HOME GARDEN DESIGN

When you think 'garden', one of the first images to come to mind is usually that of 'flowers'. It's hard to imagine a garden without flowers, although gardens without flowers can and do exist. If you intend to plant a flower garden, it is essential to have a design plan and preferably a long-term planting plan as well. After all you don't want a garden that looks bereft after all the blooms are gone, do you? That is what will happen if you plant haphazardly. the person who knows exactly in which hole which plant is going to go in.

• How much amount of sun does the site get?
• Is the site over-exposed to windy conditions?
• Is it close to a road?
• Are there any buildings nearby?
• Are there any electricity/telephone poles or wires nearby?
• Are there any drain pipes?
• Is the site accessible to pets or wildlife?
• What kind of soil does the site have?
• What is the soil pH?
• Is there any natural water resource close by?
• What kind of water supply is available?
• Consider the shape of your garden - is it long and thin or rectangular?
• Does it have different levels?

Then consider what kind of garden you would like. If you don't have a clue, study different landscaping and flower garden designs. Visit botanical parks or other people's gardens to see how the flower gardening design plan there works or doesn't work. Look at garden magazines and garden websites for inspiration and visit local gardening centers and flower shows. Talk to other gardeners and ask for tips on flower gardening.

Take into consideration the house around which the garden is being planned. What is its architectural style? Your garden design should complement it, not clash. If you have a sprawling area around an old, traditional mansion, for example, you may consider a formal garden design with all the flower beds laid out in exact symmetrical order, or you could introduce a new asymmetrical concept with a wild profusion of flowers.

Here are some Flower Garden design ideas:

• Start with garden flower identification. Make a list of flowering plants you want in your garden. Note how tall the plants will eventually become and their overall spread. Referring to these notes, draw up your garden plan. You can plant in order of height, or put the tall plants in the middle.
• Plant in a straight line or in a sweeping curve. Straight lines and curves seem to give a more coherent look than zigzag lines. But, keep in mind, there can always be exceptions to this rule
• Plant in groups of twos, threes, fours, fives, sixes, sevens or more. This will give you a mass of blooms and you can get the 'riot of colors' effect.
• Plant groups of flowering plants of one color, but of different tints and tones.
• Plant according to adjacent color progression.
• Plant in a complementary color scheme.
• Plant flowering plants with harmonizing colors together.
• Plant in a complete, unbridled mix of colors.
• Intersperse single, stand alone plants between clumps of coordinating plants.
• Use an evergreen hedge as a backdrop for radiant blooms.
• Add a focal point like a statue, bird bath, a bench, or an arbor. If you have a large garden, you can add more than one focal point.

There is nothing more satisfying and fulfilling than serving vegetables at dinner that you have grown in your own garden. If you live in a sprawling house and have a little space in your front yard or back yard, you can easily utilize this space for growing vegetables. For those of you who live in apartments and are constrained for space, you can have your own little vegetable garden that grows in window boxes or even containers. Here we will discuss about different vegetable garden design and how you can choose one that is just right for your house. Read more on vegetable gardens.

Home Vegetable Garden Design

When you are planning for a vegetable garden, you need to keep in mind that the location that you choose should have enough space and should receive plenty of sunlight. Vegetables flourish well in sunlight and they require good drainage too. If you have some space in your backyard, you can plan a backyard vegetable garden design that has small paths in between plots of different vegetables. This way you can maintain the vegetables and this allows for easier harvesting. Traditionally vegetables are planted in long rows, which are a good option for planting corns and beans but you can definitely go for some variations and create a different vegetable garden layout.

For easy accessibility you can create a vegetable garden design layout by making raised beds instead of the traditional rows. The advantage of having raised beds is that it provides for better drainage and it looks neater and more compact. Nothing spoils the beauty of a vegetable garden more than unkempt plants and a profusion of weeds growing haphazardly along with the vegetables. You can plan to make a three foot wide raised bed with the soil being about 8 to 12 inches above the ground level. When you are deciding on the kinds of plants that you are planning to grow, remember that there are some combinations of plants that do not work well together. Potatoes and broccoli inhibit the growth of tomatoes in a garden and onions do not grow well with beans.

Another very good vegetable garden design that works very well is to plant a combination of flowers and vegetables. This combination looks visually appealing and is best for vegetable gardens that are planted in the front yard. You can plant taller varieties of flowers like lavender or azaleas to make a beautiful decorative border next to a row of lettuce of cabbages. To give a rustic country feeling to your garden you can plant some climbing roses on the fences that surround the garden. This design element has a very whimsical and ethereal look and the play of colors of different flowers makes an interesting contrast to the more utilitarian vegetables.

