June has a way of drawing us outside and helping us see our gardens with fresh eyes. This week, we’re looking at practical ways to create more privacy, flowering vines that add softness, height, and color, and a closer look at faux bois, a garden detail you may start noticing everywhere once you know what it is.
A more private garden does not have to feel closed off. With layered planting, hedges, screens, fences, pergolas, and thoughtful places to sit, you can create an outdoor space that feels sheltered, comfortable, and still beautifully connected to the garden around it. Eloise Carson garden. Photo by Janet Loughrey.
Flowering vines are a beautiful way to bring height, color, and softness to the garden. Let them climb over an arbor, trail along a fence, cover a trellis, or frame a patio edge for a look that feels layered, welcoming, and alive. Pictured: Star jasmine. Photo by Janet Loughrey.
“A garden is like the self. It has so many layers and winding paths, real or imagined, that it can never be known, completely, even by the most intimate of friends.” —Anne Raver, garden writer
Creating Realistic Natural Structures
The art of creating realistic natural structures-like trees, rocks, or caves- out of concrete is called faux bois (French for "false wood") or ferrocement sculpture.
The Huntington Gardens in Southern California has a stunning rose display I got a chance see in late April this year (more photos below).
Supporting many of the roses are faux bois structures. Amazing.
How It’s Done: The Process
Creating a concrete tree isn't about pouring liquid into a mold; it’s more like building a skeleton and adding "flesh."
1. The Armature: An internal skeleton is built using steel rebar, PVC pipe, or hardware cloth (wire mesh). This provides the structural integrity and the basic shape of the trunk and branches.
2. The Scratch Coat: A base layer of concrete or mortar is applied to the mesh to create a solid surface.
3. The Finish Coat: A specialized "carving mix" of concrete is applied. While it’s still wet (the "plastic" stage), the artist uses brushes, trowels, and even real pieces of bark to stamp and carve textures into the surface.
4. Coloration: Once cured, the concrete is stained using iron oxides, acrylic stains, or penetrating dyes to mimic the multi-toned look of real wood and moss.
Why Do It?
It might seem strange to replace a living tree with a concrete one, but there are several practical and aesthetic reasons:
• Extreme Durability: Real wood rots, warps, and is eaten by termites—especially in wet environments or playgrounds. Concrete trees can last for decades with almost zero maintenance.
• Structural Function: Designers use concrete trees to hide "ugly" necessities. For example, a concrete tree in a zoo might actually be a disguised ventilation pipe, a structural support beam for a building, or a hidden speaker system.
• Customization: If a landscape designer needs a tree with a specific "bend" to fit a corner, or a branch at exactly five feet high to hold a swing, they can build it to those exact specifications.
• Safety in Public Spaces: In water parks or themed environments (like Disney or Universal Studios), concrete trees provide the "vibe" of nature without the risk of falling branches or slippery, decaying wood.
Jim Peterson
Did you enjoy this newsletter? Forward it to a friend
Have a garden-related product or event you want to promote in this newsletter? Click here for details.
In Case You Missed It:
How To Create A Peaceful Garden
18 Types of Ornamental Grasses
Not currently receiving this weekly newsletter? Subscribe here!
No images? Click here for a web version of this email.
