How to create the garden of your dreams
What kind of garden suits you? Are you in for a flower garden or a rock garden? Do you prefer a hodgepodge of flowers and blooms with plenty of wind chimes dangling and making sweet and calming noise? Can you envision an arbour in the centre of your garden with a shallow pool full of Koi fishes swimming about?
Whatever your garden style is, the important thing is that you enjoy the garden that you have created. If spending time in your garden calms and relaxes you, then your garden has achieved its function.
There are many types and styles of residential gardens. More homeowners are opting to depart from the ordinary and have adapted new options for their garden designs.
Garden for attracting birds and bees
You can create a garden that would attract birds and bees to fly about and hum about in your garden. There are flowers that naturally attract birds and bees and having them grace your garden is one sure way of inviting them to your garden. Some of the flowers that attract butterflies are Aster, Dogwood, Zinnia, Dandelion, Mum, Cosmos, Sunflower, Shasta and Butterfly Bush. While flowers that attract birds in general are Aster, Cockscomb, Cosmos, Larkspur, Snapdragon, Sunflower, Coreopsis, Portulaca and more. You can start landscaping your butterfly and bird garden by planting these flowers. Consider trees and shrubs that are favoured by bird and bees too.
Rainforest for a Garden
The essence of a rainforest is wet and green. All you need to have a rainforest garden is loose soil and a lot of organic mulch. Most rainforest plants have fragile roots that they would not thrive on hard soil. For best results, have the soil thoroughly loosened and cultivated. Lay down a thick layer of mulch so as to keep the soil moist. This is possible because mulch can control the temperature of the soil thus cooling the soil and reducing the amount of evaporation. The thick mulch also controls the growth of weeds and supplies nutrients to the soil then to the plants. It is not impossible to grow a rainforest garden in the temperate zone. You can adjust the type of plants to cultivate. As long as you have a thick, lush and green garden, then you're almost there! However, don't forget to put in some sturdy ferns.
Cottage Garden
There is nothing more engaging than an old cottage garden brimming with fragrance and fantastic colour. A cottage garden usually has a formal pathway from the gate to the front door. A lot of bricks, wood and stones are usual materials used in this type of garden. A cottage garden has to have a patch of vegetable garden tucked in a corner. The foliage is a mixture of fruit tree, herbs, bushes, flowers, and vines in casual settings. Flowers that are commonly planted are roses, wisteria, nasturtiums, lavender, and lilies. Note that the essence of a cottage garden is to use traditional plants and flowers.
Children's Garden
How many times have you heard of kids being kept away from the formal garden by their parents for fear that they would trample the stargazer and squish the roses? Well, how can the kids have their own garden for them to explore if you keep them out of your precious garden? Build a children's garden where they could run and "smell" the roses. Remember to plant sturdy and non-toxic plants. Have your children get involved with the planting and cultivating edible plants such as tomatoes, corn, cabbages. Cultivate plants that will attract butterflies, birds and other wildlife to the garden. Attach ornaments like wind chimes for effects.
Any garden would look fine as it is during daytime. However, when night time comes, lighting the garden is another point of consideration. Even if you don't entertain at night, it is still advisable to have some sort of lighting for your garden. Outdoor lighting is different from indoor lighting as the former has to be able to bear the elements. Outdoor lighting has to provide illumination and ambiance. There are different ways of lighting your garden.
- Downlights - These are fixed lights focused downwards. This type is best for walls or as hangings from exterior beams, trees, gazebos and the likes.
- Stringlights - These are usually used as decorative lights on Christmas trees but they can also be used for the outdoors. You can string a tree or run the length of the lights along the outline of your deck, pergola or gazebo.
- Deck lights - If you have a deck, there are light fixtures that you can use to outline your deck or light up its steps.
- Pond and Underwater lights - These are plenty of available shapes and sizes of underwater lighting that you can use for any water features in your garden. Lighting would produce refraction and reflection on the water's still or moving surface that would be quite a sight to see.
- Recessed Uplights - These are fixed lights that can be installed on the ground without fear of running, walking or mowing over them.
- Spike spotlights and Floodlights -These can add "drama" to a tree or plant groupings by "spotlighting" them. The effect could be stunning.
- Spreadlights and Bollard lights - These types are perfect for lighting up pathways, walkways and patios.
- Steplights - If your garden has steps incorporated in it, it is best to attaché steplights for illuminating the steps unobtrusively.
- Wall and Tree mount spotlights - These are spotlights that are fixed on walls and trees. They are available in various styles and voltages.
The most dramatic and "warm" night light is incandescent. However, if you prefer white light there are LED (light emitting diode) lights and bulbs available for your preference.
If you want to go green, there are solar outdoor lights that you can buy and install.
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