The Basics of Japanese Gardening By Hoyce Choyce

Things to keep in mind for a beautiful garden

Main principles on the garden's design

Bring the Japanese feeling into your garden with these basic steps. First of all, embrace the ideal of nature. That means, keep things in your garden as natural as possible, avoiding to include things that could disrupt this natural appearance.

For example, don't include square ponds in your design as square ponds are nowhere to be found in nature. Also, a waterfall would be something closer to what exists in nature if we compare it to a fountain. So you also have to consider the Japanese concept of sumi or balance. Because one of Japanese gardening design main purposes is to recreate large landscapes even in the smallest place. Be careful when choosing the elements for your garden, because you don't want to end up filling your ten by ten courtyard with huge rocks.

As a miniaturized landscape, the rocks in the garden would represent mountains and the ponds would represent lakes. A space filled with sand would represent an ocean. By that we assume that garden masters were looking to achieve a minimalistic approach, best represented by the phrase "less is more".

The elements of time and space

One of the things westerners notice at first are the many portions of empty space in the garden. In fact, these spaces are an important feature in Japanese gardening. This space called ma, relates to the elements around it and that also surround it. The concepts of in and yo are of vital importance here, they are best known to the Western civilization by the Chinese names yin and yang. If you want to have something you have to start with having nothing. This is an idea quite difficult to understand, but it is a rule of thumb in Japanese gardening.

An important clue in the development of a garden is the concept of wabi and sabi. There's no literal English translation for those words. Wabi is about uniqueness, or the essence of something; a close literal translation is solitary. Sabi deals with the definition of time or the ideal image of something; the closest definition might be time strenghtened character. Given the case, a cement lantern that might appear unique, would lack of that ideal image. Or an old rock covered in lichens would have no wabi if it's just a round boulder. That's why it is important to find that balance.

Ma and wabi/sabi are connected to the concepts of space and time. When it comes to seasons, the garden must show the special character of each one. Japanese garden lovers dedicate time to their gardens every season, unlike the western gardener who deserts in fall just to be seen again in spring.

A very relaxing view in spring is given by the bright green of new buds and the blossoms of the azaleas. In summer, the lush foliage in combination with the pond offer a powerful and fresh image. The vivid spectacle of the brilliant colors of dying leaves in fall are a prelude for the arrival of winter and its white shroud of snow.

The two most important gardening seasons in Japan are spring and winter. Japanese refer to the snow accumulated on braches as Sekku or snow blossoms. Yukimi, or the snow viewing lantern, is another typical element of the Japanese garden in winter. The sleep of the garden in winter is an important episode for our Japanese gardener, while for the western gardener spring is the beginning of the work at the garden. Maybe because of the eastern point of view as death like part of the life cycle, or perhaps the western fear to death.

About garden enclosures
Let's see the garden as a microcosm of nature. If we're looking for the garden to be a true retreat, we have to 'set it apart' from the outside world. Because of that, fences and gates are important components of the Japanese garden.

The fence and the gates have both symbolism and functionality. The worries and concerns of our daily life have to stay out of this separate world that becomes the garden. The fence protects us from the outside world and the gate is the threshold where we leave our daily worries and then prepare ourselves to confront the real world again.

The use of fences is based in the concept of hide/reveal or Miegakure. Fence styles are very simple and are put in combination with screen planting, thus not giving many clues of what hides inside. You can give a sample look of your garden by cutting a small window in the solid wall that encloses your garden if that's the case. Sode-gaki, or sleeve fences, are fences attached to an architectural structure, that will only show a specific view of the garden from inside the house. Thus, we're invited to get into the garden and enjoy it in its entirety. That's what makes the true understanding of the garden, to lose in it our sense of time and self.

Basic Arrangements
Despite the fact that certain rules are applied to each individual garden, don't think that there's just one type of garden. There are three basic styles that differ by setting and purpose.

