Mar 10 2010
Before The Dirt: Pre-Plan Your Garden
Purpose
The first step in planning a garden is probably determining what kind of garden you would like to have. Gardens range in style and purpose so it is important to have a clear idea of the kind of garden you are trying to grow. Some main types of residential gardens include: flower gardens, vegetable gardens, zen gardens, herb gardens and formal gardens. Some of these are best suited to specific climates and locations. In order to make a good decision about the kind of garden you want to have it is important to know a few things about the space your garden is going to be taking up and the weather conditions that may help or hinder your garden’s growth.
Climate
Where you live will greatly influence what you are able to do in your garden. It will probably be almost impossible to grow a tropical garden in Canada and rather silly to grow a cactus garden in a rainforest. You will achieve the most pleasing results in your garden if you make sure to grow elements that are native to your area; easy to grow; or simple to replace. If many of the elements in your garden are fairly uncomplicated, it will leave time to maintain your more precious orchids and roses.
Maintenance
While every gardener had the best intentions, it is important to know how much time is going to be spent maintaining the garden. Annuals must be replanted every year which allows you to recreate a new garden every year. However, the drawback of annual flowers is the need for constant upkeep. Annuals are comparably thirsty plants and need to be well-watered (but not over-watered). Many annuals require “pinching” or “deadheading” for better flowering. For many of us, the value of perennials, which will leave behind seeds that re-grow the next season, can be appreciated for the lack of tending needed.
Soil
Make sure your garden’s soil is healthy. Healthy soil grows stronger plants and attracts fewer pests that might damage your plants. There are some simple ways to test your own soil. Ideal soil for growing veggies in your own garden will crumble easily when you attempt to form a shape from it. If it holds shape to easily, it may be too moist and overworking wet soil can damage the soil structure for several growing seasons, seriously reducing the likelihood of healthy plants. If you soil seems dusty, it is probably too dry for many plants and will most likely be harder to work.
Space
Take a look at the space of your garden. This will help decide what should be planted and where. Think out the logistics of your garden. Where are faucets located in relation to your various plants? Are there any areas where the ground is uneven and unlikely to drain properly? How do sun and shade play across the area? Are there places that are unlikely get sunlight? It may be a good idea to sketch your area. The more time you spend planning your garden the more pleasing your final result will probably be.
Aesthetic
A garden should also have a visual composition. The plants, flowers and/or various statuary pieces should work together in the given space to create something aesthetically pleasing. Think of how your garden looks from different angles and vantages, like from house windows and doors. Great looking garden fountains are available at http://www.garden-fountains.com/Categories.bok?category=Garden+Fountains.
Color palettes
Pay attention to your color palette. There are many ways to choose the colors of your garden. While there is neither right nor wrong in color selection if you’ve contemplated your palette ahead of time you will have greater control over the final appearance. Some of the most simple color schemes select from either warm or cool tones, while others rely on a single color for a striking monochromatic effect. While for an interesting and dramatic look you might select several analogous colors like shades of red and red violet and then use a complementary color, like golden yellow as an accent. Depending on the kind of garden you are planning you may want a wide variety of colors. Try to create grouped plantings when using many different colors to create a design and visual flow. Many single colored flowers will look dull from a distance.
Composing your garden
Appreciate the space you are using. If your garden is going to be planted along a fence or against a house wall use a vine to add height and shape to your garden. Examine textures and shapes. To keep balance in your garden, make sure to use not just long stemmed flowers but also groundcovers and low plants with a variety of leave sizes and shapes.
Add focal points
By using a fountain, birdbath or other piece of statuary, you can add year round ornamentation as well as a focal point for you garden. If you plan your garden carefully it can be beautiful year-round and not just at the height of the growing season. By using many planters and pieces of statuary in your garden you are have the advantage of complete control over your garden’s shape. Take a look at some garden planter options. A garden consisting of planters can be arranged and rearranged to suit different moods, and different seasons to create something that provides visual interest year round. So if your having trouble deciding on a permanent look, using planters can give you design flexibility. Planters also provide shape and allow for greater control over plant growth.
Tips
When using planters it is still important to think about the heights and textures of every flower and plant and the containers that hold them.
Use ornamental rocks and small pieces of garden statuary to compliment taller planters. Place something tall and with an interesting texture and bright color in the center of your planter and surround it with lower, more simple textures for balance.
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Mar 10 2010
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Mar 10 2010
Keeping Flower Buds Alive – Steps To Take
Our biggest single problem is all but ignored completely – early fall and late summer drought. Moisture isn’t a problem as a rule up to mid-July because the soil keeps giving off moisture. Mid-summer, when we run into really dry weather that hurts, is when winter killing really begins.
Here it is necessary to know how a woody plant grows. Up to about mid-July branches are elongating. About that time they stop growing at the tips. About August 1, they begin to swell in diameter. This increase in diameter is due to absorption of food and water the plant will utilize the following spring for normal growth. Dry weather dessicates the food-carrying layer just under the bark. It can’t function and as a result, the plants lack the elements needed both for cold resistance and growth.
