Make your shed an attractive & inviting destination!

Storage + Outdoor living provided by same focal point

The placement of the storage shed in this back yard makes it a focal point and a destination. After dining on the back patio, the owners are beckoned to take a stroll thru the garden to relax on the more intimate patio. There they can view the yard from a different perspective and enjoy flowering shrubs & features hidden from the previous view.

The photo below shows a clearer depiction of the small patio in front of the shed. What a nice place to enjoy a quiet moment in the garden and a chat with a friend! The french doors have a special appeal making it seem more like a garden house rather than a shed. The shape of the patio is interesting and flows with the bed lines.

After reviewing concepts, the owners decided on this position for the shed because it was centrally located and provided easiest access to tools. The French doors provide a wide opening for equipment and for letting in more light and air. All features that make this storage and work space more enjoyable.

All views in the yard lead to this same focal point. Here is the view from a bench on the opposite side of the yard. Large drifting and sweeping bed lines lead the eye thru the landscape.

Danna Cain, ASLA
Get more inspiration from the projects we've designed and built.
See our extensive portfolio!
www.homegardendesign.com

Also see this project as the cover story in the AJC Homefinder
"Storage space with style"

Mini forsythias for small gardens & containers

Forsythia 'Show Off Starlet'

Add early spring color in as little as 16" - 36" of space

Everyone seems to enjoy the bright yellow flowers that forsythia bring to the early spring landscape but not everyone has the space for the full sized shrub that can easily reach 8' tall. Now there are miniature and dwarf varieties available! These jewels ranging from 16" - 36" as lovely in containers, mixed in perennial borders or added as accents among broadleaf evergreens and conifers.

Freeze Damage & Ice Storm Breakage on plants & trees

What to do if your landscape was hit by the snow and ice of Winter 2014

Record breaking low temperatures caused a sustained deep freeze this winter. This was followed by an ice storm and cover of sleet and snow that lasted for days. Most of the plants that are used in our landscapes in zones 7a & 7b are not rated to handle this type of weather. Some damage is likely. The extent of the damage won't be known till late April or May. Wait until then to determine what needs to be pruned or replaced. The exception would be any plants or trees that may have broken or become uprooted due to the weight of the ice and snow.

Atlanta City Biz picks up our news

More great press!

Home & Garden Design's recent receipt of 4 awards has caught the attention of Atlanta City Biz. See the article

Atlanta Business Chronicle recognizes us in "People in the News"

Professional recognition given to Danna Cain

Exciting things are happening when the Atlanta Business Chronicles notices! We're thrilled about being included in "People in the News". See what was published in the .BizJournal

"Best Of Houzz". HGD wins for second consecutive year!

"Best of Houzz 2014" Customer Satisfaction Award given to Home & Garden Design, Inc. - Atlanta.

We are beyond excited to receive this for prestigious award from the Houzz community for a second consecutive year. We were chosen to receive this award by the more than 16 million monthly users that comprise the Houzz community. Only 3% of all Houzz professionals receive this prestigious award that comes with a “Best Of Houzz 2014” badge on their profiles, showing the Houzz community their commitment to excellence. These badges help homeowners identify popular and top-rated home professionals in every metro area on Houzz. You can see our profile here.

2 "Awards of Distinction" received from UAC

HGD wins first professional awards from UAC

Our first entries into this professional annual awards competition earns HGD two "Awards of Distinction". Hoover's front yard makeover and Urquhart's discovery play garden both received honors. We're honored to have our work recognized by both our peers as well as the public.

You can also see Hoover's project which was recently won 1st Place landscape by Home Improvement Magazine

Urquhart's discovery play garden was recently featured in the AJC Homefinder

"Green Star Award" received for environmental sustainability

Urquhart project by HGD receives more honors!

The Urquhart discovery play garden in Alpharetta was awarded the coveted "Green Star Award" by UAC, the Urban Ag Council of Georgia. This professional landscape award is given once a year to projects that exhibit innovative and sustainable solutions.

Three Awards just presented to HGD

Milestone Night!

Danna and Conrad Cain of Home & Garden Design, Inc. won three professional awards last night at the Urban Ag Council of Georgia's annual competition. Here we are with Walter Reeves who was the presenter and master of ceremonies.

Rolling Planters move with the sun

Rolling planters present an opportunity to grow flowers and edibles in places never before possible.

2 Sided Landscape - Hidden vegetable garden in front yard

Vegetable garden in front yard can not be seen from street.
This is view from owner's driveway

Plant food, not lawns. Pretty front yard salad gardens

This salad garden is positioned in the sunniest part of the front yard in an area that is hidden from the neighbors. It's visible from my driveway and all windows across the front of the house. These edibles plus others scattered thru the front yard are combined with flowering shrubs and perennials that attract beneficial insects and pollinators. The plants occupy 90% of the space with only 10% remaining lawn.

