool equipment behind it, along with the neighbor's deck and pool and muffles noise.

This has nothing to do with the discussion, but just took this photo too! Wet morning dew face..

lol

[F, Calla & Luca]

I have an arborvitae screen just like that I planted along the property line near my kitchen sliding door so I can leave the vertical blinds open and still have privacy. It's amazing how well that works. I'm always trying to find the the holes in the green wall and filling them in.

That dewy face is a joy. I guess lots of hair is nature's way of covering up doodles : )