Garden Arrangements can make a huge difference in your yardWritten by Johann Erickson
Gardening is a very popular hobby, and one that can be enjoyed by young or old, whole families, someone employed outside home, and those who are self-employed or stay-at-home parents.
Getting outside into fresh air, and exercising your creativity on floral, herb and vegetable gardens is not only healthy, but will bring pleasure to your family and visitors. Whether you devote hours every day to your efforts, or concentrate all your talents on weekend binges of planting and weeding, it’s possible to create just look you want, from old English country gardens, to carefully organized “wild” look.
The first thing you’ll need to consider before starting on a grand plan for revamping your yard, is type of soil. If you don’t know what you have, for example level of acidity, check with your local garden center for test kits before investing in plants and bushes that won’t thrive in what you can offer them. Once you know what you’re working with, you can go ahead and decide what to plant, and how you want your gardens laid out.
No matter what topography of your yard, e.g. completely flat, dotted with trees, undulating, or sloped, you can find just right plants to brighten up a dark corner, or fill in a bare space.
Areas which get a lot of shade are often dark, but that doesn’t mean they have to be dull. This can be a great place to install an in-the-ground lined pond for goldfish. Or how about a rock garden, and let kids help you collect rocks that will elevate level of plants, and give it that “natural” look. For a touch of whimsical, place something like a bear figurine with a gazing ball, right in center, where it will be focus of attention.
Wide open spaces, such as along edge of a lawn or yard, are perfect place to plant a large, “graduated” garden in shape that fits surrounding area, including wedges, ovals, and long rectangles. Depending on shape, and amount of space, you’ll have lots of scope to create a multi-level riot of color. If garden faces house, you’ll want to plant your longer flowers to rear, and then “step down” in size to border plants. With ovals and circles that can be appreciated from all sides, taller plants should go in center, and work your way to shortest ones from center, outwards.
| | The “Minimal” GardenWritten by Johann Erickson
Some people who lead busy professional and personal lives, don’t feel they have time to invest in constant upkeep of floral and other gardens, but would still like to do something about landscaping or decorating their property. And there are others for whom gardens are simply not their “thing”, but they like a little decoration, without fuss of digging, planting, and constant weeding. For them, “minimal” garden or yard arrangements may be best choice.
Strictly speaking, not all these ideas involve a garden, but do utilize garden accessories and other items of garden décor, to create look or atmosphere that a homeowner can enjoy, while not feeling guilty about getting behind in care of their plants and flowers.
If you are fortunate enough to have a large property, or if your yard borders on a field, ideal “garden” that takes little care is one that’s planted with wild flowers. With proper set up, not only will this provide you with colorful blossoms and beautiful grasses, but it will also attract a variety of birds and butterflies.
First, check to see what kind of soil you have, and whether it is suited to wildflower seed that is available in your area. Next, if you don’t have a garden that you are letting revert to wild, you may need to have someone use a rotor-tiller to break up a long swath of earth along side or back of your lawn. Make sure this has been well-turned, and there is sufficient soil on surface for seeds to take anchor in, as opposed to scattering them on hard clumps of sod that may be dense with grass roots.
“Wild” garden seed can be purchased in containers, in pre-seeded strips of bio-degradable material, and in “sheets”, which are simply laid on top of ground that has been prepared and watered. Check progress of your garden as it begins to sprout, and if there are any bare patches that show no promise of growth, you can scratch up surface with a garden rake, and sprinkle some more seed. Even if you used pre-planted materials, a little dirt added on top, with some seed, will help fill in open spaces.
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