You certainly have a feeling of great abundance with you see plant-packed containers on your deck, patio or in your garden. There is nothing like container gardens to link the indoors and outdoors between home and garden. Today, we all want to see out outdoor space turned into a wonderful new addition to our homes.
After choosing the right planters, pots and containers from a wide range of materials, styles, colors and sizes, the time is right to think about what you are going to put in the planters and where to place them.
You can use your planters, urns and pots in many areas. Think about where they would be best – to set off your doorway or deck entrance, to hide unsightly utility areas or storage spaces, or to show off the best views on your deck, garden or patio. You can move your containers around to capture the afternoon shade, provide protection from wind and to avoid those extreme hot spots in summer heat. Do plan to enjoy those fragrant plants and always have them close to your seating areas, or to brush against next to walkways. A rule of thumb, buy larger planters than you think you may need, small little pots will get lost in the space and never achieve that WOW look in the area.
We know that we need to plant containers properly and of course to water when needed. Now to get started! Pick containers that will handle the size of the plants you are considering. You can contrast large and small containers together for a stunning effect. Annuals and bulbs are very popular choices for pots and planters.
When you are ready to plant, fill the containers to within about three inches from the top and gently firm down the soil. Set the plants you have chosen and place on top of the soil and then step back and visualize how they will look when they fill out and create an overall view. Containers that will sit next to a wall or fence position the tallest plants at the back of the planter and surround with other plants. When you have large containers or when they will be seen from all sides, set the tallest plants in the middle and surround with the other plants.
Once you are pleased with the temporary arrangement, dig out holes with your trowel or your hands and set the plants in place. Gently firm the soil around each plant. Be sure to leave three inches from the top of the pot to allow for proper watering. When planting, a good tip is to make sure that the roots of the plants are very damp or wet before planting. Then water your container thoroughly when you have completed your arrangement.
Now is the time to move your garden planters and containers to create the overall look that you would like to achieve in the chosen space. It is always a good idea to keep the sun loving plants together and separate from the shading loving ones. Don't make any combination too upright or too sprawly, have a good mix of both – one will enhance the look of the other.
Mix large containers with the small ones, arrange in groupings. Place one or two on plant stands to create a focal point in your arrangement. You may wish to cruise around your neighborhood, go to garden centers or even view the latest magazines to do some creative stealing for more design ideas.
Pictures Of Garden Designs
Before you go ahead with some garden designs, you may like to keep some guidelines in mind to for better synchrony of your surroundings:
The Golden Rule
The key to innovative garden designs is a simple rule. THINK BEFORE YOU PLANT. Plan your garden in sync with the look of your house to make a cohesive unit that is in harmony with each other.
Discover The Purpose
Prior to finalizing your garden designs, you may like to consider how the garden would be used. Would you like to enhance the view of the house or would you like to entertain guests? Would little children be comfortable playing in your garden or would senior citizens love taking a walk there? Would your garden occupy private space or would it be in public view? It would really help if you finalized the main purpose of your garden, and then proceeded to design it.
Landscape Matters
Opt for garden designs that compliment the landscape and the house. It is important to remember that the house is the most important part of the landscape and the garden needs to be designed in harmony with the house and the surroundings. Then the different elements of the house and the garden can connect better to provide an interesting style to the house and the landscape.
Choose Your Garden
You have a choice of formal, a semiformal or natural garden designs. A formal garden has the plants and shrubs arranged symmetrically around two axis, which provide a cross with the pool or a gazebo at the center. These gardens are usually adorned with evergreens, hedges or walls and have a hard surface terrace. A semi-formal garden also works on the same axial plan as the formal one; however the garden designs are a little less rigid. In many instances, the hard surface terrace is replaced by grass or evergreen shrubs. Besides, you may also see flowers, vegetables or herbs spilling out of the beds.
Natural garden designs follow the intrinsic landscape. They usually meander around the surroundings and have a casual or softer look. The architectural style of the house, the budget and the personal preference of the owner may eventually decide upon the design of the garden.
Create A Theme
Most garden designs are usually creations of the owners or the gardeners mind, and you have a range of themes to choose from. Let your creativity decide the theme; just make sure that it compliments the overall landscape and the style of the house and garden.
Play With Colors
Colors play a very important role in garden designs. With practice and experimentation you will be able to understand the essence of combining colors. However, you may begin by referring to the color wheel, where colors are arranged according to their relationships with each other. Most color wheels contain 12 colors only, but you may be able to color coordinate the plants and flowers better a violet-red to red to orange-red, in the same order as they appear in the color wheel. Move Around.
Garden designs should be able to accommodate free movement. Designing walkways, pathways or driveways are very important aspects. To make the view of the garden interesting, you can expose vistas that would make a pleasant view. This may encourage visitors to get off the path or driveway and take a closer look at the garden.
Drainage
Drainage is another important factor in garden designs. A sound drainage system will ensure hygiene and maintain overall garden health. On the other hand an unsound drainage system will destroy your garden.
If you are not happy with your existing garden design, follow these guidelines and spice up your view! Add your imagination and creativity to these simple guidelines and create garden designs that will make you proud.
Both Marion Stewart & Peter Finch are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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