Hill and Pond Garden (Chisen-Kaiyu-skiki)
A China imported classic style. A pond or a space filled with raked gravel fronts a hill (or hills). This style always represents mountainous places and commonly makes use of vegetation indigenous to the mountains. Stroll gardens commonly use this style.

Flat Garden (Hiraniwa)
It derives from the use of open, flat spaces in front of temples and palaces for ceremonies. This is an appropriate style for contemplation and that represents a seashore area (with the use of the right plants). This is a style frequently used in courtyards.

Tea Gardens (Rojiniwa)
Function has a greater importance than form in this type of garden. The Roji or dewy path, is the main point of the garden, along with the pond and the gates. This would be the exception to the rule. The simple and sparse plantings give a rustic feeling to the garden.

Formality has to be taken in consideration
Hill and pond and flat styles may be shin (formal), gyo (intermediate) or so (informal). Formal styles were to be found usually at temples or palaces, intermediate styles were suitable for most residences, and the informal style was used in peasant huts and mountain retreats. The tea garden is the one that always fits in the informal style.

The garden components

Rocks (ishi in Japanese) are the main concern of the Japanese garden. If the stones are placed correctly, then the garden shows in a perfect balance. So here are shown the basic stone types and the rules for their positions.

The basic stones are the tall upright stone, the low upright stone, the curved stone, the reclining stone, and the horizontal stone. These must be usually set in triads although this doesn't happen always. Two almost identical stones (by way of example, two tall verticals or two reclining stones), one a little quite smaller than the other, can be set together as male and female, but the use of them in threes, fives, and sevens is more frequent.

We have to keep away from the Three Bad Stones. These are the Diseased stone (having a withered or misshapen top), the Dead stone (an obviously vertical one used as a horizontal, or vice versa, like the placement of a dead body), and the Pauper Stone (a stone having no connection to the several other ones in the garden). Use only one stone of each of the basic types in any cluster (the rest have to be smaller, modest stones also known as throwaway stones). Stones can be placed as sculptures, set against a background in a two-dimensional way, or given a purpose, such as a stepping stone or a bridge.

When used as stepping stones they should be between one and three inches above the soil, yet solid underfoot, as if rooted into the ground. They can be put in straight lines, offset for left foot, right foot (referred as chidori or plover, after the tracks the shore bird leaves), or set in sets of twos, threes, fours, or fives (and any combination thereof).

The pathway stands for the passage through life, and even particular stones by the path may have meaning. A much wider stone placed across the path tells us to put two feet here, stopping to enjoy the view. There are numerous stones for specific places. When observing the basic design principles, we can notice the exact character of the Japanese garden.

Water (mizu in Japanese) plays an important part in the composition of the Japanese garden because of Japan's abundant rainfall. Water can be represented even with a raked gravel area instead of water. A rushing stream can be represented by placing flat river stones closely together. In the tea garden, where there isn't any stream or pond, water plays the most important role in the ritual cleansing at the chozubachi, or water basin. As the water fills and empties from the shishi-odoki, or deer scare, the clack of bamboo on rock helps mark the passage of time.

The flow of water, the way it sounds and looks, brings to mind the continual passage of time. A bridge crossing the water stream is often used as a landscaping complement. Bridges denote a journey, just as pathways do. Hashi, in japanese, can mean bridge or edge. Bridges are the symbolic pass from one world into another, a constant theme in Japanese art.

Plants or Shokobutsu may play a secondary role to the stones in the garden, but they are a primary concern in the design too. Stones represent what remains unchanged, so trees, shrubs, and perennials have to represent the passing of seasons. Earlier garden styles used plants to make up poetic connotations or to correct geomantic issues, but these have little meaning today.

