Garden Decorating – From Garden Design To Easy Additions
Beyond the plants that you put in your garden there are lots of opportunities to bring a sense of style through decorating your garden area. The first place to start is with the design of the garden layout itself, then with the structures in the garden and then with the extra add-ons that you can place throughout the area.
Garden Design and layout form the backbone of your designs. There is a practical component of your garden layout that must come before the visual layout. The garden must be organized to group appropriate plants together and to place plants in the proper order for sunlight to reach them. You don’t want your corn blocking out all of the sunlight to the rest of your garden for example. You also need to account for access, water availability and other fixed landscaping elements.
You also need to pay attention to the way your layout will affect things like the look and feel of the garden. Do you have views that you want blocked and do you have a solution to that challenge? Do you want to have small intimate areas or large open spaces? Will you have color all year around with the plant selections that you made? Are things placed so that they get the right amount of sun or shade? Think about how you want to use the garden year round and throughout each day to make sure you maximize the space and sunlight.
Now that you have your foundation figured out, you can turn your attention to the architectural components of your design. When we talk about architectural components, we mean things like walls, gates, storage buildings and even trellises and garden furniture. These elements can really compliment or contrast with the desired style of your garden and because they are often larger pieces it is important to get them right.
Many folks think of garden accessories as medium size objects that are easy to add and move around the garden. Garden statutes are a popular item and can range anywhere from Angles & Madonnas to fantasy items such as Gnomes and Leprechauns. Yard art of various types are also popular and these include items like whirligigs and recycled yard item items. Less is more when it comes to these types of items.
Your garden can probably support a large garden art element or two. These items often provide a strong visual anchor to an area. A garden fountain or other water feature provides visual, audio and wildlife benefits. A large statue might work well or even a more functional approach with garden furniture can fit the bill as well. Do make a considered decision prior to choosing a large and expensive design element because mistakes can be costly.
The finishing touch items to your garden decorating can be the most fun to choose and place in your garden. They are usually simple elements that add some color and tie together other items into a harmonious experience. Wall art for fences or buildings can provide a lot of style and make an otherwise unattractive area into a focal point. Judicious placement of garden stakes can take the same theme and place them into the middle of the garden area. Let your creativity take over and try a variety of items and mix and match until you are happy.
Designing and decorating your garden can be a very enjoyable process and if you do a good job it will reward you for many years to come. Just remember to start with the fundamentals and to not go overboard on the garden gnomes and other garden statues. If your fundamentals are solid, you can easily make minor modifications to suite the changes in your design aspirations.
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April 4th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
I always found garden layouts difficult to make interesting and very tricky just to get started. I’ve recently learnt that really it’s a matter of diving it up into geometric shapes – split the garden into quarters for example, then cut out squares, circles, semi circles or triangles from different areas for different beds, raised beds and grassed areas. You’ll find it soon comes together!!