Biointensive gardening is an advanced form of organic gardening, that aims to rebuild and maintain soil fertility through nutrient cycling. It is a commercially viable technique, that aims at diversified cropping and bio bed preparation on small plots of land, with maximum yield. Biointensive gardening involves harvesting of diverse range of crop varieties, that are less susceptible to pest outbreaks.



Biointensive Gardening Plan

Biointensive methods or organic gardening was first attempted by ancient Greeks, Chinese, Mayans and the Europeans. It was further propagated by Alan Chadwick, who utilized Biodynamic and French intensive methods for organic farming. Today, biointensive gardening has gained world wide popularity due to its benefits. to start biointensive gardening, you need to focus on the various methodologies of this farming technique and different organic gardening tips. The plans should comprise of the following gradations

• Raised Bed - Double Dug
• Composting
• Companion Planting
• Intensive Planting
• Carbon Farming
• Open Pollinated Seeds
• Carbon Farming
• Calorie Farming
• Rotational Cropping
• Whole-System Farming Method

Biointensive Gardening Techniques

Biointensive gardening employs organic fertilizers and natural pest control materials. Before starting, make a list of fruits or vegetables you want to grow at your garden. Go for indigenous crops, like tomato, pipino, kamote, spinach, egg plant, jack fruit, corn, papaya, sigarilyas, jute, beans, lemon grass, etc.

1. Once you have selected the types of crops you want to grow, design the layout of the plot. It should be focused on maximum utilization of soil and empty spaces. Align in rectangular shape and set in the direction of maximum exposure to sunlight. Click here to know the gardening basics.
2. Clear the soil from weeds, thatch, grass clippings, garden wastes, bushes, etc. Now spread the compost, organic or animal manure on the top of the soil bed. This spreading should not be more than 3 inches thick. Now follow the double digging technique to prepare the soil bed. You can also sprinkle earthworms for a better fertile bed. This process is known as vermicomposting or worm composting. Read more on raised bed gardening.
3. Do not plant the seeds immediately after shoveling. Wait for 3-4 days and then plant the seeds. Follow the instructions written on the seed pack and water them accordingly. You might also like to know about the gardening tools employed.
4. Observe the plants carefully when they start germinating. Check if they are infected by any diseases. Ensure that they are growing perfectly healthy. Prune the diseased leaves or spray organic pesticides, only if required.
5. You can also plant leguminous crops in between the plants for maximum nitrogen fixation. These plants have nitrogen fixing bacteria in their root nodules, that establishes a symbiotic relationship between plants. This technique is also utilized in crop rotation.
   

Apartment style constructions have replaced the sprawling yards that most older constructions flaunted. This is just one of the many prices we are paying for modernization and industrialization. Nevertheless, the green thumb has always used ingenuity to pursue the hobby that adds quality to the environment and reduces pollutant exposure. Container gardening, as the name amply suggests, refers to the growing of plants in discarded or special containers.



Container Flower Gardening

Container flower gardening refers exclusively to the growing of flowering plants in containers. You could used chipped china, glass or metal bottles and even cheese or canned-food tins for the indulgence. You can grow alyssums, marigolds, begonias, coleus, browallias, geraniums, impatiens and latanas in containers. Container flower gardening gives you the liberty to spruce up the living room and other guest-centric areas of the home, such as the lobby and guest-room, when and as required.

There are a number of online and offline resources dedicated to the art of container flower gardening that supply you with containers of various sizes and special garden tools. The containers, either bought or generated from the kitchen, could be sorted to suit a preplanned theme. You could pick from a color scheme or a size theme and accordingly assimilate the containers into a stand or tray.
Among the many varieties of flowering plants popularly chosen for container flower gardening are:

• Periwinkles
• Pansies
• Nasturtiums
• Petunias
• Snapdragons
• Thunbergias
• Salvias
• Zinnias
• Sanvitalias

The art of container flower gardening involves the identification of:

• A suitable area in the home that can accommodate one or many of the containers set aside for the garden.
• Plastic, metallic or ceramic pots or containers.
• Planting mediums that drain rapidly, but only after retaining sufficient root moisture.
• Soil-less mixes that keep the flowering plant free from soil- borne diseases and most essentially, weeds.
• A stand or tray to ensure daily relocation of the plants for their vital supply of direct sunlight.

Designing planting beds can be a bit overwhelming if one does not know a lot about plants, their habits, sizes etc. When getting ready to design a bed, do some research first. Hit some local nurseries and check out lots of plants. Read the tags and ask questions.



You will need the dimensions of the bed you are creating. A mix of evergreen (plants that do not lose their leaves) and deciduous (plants that lose their leaves in the winter) shrubs. Adding in some perennials or grasses will add color and interest. Plantings should have symmetry and balance. It is most visually pleasing to plant in odd numbers and carry the plants across the bed. Planting one shrub here and another there makes for a mis-mash. Our eye relates well to symmetry and reads naturally from side to side. however, carrying one or two varieties from one bed to the next will create a natural, visual flow.