As the the Heian style diminished under the Zen influence, perennials and grasses fell out of use. So, for a long time, there were only a few plants that tradition allowed for the garden. However, in modern Japan, designers are again widening the spectrum of materials used. It is highly recommended that native plants are chosen for the garden, because showy exotic plants are not in good taste. Be aware that native plants are used in the garden, because it is in bad taste to use showy exotic plants. Although pines, cherries and bamboo immediatly remind us of Japanese gardens, we encourage you to use native plants of your locality that you can find pleasing. If we choose evergreens as the main plant theme and combine it with deciduous material that may provide seasonal blooms or foliage color we can recreate the look of the Japanese garden.

Now the next thing taken in consideration in a Japanese garden are the ornaments or Tenkebutsu. Stone lanterns are, for westerners, a typical impression of Japanese gardens.Stone lanterns are not important components of the Japanese garden. The reason is that ornaments are subjected to the garden's design. Lanterns, stupas, and basins are just architectural complements added when a point of visual interest is necessary to the design.

A good way to finish yor garden design could be a well-placed lantern. The three main styles (although with many variations) are: The Kasuga style lantern, is a very formal one featuring a stone base. In the Oribe style lantern, unlike the Kasuga style, the pedestal is underneath the ground. The Yukimi or Snow-Viewing lantern is set on short legs instead of a pedestal. Consider the formality of your garden setting to choose the appropiate lantern.

When possible, elements from outside the garden can be included in it. For instance, you can work a far away mountain including the scenery in your design, framing it with the stones and plants existing in the garden.
The borrowed scenery (shakkei in Japanese) can be: Far (as in a far away mountain); near (a tree just outside the fence); High (an element seen above the fence) or low (like a component seen below a fence or through a window in the fence).

As much as it is perceived to contradict our sense of enclosure, it reminds us of how all things are interconnected.

The feel of your garden
The Japanese garden is a subtle place full of contradictions and imperatives. Where firmly established rules are broken with other rules. If you meet the Buddha on the road, you must kill him is a Zen paradox that recommends not to stick so tightly to rules, and the same goes for Japanese gardens.

When building a Japanese garden, don't get too attached to traditions that hold little meaning for you. It would have no function to recreate a Buddhist saints garden. This also applies to trying to remember the meaning of stone placements, as this method is no longer used in Japan, or even in the United States, due to the lack of meaning for us in the modern world.

That's why we have selected a few gardening suggestions that do hold relevance and integrate them into a garden. These three ideas on gardening will give direction to achieve perfect results.

First
The overall setting of the garden should always be right for the location, not the other way around.

Second
The stones should be placed first, next the trees, and then the shrubs.

Third
Get used to the concepts of shin, gyo, and so. This is of great help to start working on the garden.

Have in mind that the real Japanese gardens are the traditional ones in Japan. What we can do in America is to shape a garden in the Japanese style. Rikyu once said about the perfect Roji: "Thick green moss, all pure and sunny warm". In other words, techniques are not as important as the feeling you evoke in your garden. Said in other way, the feeling is more important than techniques.

Try Something Different With A Japanese Garden

By Peter Finch

Japanese Gardens are an interesting amalgamation of nature, spirituality and art. These gardens are meant to suggest harmony and create tranquility in your surroundings. Aiming to capture nature in the most innate way, these gardens are unique because they have been influenced by various chapters of Japanese history and also Shinto, Buddhist and Taoist philosophies.

History

Originally, Japanese Gardens represented a utopian land for the Japanese. Philosophies influencing creation of Japanese Gardens bring a sense of spirituality to the gardens. In the past, Japanese gardens were cut off from the masses, since the ruling elite and the religious classes used it as a place of peace and meditation. A Japanese emperor specifically built a garden in Kyoto so that he could spend his years in peace there. The Garden of the Silver Pavilion was another famous landmark used by a renowned soldier as a shelter from violence. The Buddhist influence makes the garden a paradise for peace and quietude, giving people the privilege to ponder and reflect upon their lives, or meditate.

