Pretty gardens are more than just flowers. Here are ways to perk up your yard with art
This is the beginning of festival season in Western Washington. And next weekend, Skagit County will have two.
Mount Vernon is not just the home of spring tulip fields, but also summer art and garden festivals. The third Saturday in June (June 21) celebrates roses at Christianson’s Nursery Rosy Day Out.
Then, the Skagit Garden and Art Festival follows at the Skagit County Fairgrounds, running both Saturday and Sunday, June 21-22. I will be at both events.
Here are the best design tips from those festivals:
How to combine perennials and roses
A mix of perennials, groundcover and roses can be a low-maintenance display if you keep in mind these beautiful plant marriages.
Use the right groundcovers to block weeds at the base of roses. In the Christianson Nursery display gardens near Mount Vernon, this means hardy crane’s bill geranium and the silver foliage of low growing lamb’s ear. Both groundcovers will block out weeds and are shallow rooted so won’t steal water and nutrients from the roses. Plus, lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantine) is easy to remove and will thrive in poor dry soil.
Mix mid-height perennials such as peonies with tall roses. The peonies will flower before the roses to extend the bloom time of the bed, then the foliage of the peonies will hide any naked knees of taller roses.
Paint with plants to form color families. For example, soft pink cranesbill geraniums at the feet of fragrant pink David Austin roses, or silvery lamb’s ear at the base of pure white rose shrubs will give your garden border blocks of color with more impact.
Put your garden art in the air
Raise up statues and sculpture so that it sits above the plants in the area. A simple example is to use a birdbath as a pedestal to display glass orbs. Another idea is to hang garden art from trees so that the art can dangle over plants.
Paint your accessories to make them stand out
Buy simple wooden birdhouses. Paint them in vivid colors to highlight a color theme in your garden. Display a group of painted birdhouses together for maximum impact.
Anything metal can also be upgraded with spray paint to make a statement. Something as simple as a watering can spray-painted purple near the lavender or a lime green metal bench set in the rose garden will turn everyday objects into displays of artful color.
Support local artists at local events
You don’t need a big budget to create a big change in your landscape or support your community. From handmade wind chimes to sculpture to display on a fence, the authenticity of local artisans’ work does a lot to bring joy and beauty to gardens.
Meet Marianne
Join Marianne Binetti in Mount Vernon on Saturday, June 21, for Christianson’s Nursery “Rosy Day Out,” at 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon, from 11 am to noon. Marianne will lead a walking tour of Christianson’s perennial and rose garden, with practical tips for design and maintenance. Admission is free. www.christiansonsnursery.com
Then later that same day, join Marianne at 1:30 p.m. at the Skagit Art and Garden Fair at Skagit County Fairgrounds, 501 Taylor St., Mount Vernon. She’ll offer a free seminar with inspirational images on “Garden Ideas with Art in the Garden” www.SkagitGardenandArtFair.org
Check her website (www.binettigarden.com) for more details.
Marianne Binetti has a degree in horticulture from Washington State University and is the author of several books. Reach her at binettigarden.com.
This story was originally published June 14, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Pretty gardens are more than just flowers. Here are ways to perk up your yard with art."