Foundation Planting: Planting beds along the foundation of the house will give your home a manicured look. Tall shrubs on the corners of the house will anchor the house to the ground and soften the hard lines. An ornamental tree planted can add color and interest. Be sure to check how large an ornamental tree will grow and plant accordingly.

Creating island beds: Island beds are a great way to add dimension to the yard. Plantings in an island should add visual interest, yet not block the rest of the landscape.

Having a drawing will be a huge help in planning your landscape. If you are not an artist, it doesn't matter. A sketch with dimensions will be of great assistance when you are at the nursery picking out shrubs. It can be shown to the nursery salesperson and they can offer suggestions as to how many plants to buy, spacing, etc.

Use a hose or spray paint to shape beds before cutting them out. This will give you flexibility to change the shape before making it permanent. When getting ready to plant your shrubs, trees, etc. place everything first, take several steps back and look at the layout.

Landscape designing is a field where you get ample opportunities to display your creativity. Your home backyard is one place where you can try out different things without the fear of making mistakes. But designing a landscape is not that easy. Lots of things need to be considered while designing it. It becomes much more interesting and complicated as you enter its depths. There are numerous ways of designing a landscape.



Here are a few things to remember before you start designing your landscape.

• Use the available space in your landscape to the fullest.
• Try to be simple and effective while designing.
• There is no point creating a riot of colors, as the landscape should look pleasant to the eyes.

Planting
The plants to be chosen for a home landscape should be local ones. It is easy to take care of native plants since they are more familiar to us. Try to plant something every season, so that the garden remains a treat for the eyes throughout the year. Plants can be used to construct a fence around the landscape. Nowadays, lawns are considered to be an integral part of any landscape. The concept of having a lawn in gardens originated in England. makes it easy to maintain lawns. But lawns should be avoided in areas which experience the problem of water scarcity. For using water economically, micro-irrigation proves to be the best option. Flower beds should be layered. Layering places taller plants behind and the shorter ones and the other plants can occupy the space in between them.

Landscape Decor
Landscape decorations are meant to attract attention. They are the focal points of any landscape. Bird feeders, bird baths, hanging baskets and clay pottery including vases add to the beauty of a garden. But these objects should be placed in such a way that they do not affect plant growth. A bridge at the entrance of a garden looks catchy. The deck is another feature used to decorate the home landscape. It acts as an extension to the room near the garden.

Waterfalls
A waterfall can completely change the look and feel of a home landscape. Along with a pleasing view of water streaming into the pond, its sound relaxes our mind. A 2-feet tall waterfall is perfect for a small landscape.

Color Schemes
Different color schemes enhance the look of a landscape. They can be used to attract attention and also shift the focus away from dull surroundings. Yellow color refreshes the mind, hence yellow-colored flowers should be near windows for better visibility. There are many color schemes implemented by landscape designers. In the monochromatic color scheme, the main objective is to use hues of the same color. Colors adjacent to each other on the color wheel (a system to represent hues of colors in a circular format), are used in the analogous color scheme. For example, yellow and green colors can be used in this scheme. The complimentary color scheme uses colors that are opposite to each other on the color wheel.

Hobby Greenhouses
Hobby greenhouses can give a special touch to a home landscape. Children can learn a lot about gardening through hobby greenhouses. The interest in the concept of hobby greenhouses is growing day by day. Nowadays, people have begun to understand the importance of greenery in their lives. Hobby greenhouses add to the knowledge about various plant species. exotic plants through these portable structures; and that too in our own backyard. Hobby greenhouses are available at affordable prices and in different forms.

Garden Designing Software
Those who are unable spend time designing their home landscape can opt for software to carry out this task. Landscape design software suggests different designs suitable for your landscape based on the dimensions of a garden. A landscape contractor can be hired to implement the design provided by the software.

The Layout Plan

There are two types of layout designs, the symmetrical design and the asymmetrical design. No matter which pattern you choose, it is important that you balance out all the elements of the landscape, and importantly create a feeling of unity within the elements. Symmetrical designs means having a mirror like division of the front yard and house. such houses, a symmetrical landscape design works well. In a symmetrical design, plant the elements in the yard like trees and shrubs in almost an equal number to give a balanced look.


Though, symmetrical landscape design can be a bit difficult to achieve, they compliment nicely with houses which have symmetrical design and a formal look. On the other hand asymmetrical designs give a more relaxed look and are easier to create and plan. However, it is important that you balance out the asymmetrical landscaping plans in front of the house properly. Also, arrange all the elements in such a way that everything gives a feeling of unity. An example of asymmetrical landscape design would be having the location of the pavement somewhere towards the left side of the house. can see in the top and middle image, front yard landscaping plans which follow the asymmetrical pattern. This was about planning the basic layout, which lays down the foundation of the softscape and hardscape elements.