The Essential Elements

The presence of a few elements is mandatory for a Japanese garden, and water is the most important amongst them. Water, in Japanese culture, symbolizes purity. Since Japan is made up of a group of islands, the Japanese had to cross water most of the time to go from one place to another. This has led to the presence of water in most Japanese gardens. In the absence of real water, you can use a symbolic representation, which is usually gray gravel or sand. The sand in the garden is often raked in patterns to represent the waves of the ocean.

The other essential elements in a Japanese garden are stones, garden plants, waterfalls, trees, and bridges. In their natural state, stones have an ancient, spiritual quality and also impart strength and endurance to a garden. They may also sometimes symbolize mountains and islands. Garden plants are generally chosen to fit a human scale, often evoking familiar landscapes. Some gardens owners also construct water features like waterfalls, streams, or ponds. Other features that are generally considered include fences, walls and gates, paths, steps, and bridges, water basins, lanterns, the deer chaser and koi fish. There are five different styles of Japanese gardens, namely, Strolling Gardens, Natural Gardens, Sand and Stone Gardens, Tea Gardens and Flat Gardens.
An Artist Expression

There is a common misconception that Japanese gardens always follow certain ground rules with respect to content and arrangement. Since the Japanese are highly individualistic, the look of the Japanese garden mostly depends on the person who plants and tends the garden. Though some rules are followed, the rest depends on how the gardener wants to express his or her creativity through the garden.

How They Are Different

Japanese gardens are different from Western gardens in terms of their religious and philosophical elements. Japanese gardens are an expression of art, and a symbolic representation of the gardeners view of the universe. On the other hand, westerners do not see gardens as expressions of religious or philosophical beliefs since most Western gardens are essentially smaller versions of a farm. Traditional Japanese gardens emphasize natural, abstract beauty and minimize signage on plants.

There are nearly 60 public Japanese gardens in the United States. So if you want your garden to look different from the regular ones, be innovative, have an interesting ambiance around your house and inculcate spiritual solace in your life - opt for Japanese Gardens.

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Working with a Landscape Gardener

By Bill McRea

Looking at beautiful garden you must have often wondered whose master piece and work of hand this is. They are termed as "landscape gardener". A Landscape Gardener designs, develops, maintains, remodels gardens and landscape. The activities of a landscape gardener are various - it starts with discussing and developing designs with clients and understanding the client's vision. A landscape gardener's work is synonymous to that of an architect. Keeping the client's vision in mind a landscape gardener produces designs and drawings for the prospective projects.

A landscape gardener also works upon constructing fences, walls and decking and laying as well as paving or concrete. A landscape gardener also work on trellises, pergolas, ponds, ferneries, barbecues, play structures While on a project, a landscape gardener has to take care of the minuscule details of the project. However, the work of a landscape gardener just does not end with the assembly of the garden. Even after the landscape garden is prepared a landscape gardener has to care of providing advice on garden maintenance and upkeep.

A landscape gardener works on the installation of lighting, choosing garden ornaments and even detailing the furniture suitable for the landscape garden. While providing advice on the garden maintenance and upkeep, a landscape gardener has to work on selecting seeds, plants, trees and bulbs and planting them at the accurate place for a fruitful growth.

However, before proceeding with all the other activities, a landscape gardener has to take special care of the soil. If the soil is not fertile, a landscape gardener has to take special care to treat the soil. To do the required job, a landscape gardener may purchase the required materials and equipment. A landscape gardener is required to calculate costs based on labor, materials and equipment required .A landscape gardener is required to carry out various necessary excavation, using suitable machinery if the construction job involves a huge plot and immense work. However, all the expenses are mostly paid by the clients after the cost estimates for work is submitted to the client.

A landscape gardener is requires to direct and supervise the working of other members of the landscaping and the gardening team. If required, a landscape gardener can also sub-contract work which will require a huge amount of man-power. A landscape gardener is required undertake manual and heavy work as well as be resistant towards various changing weather conditions. Besides physical strength a landscape gardener should be creative as well as artistic. He needs to be practical, attentive and systematic in his work.