Too, drought checks the growth of mycorrhizae so these don’t manufacture food to pass on to the plant. Actually, summer drought causes the plant to die the following winter from starvation. For this reason, mist nozzles to supply moisture whenever rain does not fall are essential to good growth in the Midwest.
Protecting Over Winter
Winter protection is vital in our area. Prairie winds are extremely dry and can wipe the moisture out of leaves. For this reason, I like to plant on the north side of a wall or building. The roots should just be in full sun at the edge of the building shadow on June 21. As the sun sinks to the south towards fall, more and more shade falls on it, protecting it from the drying sun in midwinter. Since most of our drying winds come from the south and southwest, a north side location gives the plant additional protection.
To keep flower buds alive, however, further protection is needed. Once plants have begun to form these, a cage of chicken wire, six inches larger all around than the plant should be placed over it soon after the first killing frost. Fill this with dry oak leaves, evergreen boughs, excelsior or other dry, fluffy material. Remove this when spring rains begin.
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Mar 10 2010
Landscaping To Complement Architecture And Minimize Maintenance
The more modern a building is in design, the fewer plants are likely to be required for the front foundation planting. Most buildings of this type are attractive in themselves so the only real reason for using any plants at all is to soften the vertical lines. By keeping this in mind you will considerably reduce the cost of your landscaping.
Ground Cover
It is advisable to use plenty of ground cover material under the foundation planting for three reasons: first, it prevents mud from splashing up onto your home; second, it ties one plant to another which may be quite a distance away by providing a green carpet between them; and, third, it adds another long horizontal line to the picture.
A ground cover also makes it unnecessary to cultivate and weed the shrub beds. And when mowing adjacent grass, if you run the mower along the edge of the ground cover, you will not have to trim the grass by hand. This is an age when anything that cuts down the maintenance of a property is in order. And, if you do employ a gardener, he will have to devote much less time to the maintenance work if your garden is designed properly.
Blank Wall Spaces
A common mistake in the past was the attempt to cover all blank wall spaces with plants. Only under the rare circumstance in which a building is admittedly ugly is it necessary to cover all blank walls; and perhaps not always then.
An architect, in designing a home, may use large wall areas to obtain a certain desired effect. If the owner tries to conceal them with plants he not only spoils the intended architectural effect but wastes money as well.
Avoid Plants under Windows
The long practiced but really unnecessary habit of placing plants under windows is also to be frowned upon. We have urged locating plants where vertical house lines meet the ground. But the vertical lines of windows, even picture windows, do not do this. Again, we must train ourselves to refrain from this practice even though we have long been accustomed to seeing it done on many properties.
Instead of copying what others have done, you should use your head when landscaping your property. Originality in carrying out ideas will keep your home from looking exactly like the one next door, even though the same landscaping principles were followed in developing both.
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Mar 10 2010
Do You Have A Good Garden Plan
An attractive garden is a dream which requires proper planning and careful nurturing. To create a beautiful landscape around your dream home you need basic garden plans to begin with. These garden plans are generally provided by a professional garden planner or landscape designer.
The garden plans can be of many types. You can plan for more than just beautifying your garden, your Garden plans can also be made to decide the theme of the garden. Some of the popular garden plans are:
* Garden for full sun
* Garden for shade
* Corner of grasses
* Corner of shrubs
* Corner of perennials
* Island bed
* Privacy garden
* Butterfly garden
* Fragrant garden
* Vegetable garden
* Bird-friendly garden
* Clay soil garden
Garden plans give an aesthetic dimension to the garden along with its basic theme. Color schemes, quality and variety of plants, height of the plants, border, flooring etc are done to give the garden its uniqueness. The color scheme of the garden is created blending the different colored and textured plants. The plants are also selected according to their height which creates the contour of the garden and the skyline of the garden. Garden plans also include the kind of plants to be used according to the theme chosen. For example a fragrant garden will contain flower plants or the bird-friendly gardens will have the high trees for the birds to reside. The butterfly garden may have the plants that caterpillars feed on.
It is very important that the garden plans are both beautiful and emotionally restorative. A garden can provide a visual, perfumed, sound and tactile, sensory experience. The garden design needs to compliment the home and connect the interiors with the external environment, making the most of the available usable areas. Master planners know that the selection of plants is of equal importance along with their strategic placement on the landscape. Garden plans also include the planning of the garden gates, arbors, gazebo as well as garden furniture.
Modular design and a unique frame layout can make a simple garden gazebo. The garden gazebo is the perfect place to relax or to hold family dinners, weddings, and other special events. A gazebo in the garden plan ensures a favorite spot to unwind. Another important criterion for the garden is its gate. An attractive gate makes a warm welcome for guests. The gate combined with a proper floor or patio definitely draws one outdoors. The proper garden furniture also comes under the garden plans. The furniture is decided according to the theme of the garden. For example an arbor is inevitable for a bird-friendly garden. With a canopy one can relax in the shade of an arbor garden even during the sunniest days. A greenhouse can be created to protect the outdoor plants from damage by frost and cold weather.
Gardening and landscaping are one of life’s simple joys. Learn more about KEYWORD by visiting our Garden Planweb site.