Edibles are fun with "Food Head Fred". Let's get creative with food!

Ideas for vegetable gardens, kitchen gardens & edible landscapes.

© Food Head Fred, Elaine Callahan

"Food Head Fred", by artist Elaine Callahan, helps me to look at fruit and vegetables in a different way. Just as this artist presents tasty tidbits in ways never before imagined, I strive in my designs to combine food into the landscape. Vegetables, herbs and berries can be planted alongside flowering shrubs and perennials in any sunny to part shade niche in the landscape.

Interview with writer from HGTV.com

Small patio in Cobb County gets attention!

So excited to have been interviewed today for a potential article to be featured on HGTV.com. We talked about how to make small patios special. The Cooper alley project caught their attention due to the high level of detail and it's special appeal.

Danna Cain, ASLA
Home & Garden Design, Inc., Atlanta
HomeGardenDesign.com

Danna Cain is featured speaker at GGIA Wintergreen State Conference

Interesting Edibles: New, Unusual & Creative is topic for seminar

I'm excited to be one of the speakers at Wintergreen 2014. GGIA invites renowned leaders in Georgia as well as nationwide horticulture specialists to share their knowledge of the latest info and trends related to landscaping. I'm very honored to be in the lineup of speakers that includes Michael Dirr & Alan Armitage of UGA fame as well as Jenny Edge Hardgrave, owner of Simply Flowers, one of the most talented landscapers I've ever meet.

AJC writes about our storage spaces with style!

HGD in the AJC Homefinder's Jan. 7, 2014 issue

This time the article about our projects focuses on innovative ideas for outdoor storage spaces.  I love that the writer called them "Snazzy"! Three of our projects are pictured with one of them being on the headline page shown below! In addition there are tips from Danna Cain on how to make your storage space attractive, functional and certainly not ordinary!

We're featured in UAC professional journal

Interview with Danna about her background and interests.

Every month the Urban Ag Council selects a member to feature in their journal. We're honored to have been the one selected for the December 2013 issue.

Landscape consultation donated to GLA

Georgia Lawyers for the Arts fundraiser

HGD supports Georgia Lawyers for the Arts by making a donation to their 38th annual Gala's silent auction. The winning bidder received a landscape consultation & design with Danna Cain, our landscape architect.

5 Modern Fire Ideas for outdoor living areas … think outside the circle.

Photo by Terraflamehome.com

Low maintenance fire features in the landscape

I’m loving these contemporary and low maintenance ways to add the warmth and glow of fire to the landscape. Think outside the circular fire pit and imagine linear fire! Here’s some examples I’ve found that introduce strong horizontal and vertical design elements. These are all easy to use and clean to use because they don’t require firewood. These modern fire features use either gels, propane or natural gas.The torches shown above are odorless, smokeless and portable. I can imagine so many ways to use this idea: scattered thru plantings, outlining a path, clustered as a focal point or anchoring the 4 corners of an outdoor dining area. These deliver the warmth and glow of a fireplace in a small space that will get people talking around your fire and about your fire.

New walkway and interesting plants transform curb appeal at this John’s Creek home

After

Soft textured plants and meandering walkway create a welcoming entrance

There are many things to consider when designing a new entrance walkway. Orienting guests, slope of the land, ease of use and architectural style are all very important. The most special entrances, however, are the ones that create an ambiance that reflects the owner's personality thus truly welcomes guests to the home. Given the style of the house, the walk could have been very linear and formal however we chose a more informal design. The owner wanted a much softer and more welcoming look that would incorporate low maintenance Southern color and texture. Tops on her list were old fashioned favorites such as forsythia, gardenia and daylilies.

On my first visit to this home, I was shocked to see that the builder had provided only a stepping stone path to the front door. It was difficult to walk on and completely too small as the approach to this huge front porch. The landing that made the transition between the path and porch was settling and of mismatched materials. This all needed to be replaced.

Transform your holly bushes

These holly trees have been "limbed up" into tree form
plus new, more interesting plants added around
for color, texture and an Italian flair

Morphing a holly hedge into an award winning statement

Here's an idea you can use! When faced with a huge, boring hedge, consider "limbing it up" to morph it into a row of trees. That was our solution when the City of Atlanta arborist would not allow us to remove these Virginia Highland hollies. The raised canopy gave us space and sun to plant the herb and perennial garden that the client desired. This idea won the 2013 Atlanta Home Improvement, Best Before/After Makeover contest in the landscape division.