A landscape gardener is not limited to designing and constructing new garden landscape but also renovating existing gardens. A wide range of skills in gardening is used to craft a landscape that is pleasing to look at as well as functional.

Landscape gardeners work at sites which include private gardens, public parks and reserves, indoor facilities and newly developed housing estates and industrial complexes.

A landscape gardener is employed by private individual, architects, other designers or local authorities. Expertise may lie in area such as water features, decorative lighting and turfing.

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Low Maintenance Gardening Does Not Mean Boring Gardening

By Carmel Baird

Low maintenance gardens need not look like the bare type, not many plants, lots of rocks, paving, gravel etc. You can have a beautiful garden following a few principles. Choice of plants, type of plants, garden layout, mulching and a well thought out garden design.

Planning a low maintenance garden is how you should start, with the planning. Visit your local nurseries, find out from your local council what plants are native to your area. These are usually the ones that will thrive for you for little effort on your part.

Choice of plants.

Today there is a wonderful variety of plants to choose from, to help with your low maintenance gardening. Drought tolerant and native plants should be your first consideration. These plants will require less attention from you, less attention means less garden maintenance.

Start a reference file, write down all the plants that will be suitable for your area, then reference them either on the Internet or through garden plant books. Find a good garden book that will give you the expected growth height and width. This is very important to allow the growing room and deciding how densely you want the planting to be. The more densely a garden is planted the less moisture loss from the ground and so the less garden maintenance.

Types of plants

Any plants that need pruning regularly, don't go there. If it says quick growing, always check the estimated height and width, these can get out of control quickly. Annuals, vegetables and herbs are not what you call low maintenance gardening. Although in containers these can work well and the maintaining need not be great because of a small number. After all a low maintenance garden doesn't mean no maintenance.

Go for leaf structure, variegated, assortment of leaf sizes and colors. There are some wonderful plants in the drought tolerant range and these will be your low maintenance plants.Choose plants of various heights and go for mass plantings of the various types you choose.

Garden layout

How you set out your garden is so very important when planning a low maintenance garden. It is all in the garden design.

The walkways, areas for seating, maybe outdoor dining under shady trees in summer and trees that lose their leaves in winter.

Raking up leaves doesn't sound like low maintenance but a leaf vacuum will take care of that for you and it is only once a year.

Lawn areas should be kept to a minimum. Lawns do take much upkeep especially in summer. The use of pavers, gravels, even timber can add interest. Curves look better than straight lines for a more relaxed garden. Straight lines can make a garden look more formal.

You can add contrast to your garden with the use of different textures. That's where the use of pavers, gravels, pebbles and timber come into play. The use of large pots, raised garden beds, water features, a wall or trellis for a vine to climb on and if the garden is small, why not a mirror on a fence to reflect the plantings.

Take the eye through from one area to another with the use of plantings to create interest and extend the garden. Cleverly designing your low maintenance garden will not have it look like a 'low maintenance garden' but a wonderful place to enjoy.

Incorporate in your low maintenance garden design, things that are low maintenance, like pavers, gravel, pebbles, rocks etc but make sure you either have them professionally put down for you or learn how to do the jobs like the professionals. Everything is in the preparation, learn to do the tedious first and the end result will definitely be low maintenance.

The same applies to your garden beds. There are some very good weed mattings available today and the garden mulches or pebbles are a must. Combine these two for low maintenance gardening, no weeds or very little in the way of weeds. Mass plantings will help stop weeds growing too, give plants some room to grow but keep them tighter than recommended. Be careful with ground covers as some of these can get out of hand too and become almost like a weed.

Often times people water their gardens too much, that is, more than the plants require. I live in Australia and we have some long drought times. Our native plants thrive during summer when there is a drought. The ones that flower are just so beautiful during these drought times, many of them have massive amounts of flowers, unlike when there is adequate rainfall.

