A few years ago, I watched a house being built with framing that initially indicated a palatial Italian mansion. As time went on, a coating of stucco and a red tile roof were added, and it turned out to be exactly what it had first seemed — a sort of "stretch" Italian villa.

Then one day I couldn't believe what I saw. Someone (the architect? the landscape designer? the homeowner?) had ordered a rustic stacked-stone wall to be built as a border along the street. The brownish Tennessee rock and the light gray stucco and white decorative friezes on the façade screamed at each other.

Martha Tate/Special (ENLARGE)

Rustic arbors made from small trees lend a charming note to this garden in Madison. Even if you don't have loads of natural material — or lots of acreage — there are simple ways to give your space that endearing touch of country.

Martha Tate/Special (ENLARGE)

Banksia roses cloak an old barn in another Madison garden.

There's nothing I love better than a rustic stone wall, but this one seemed a bit much in the mix-of-styles category. The owner did eventually plant some shrub roses in front of the wall, so the whole effect was softened and you didn't notice the contrasting styles so much.

I like rustic touches in the garden, and you don't have to live in a log cabin to warrant using such elements. Although there is nothing more beautiful than a weathered barn covered in roses, most of us don't have such a treasure. But we can have outbuildings or fences or stone walls that would lend themselves just fine for embellishment with some rustic charm. And many plants look great with stone walls or cedar fencing or stained wood siding.

Here are some ideas for "countrifying" the garden:

• Stack rocks to make a wall. Allow herbs (oregano), flowers (purple or red verbena) or ferns (Northern maidenhair) to cascade from the crevices. If it's a low wall, plant something like Euonymus fortunei 'Kewensis' (wintercreeper) or golden creeping Jenny to ramble over it. Even a small vignette of rocks with Sedum 'Ogon' will add some charm.

• Pick up some rusted garden towers at local flea markets, and depending on the size, plant a clematis or a kadsura vine to climb them.

• Hang a couple of old garden tools on the side of the garage. Install an iron planter underneath and line with sheet moss. Fill with "Wave" petunias to hang down.

• Construct a cedar arch. If you have a formal-looking house, this may not do, but such arbors go with a variety of house styles. A pillar rose like 'Penelope' will look great on it and will have two strong flushes of bloom, in spring and again in fall. Remember that wisteria will overcome your arch, and its trunks can grow larger than your structure's vertical poles.

• A split-rail fence can look great even in the city. On a road in North Georgia, someone had planted blue mophead hydrangeas at intervals along such a fence. The branches of the shrubs actually came up through the fencing. Choose a hydrangea that blooms continuously or with blooms that fade well for a longer effect.

• Be careful not to overdo it and turn your garden into a junkyard. But if you really have a sense of fun, place an old iron bedstead in the garden and grow flowers in the middle of it (poppies in spring, zinnias in summer). I promise that people will come to see your "flower bed." Just make sure it's in the backyard.

MARTHA'S PICK

Tatarian aster

Botanical name: Aster tataricus

About the plant: A tall, perennial aster (4 to 6 feet) with light lavender daisy flowers that occur on many clustered branches at the top. The basal leaves at ground level can be 18 inches long. In Atlanta, blooms in late September and early October. Native to Siberia.

Use in the garden: Plant it next to a fence, against the side of an outbuilding or in a flower bed. It is tall, so you'll want something in back of it to block the wind. A great cut flower for large fall arrangements.

Planting and care: Plant in well-drained soil in sun. Staking is not usually necessary unless the plants are in shade, where they'll tend to flop.

Source: Hall's Flower Shop and Garden Center, 5706 Memorial Drive, Stone Mountain; 404-292-8446.

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Martha Tate gardens in Atlanta and is co-producer of HGTV's "A Gardener's Diary." Her column on landscape design appears biweekly. Write to her in care of AJC Home & Garden, P.O. Box 4689, Atlanta, GA 30302.