| A recent stroll through my retirement | | | | stone statues of mushrooms or turtles. How |
| community revealed to me how creative and | | | | fun. All very low maintenance. There is a |
| artistic people can be. These retirement | | | | whimsical vine on the large wall backdrop. |
| homes with their tiny gardens are truly | | | | She added lighting as well to play up the |
| miniature works of art. These are probably | | | | figures at night.Want a bright spot of color? |
| tiny examples of the gardens these senior | | | | Easy -- place several window boxes of |
| homeowners once took care of. When they sold | | | | brightly colored impatiens attached to the |
| their homes to downsize to a retirement | | | | top of the patio fence rail and the garden |
| community, they also had to downsize their | | | | below also is a row of coral and pink |
| gardens. Each home was allotted a small | | | | impatiens. How dull the building would have |
| patch alongside a patio. Here is my | | | | been if not for the owner's creativity. She |
| description of eight gardens I enjoyed to | | | | just used color in layers. She also has her |
| illustrate these senior homeowners | | | | patio umbrella neatly tied and a hanging wind |
| successful efforts to have a garden with low | | | | chime completes the symphony.Two neighboring |
| maintenance.The first I call the woodchips | | | | patios side by side with some similar ideas |
| and flagstones low-maintenance garden. Just | | | | can show great harmony. Both have patio |
| two elements can make it all work. Flagstones | | | | table umbrellas and both have attractive |
| meander thru a woodchips groundcover adding | | | | garden wall fixtures in similar shapes. |
| the right touch with low maintenance plants | | | | Just add a row of colorful flowers in the |
| alongside.Here's a cute patio: A tilting | | | | foreground of the concrete patio slab and a |
| patio umbrella seems to echo the tilt of the | | | | hanging planter and it looks so pretty.This |
| nearby pine tree. Just add a couple planters | | | | patio took a little more work at first but is |
| along the edge of the concrete slab, a pot of | | | | appropriate on a large corner lot. Wooden |
| flowers and another ornament such as the | | | | retaining walls enclose this patio and raised |
| cute 3-tiered pots. This softens the concrete | | | | beds. His golf cart is parked behind the |
| appearance. Also softening were the colors | | | | large shrubs. A generous use of low |
| chosen: the patio umbrella was pink and | | | | maintenance shrubs bordering the patio keeps |
| blue pastels. Also, a separated planting of | | | | it always neat.Want a fabulous dramatic look |
| pastel impatiens to the far right echos the | | | | -- again easy. The very bright colors of |
| soft color palette on the patio.Next, I call | | | | coleus in a border planting alongside the |
| this the green chairs garden. The owner has | | | | patio and a bright red geranium hanging pot |
| blended the colors of her flowering plants to | | | | are contrasted with the cool silver and white |
| go beautifully with her lacy backed green | | | | colors in the foreground border. An |
| patio chairs. A pink and green masterpiece | | | | attractive wind chime and 2 matching white |
| of cool green hosta the shade of the chairs | | | | chairs to enjoy the view complete this |
| and a generous row of bright pink impatiens-- | | | | picture.I hope you enjoyed this walk through |
| elegant and luxurious in feel.Next, a garden | | | | a retirement community to see how retirees |
| probably designed to delight the | | | | are enjoying less maintenance but can still |
| grandchildren. Little statues of children | | | | create beauty in their downsized retirement |
| from nursery rhymes scattered throughout a | | | | community gardens. |
| woodchips groundcover. You could also add | | | | |