Many of the cultivated plants and shrubs during our current drought are doing the same, very tough water restrictions, no hosing at all and they are flowering so much better than other years when the home owner has been able to hose the gardens. So it is obvious, we water our gardens more than many of our plants require.

Color in the garden to add interest

When you start looking at the plants that are available in the low maintenance area, you will find the colors and variations in the leaves. There are some wonderful plants, plants like crotons, cordylines, with the number of varieties available, they can add that splash of color against the green tonings of other plants.

If you want to add more color, then the pot-o-color available today can do the trick. Even though they are annuals, the maintenance is virtually low as all the hard work in establishing the plants has been done for you.

So you can see, low maintenance gardening need not be boring gardening. You can have a garden to enjoy without the labor, it is all in the how planning a low maintenance garden is done.


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Best Quality Gardening Equipment

By Percy Troughton

Quality gardening equipment is exactly what any dedicated gardener could use. However, it is not always possible to rush right out and spend hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of dollars on the latest and greatest gardening equipment. That is where improvisation comes in. A good gardener definitely knows how to improvise. The following paragraphs will discuss gardening equipment in general, as well as touch on the basic gardening equipment a good gardener will need.

As a gardener, there are some basic pieces of gardening equipment you will likely need at one time or another. This equipment includes, a hoe, a shovel, a rake, and maybe even a small hand shovel. It is not enough just to have these you must make sure they are good quality.
If you have these basic pieces of equipment, you are good to go. However, if you have bushes, hedges, or vine style ground cover, a good pair of pruning scissors could prove extremely helpful. While only the basic gardening equipment is necessary, some garden equipment can make the hard work of gardening much easier. If you have been gardening for years, chances are you have accumulated so much garden equipment that your shed is overflowing with it.

In addition to theses basic pieces of gardening equipment it is is also useful to have a leaf blower, a spade and an electric trimmer is also a useful piece of gardening equipment. As mentioned before, as gardeners, we know how to improvise. It becomes necessary to improvise if you do not have the basic gardening equipment you need, or if you are unable to locate your basic gardening tools you already own. For example, one day I could not find my good pruning scissors, no matter how hard I tried to find them. Ultimately, I grabbed a kitchen knife, and used it to serve the same purpose as my good pruning shears. This is a very common practice among gardeners who can't find the gardening tool they need at the moment. Improvising can also be common among gardeners who cannot afford to rush out and purchase the latest gardening equipment on a whim.

Improvising, as opposed to using the proper gardening equipment, may seem like a sloppy way to get things accomplished. However, this is simply not true. Every dedicating gardener knows when you are in the middle of a task, you do not want to drop everything to search for a certain gardening tool. It is distracting, so as opposed to interrupting their work, gardeners tend to improvise.

With that said, it is true that some gardening jobs are done much better if the proper gardening equipment is used. In these cases it is best not to improvise, but to take time out to find the best tool for the job. The end results will be well worth the time you took out to find what you were looking for.

They main thing to remember about garden equipment is we may want it, but we don't always need it. As gardeners, if we have the basic gardening tools, we should be able to make do just fine. Even though we may be tempted to rush out and purchase the newest and greatest revolutions to the gardening world, however, it is not necessary to make these purchases in order to make your garden look great. In most cases, improvisation does work.


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Gardening Gift

By Tommy Yeo

You have just completed designing your garden and now you're looking for that perfect finishing touch. What sort of gardening gift could you give yourself or someone you know who loves gardening. The range of gardening gifts span from the whimsical like garden gnomes to the more practical ones like a gardening gift set which is good for beginning gardeners.

With all these gifts to choose from how will you find the perfect gardening gift? With this type of gift you need to think if the person will appreciate a whimsical wind chime, a garden gnome, or a compost tumbler and tea maker.

If your friend is new to gardening then maybe they would appreciate a gardening set. A gardening set that includes a spading fork, a garden trowel, and a hoe to cultivate your soil, a pair of garden shears and a tool for weeding is the perfect gardening gift, even for yourself.