Adding Softscape Elements

The softscape materials or elements used in front yard landscaping plans are the plants, for example, the trees, shrubs, flowering plants, the lawn, etc. After deciding your layout, you need to make a wise selection of the trees and shrubs which you want to plant in your front yard. Make sure you go with the trees and shrubs which are a mix of two seasons, so that they help to accentuate the yard in both summer and winter season. is better to go for native plants, as they have already adapted to the soil, water and weather.

The right placement of the shrubs and the trees is very important, so keep in mind these front yard landscaping ideas. Never plant trees right in front of the house, and avoid planting the shrubs too close to the pavement or driveway. Shrubs should be planted on either side of the driveway, and should be placed in an odd numbered group of 3 or 5. While planting trees, consider the size and space that a full grown tree will take and have enough space around it. Plant the trees at the edges of the house, to soften the pointed edges of the roof. You can plant some trees at the front near the edges of the house, and few at the back, which will blend the man made house nicely in the front yard and backdrop.

To add flowers to the yard, make sure you just go for a few number of plants like 2 - 3 flowers of contrasting colors, and avoid a riot of colors. Too many accents should be avoided, as it will spoil the look. You can see in the middle image, that there are very few flowering plants, but still the house and the yard looks good and inviting. Even without adding any flower plants, you can create a good looking front yard landscape. choice of hedges is up to you, depending on whether you want a screen and boundary around your house. Make sure you select the hedge type wisely, and plant it around 15 - 20 feet away from the street.

Adding Hardscape Elements

The hardscape materials or structural materials are the fences, walls, paving, etc. Make sure you have a driveway which is around 10 feet wide, but if your driveway also serves as the road leading to your front door, then make it wider. This will make walking on the driveway easy in case a car is parked on the driveway, and prevent stepping on the lawn. There are various choice of materials for the pavements. You can go for a brick wall which is the most attractive material, or go for stone, wood or concrete material. you have a bigger budget, and good amount of space then you can consider going for a secluded courtyard design, or accent your yard by having a water fountain or a garden pond.

It is interesting to note, that every new idea, is a culmination of several other ideas. This is a rule that works well for any creative field, that includes these backyard landscaping ideas for small yards.

• Designing any area, open or closed, begins with planning. Planning gives you a chance to explore different options, before finally choosing one that suits you. Step into your backyard, and visualize it, the way you would like it. Refer to a few magazines for some help.
• Ensure that the ideas you have visualized can be maintained well. This depends on the time you have at hand, the kind of weather that prevails in your area, and the kind of small backyard landscaping ideas you have chosen.
• An interesting way to jazz up your backyard, is to create a small pathway, which needn't necessarily be straight, and lay the pavers or tiles in a diagonal manner. This gives the illusion of spaciousness, and also helps achieve an interesting flooring pattern.
• Try to include a small seating arrangement that can be your perfect getaway at any time you need it. If the space permits, you can even string up a hammock in your backyard. It is not necessary to have the usual tables and chairs for seating. A swing, or a seating created by retaining walls, or a small rock garden is a unique way to fulfill your seating requirements. You may also create an area that is stepped up from the rest of the backyard, and incorporate your seating arrangement there, by throwing some colorful cushions on the floor, and making it a unique seating arrangement. Tempting, isn't it?
• If you have the space, try to plant trees in the corners of your garden, surrounded by smaller shrubs. This creates an interesting focal point in the garden. Highlight it further by planting flower beds around it, by trying out various flower bed ideas. Your garden could begin in that corner, and spread out into the rest of the space.
• If you have a patio, an interesting way to incorporate plants into the landscape is to have hanging planters at different levels. The variety in levels, along with an interesting mix of plants, creates the ultimate visual appeal for a small backyard. Moreover, break free of the mundane terracotta pots, and try some new materials such as stainless steel or ceramic pots, to enhance the aesthetics of the backyard. You can also experiment with different container shapes, such as long rectangular containers, or round containers.
• Do not clutter your backyard with too many plants or furniture. Also, to create the illusion of space in a small backyard, try to have a small patch of mowed grass, that is untouched by furniture, or flowers, or plants. A patch of green is not only visually appealing, but also soothes the senses.
• Among the small backyard landscaping ideas, the presence of a water feature in the backyard should not be forgotten. Though it is not essential, it adds the perfect finishing touch to your backyard. As is the case with grass, even the presence of a water feature, particularly with running water, calms the mind and appeals to the senses.
• Remember to incorporate appropriate landscape lighting in your backyard landscape design. While the mornings are taken care of, for a relaxing evening, having the right kind of light is necessary. Do not opt for very bright lights, instead place dim lamps along the walls surrounding your backyard for the right effect.