Functionally Pretty

The tour of this home located on Country Club Boulevard starts on the enclosed patio with another lovely "garden party" themed table. 

This homeowner and gardener has a definite love for native tillandsias also known as air plants. Using a metal plant stand, she has found a great way to display her collection. They're easy to care for and don't create any mess on the patio surface.

There's also a nice variety of succulents and ferns placed throughout the enclosed patio area. Here's another great idea for displaying succulents and ferns. It looks terrific!

Right away you can see that this garden is designed with function and low maintenance in mind. 

An elevated boardwalk from the screen porch to a gazebo provides a walking path that overlooks a low area in the backyard. Beneath the walkway they've created the appearance of a dry river bed with stone. It is bordered with drought-tolerant plants, and includes several benches on the perimeter. Nicely done!

There are neatly maintained small beds of succulents, cactus and blooming plants bordering the property line on one side . . .

while another small bed of butterfly plants and whimsical features border the other side. 

Here's a view looking back at the rocked-area with its simple but effective drought-tolerant landscaping. It looks nice and it eliminates a nice slice of lawn turf for easier maintenance. The simplicity of this large landscaped area is very functional, and appealing to the eyes at the same time. The choices of foliage are neat but also spiky . . . just the right mix!

I particularly liked this feature of a stand-alone trellis in the garden. The stained trellis is very attractive and is a nice size for growing flowering butterfly-attracting vines on. And, the metal butterflies attached to it are a nice addition.

This garden was featured in the Lakes & Hills Garden Club 10th Annual Mount Dora Garden Tour, Nov. 2 & 3, 2013.