A serious gardener will absolutely love having a sturdy pair of gloves. When you wear the gloves not only do you keep your hands clean, but the gloves can provide protection against thorns and other sharp garden objects.

For a gardener who has back problems using a garden kneeler can take the hassle out of gardening. They might even start using it for other purpose like washing their cars. Whilst a trowel that is ergonomically designed can help support the wrist of anyone with arthritis, it can make digging a pleasure once more.

Every gardener understands the value of putting compost in their gardens. And the best way to get good quality compost is of the home made variety. Unfortunately not everyone has the garden space for a compost heap. The gift of a compost tumbler might not seem to be a great present, but it is an invaluable gardening gift for the avid home gardener.

All gardeners know that to get a thriving crop, the soil in the garden has to be right. How can you find out if your soil is perfect for that vegetable you're planning on growing? Will your herbs thrive in your garden? To answer that all important soil question an electronic soil tester is great gardening gift.

These of course are the practical gardening gifts. The whimsical on the other hand are wind chimes or cheerful garden gnomes. If you're into fantasy then a garden gnome sitting next to your pond will definitely invite the garden fairies in. Of course you should understand that garden gnomes are company loving fellows. Therefore when you go and buy your garden gnome, be sure to invite a few more along just for that fanciful gardening gift.

All in all it does not matter if you're into practical gardening gifts or the whimsical variety. Garden centers and gardening shops stock many different items that can serve as gardening gifts or gardening supplies. The perfect gardening gift is yours to choose.


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Decorating Your Garden

By Jill Dow

It's decorations in your garden. Non plant elements - "Garden Decor".

Garden Decor is part of what makes your garden inviting, comfortable, interesting, enticing, unusual, perhaps hilarious, soothing, cherished and more!

There's no place I prefer to be than in the garden. I work and relax in it, my daughter photographs it. We wander through it, dig our hands into it and we ENJOY it's bounties while we are amazed at it's complex nature and how the garden fills our senses completely. Sight, smell, touch, hearing and taste as well as our spiritual senses are all beguiled in the garden. Linger with us a bit as we saunter through the garden.

We walk into a garden and are immediately entranced by what we see whether it be a formal garden design or a cottage garden we delight in the colors, textures and plant combinations we see. Garden decor adds additional architectural elements to the garden. I love walking through a garden gate or garden arbor filled with blooming roses or dangling grapes and then into the gardens beauty beyond. Bird baths, garden statues, seating areas and water features can all add interest and create a focal point in our gardens.

A quirky collection of containers is always intriguing garden decor. We adorn our patio every year with different plant combinations in containers that are anything from pots, or old kitchen odds and ends, to discarded tubs and old logs with rotted out gnarled holes we can fill with soil and grow in. The patio garden is one of my favorite projects because it's new and unique every year.

A scare crow, garden gnome, or a funky bird feeder can all add a sense of whimsy to the garden. I collect garden decor (ations) from garage sales and display then in the garden, moving things around as the mood strikes. It's really even more fun than rearranging the furniture!

A water garden or water feature delights the birds and other wildlife providing us with a soothing sensation of the sound of running water. A water feature doesn't need to be large. You can add a small water garden to most any garden and do it quite inexpensively. I have an old bucket that I keep unplanted in my garden. This water doesn't run, it's there for the animals. We've recently had a family of foxes move in and they enjoy a fresh drink in the mornings and evenings when the garden is cool and inviting.

Finally, as you add garden decor to your garden, think of garden furniture, maybe a patio umbrella and seating area or a pergola. Every garden needs to provide a "place to be". A relaxing shady spot or a place to plop and enjoy the beautiful view you've created.

As we've wandered gardens we've also taken pictures for you focusing on the garden decor. We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoy sharing them. We also ask that you submit your garden decor photos to use so we can share those with our readers. We welcome your projects and project ideas.



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