A Newer Garden for Less

comments (0) January 26th, 2012 in gallery

MissVict0ria, member

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A Newer Garden for Less

A huge problem that gardeners face today is how to turn their old gardens into something new and interesting. Problem is, gardens take a lot of work, and redefining it means more time and money that the average gardener may not be able to afford.
A good start is to read up on landscape architecture, the simple easy stuff, and begin with a small theme you can subtly carry out. Afterwards, consider the following to get a newer garden for little effort and cost.

First, it’s the kind of plants in a garden that start looking dull when left in the same place for a long time. A smart gardener knows that they don’t have to replace all these plants—moving it around is more than enough to give their garden space a breath of fresh air.

If plants are potted, change their positions or put them in categorized groups. If it’s rooted to the ground but still safe and easy to remove, consider re-planting certain shrubs or bushes to achieve a certain effect.

Speaking of potted plants, it’s also the appearance of the pots that determine how your garden looks. Old soil-stained pots will definitely give your garden that look of being deprived and uncared for instead of a cleaner style that you might be looking for.
Newer or interesting pots that fit your new theme are a must! If you want to be a little more creative, you might want to swap newer-looking pots for those old ones to achieve a lived-in, even haunted garden effect.

If you have a lawn, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. Not everyone has the good advantage of working with a lawn to achieve an effect on outdoor spaces. Consider your lawns as a canvas on which you can sketch on, draw shapes, patterns, and such that can further evoke your needed theme.

A lawn mowed in a gradient patter (from light to dark) or in stripes, curves, and so on, may give your garden that fresher look. Don’t forget to check your lawn mower regularly however, and to replace the necessary lawn mower parts.

Pathways are also a good way to update your garden. Remember that a garden, while still an outdoor space, can be turned into a private space by way of shrubs, trees, and the ever-trusty dirt or rock paths. By laying big pieces of flat rock on a trail or carving a trail of dirt on your lawn that leads to a small corner in your garden, and enclave, or a gazebo, you manage to create a path that is both natural and easy on the eyes.

Of course, when you make a pathway, you also need to make sure there is something waiting at the end of the road. Consider investing in quality garden furniture: chairs, recliners, benches, small fountains—these go a long way to redesigning your garden. These can be positioned in a way that hints at intimacy, a space to have coffee or tea, read a book—anything you want.

Lawn ornaments also give a lot of pizzazz to an otherwise drab or outdated garden. Consider statuettes, modern sculptures, garden lights that you can trail around, Christmas lights to hang on trees—these small things keep a garden’s theme cohesive during the day and night. In addition, these ornaments make your lawn or garden much more interesting than the average.

Keep in mind not to go overboard with the re-designing though—as the design adage goes, less is more. Try to leave your theme easy to understand, and easy to execute because it’s these design principles that make your garden fun and soft on the eyes.
And finally, never neglect your tool shed, and never fail to maintain your garden. Gardens become outdated because the tools used for these gardens are rarely updated or kept clean. Sharpen those grass and shrub shears, keep your shovels clean, make sure you have garbage bags on hand, and never ignore big garden appliances.

Update your mowers, if you have one, and update lawn mower parts whenever necessary. Sprinklers need to be checked at least weekly to ensure no blockage. Keep those garden hoses repaired or replaced if punctured, and always change light bulbs on your garden lights.

Updating your garden doesn’t have to be such a huge overhaul, sometimes all it takes is simple thinking and just one easy theme.

About the Author:
Victoria Sweane is a Marketing Consultant for the J.Thomas company, a leading supplier in lawn mower parts, gardening tools, and landscaping materials.