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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Gardening Facts

By Michael Colucci

Gardening can be described as an art in which plants are grown for the purpose of creating an impressive landscape. Gardening can take place at a private home, or it can be used at public buildings. The space that is used for gardening is called the garden. While most gardens will typically be located on the ground, some have been built on top of roofs as well. A large garden is often referred to as being a park, and will often be a tourist attraction. In a large facility a number of workers will be responsible for the maintenance of the garden, and are called gardeners. Gardening falls under three primary categories, and these are outdoor gardening, indoor gardening, and water gardening.

As the name implies, indoor gardening is the art of creating gardens inside buildings and homes. Houseplants will often be used, and the garden may also be used as a natural heating or cooling unit. Water gardening is the art of growing plants near ponds or pools. The most basic water garden will be a small collection of water that will contain plants. While many people compare gardening to farming, there are a number of notable differences. Farming is designed to grow food that can be consumed by individuals, while gardening is done primarily for design purposes.

While food may be grown in a garden, it will generally only be consumed by the gardener and their close relatives. Farming is almost always done on a much large scale than gardening. While very few tools are required for gardening, extensive equipment must be used by those who want to create even moderate sized farms. Despite this, it should be noted that the lines between gardens and farms often become blurred. Despite the fact that most gardens are much smaller than farms, they tend to be much more productive.

The design of the garden is considered to be sacred in many cultures. While gardening is often considered to be the work of women, Samurai warriors in feudal Japan were expected to create elaborate gardens in a process called ikebana. Throughout history, architects have been used to design beautiful gardens, and this process continues today. There are a number of social roles that gardens have played in societies, and this is also the case in the United States. Gardening is not only a form of art, but it can be an important source of food. Many governments have now begin banning the importation of plants to different countries. While some say it is merely to stop the spread of bacteria, others feel that it destroys and important part of gardening.

Gardening is a practice which has existed since antiquity, and it is likely that it has been in existence in some form since humans first discovered agriculture. One of the most impressive historical gardens was the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and it was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. In addition to this, ancient Rome was famous for having a large number of beautiful gardens as well.



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Perfect Garden

Finding Garden Benches: Get the Perfect Look for Your Garden
By Anne Clarke


Many outdoor benches are multi-purpose, for example, they can be used in city parks, in malls, as well as serving as great garden benches. In this article I will provide some examples of the many types and styles of garden benches available. However, there are even more than these to choose from:

Standard garden and park bench:

This kind of bench is sold most commonly six feet in length, but that is also available as short as four feet, redefines the traditional park bench style. The bench has a flat long seat and a wooden frame and legs. There is a gap between the bench seat and the bench seat back, however this is a very comfortable type of garden bench.

Deluxe park and garden benches:

Deluxe park and garden benches offer all the benefits of the standard benches, but add a graceful contour. Therefore your garden bench will be able to fit all body styles comfortably. The more comfortable the make, the easier it is for you to relax and enjoy your garden.

Elite park and garden benches:

These garden benches have a cultivated architectural form. They hold their high quality condition in bad weather, and are virtually maintenance free. They are made with a sustainable recycled plastic construction. They will add a touch of personal taste and beauty to your garden. And they are long lasting as well.

Contour park and garden benches:

Contour park and garden benches are constructed with sturdy type of recycled plastic lumber, and this lumber is firmly fastened to a heavy steel frame. Like all of the other benches I have mentioned, and those that I will mention, the size of the bench usually ranges between four and eight feet in length so you can purchase the perfect fit. These garden benches are not only pleasing to the eye but comfortable and stylish too.

Monarque park and garden benches:

This kind of garden bench is designed for those who require a lighter form of garden bench. However, they are very popular and nice to look at, as well as being a nice to rest in your garden.

Standard park, mall and garden benches:

Standard garden benches provide bench space with no extra frills. It is just garden seating with simplistic design. And this design allows the garden bench to complement virtually any architectural style surrounding it.

Deluxe mall, park and garden benches:

Deluxe mall, park and garden benches are available for more up-scale applications. Still using recycled plastic construction and maintenance free features, these garden benches are matched with aesthetics to be an attractive addition to any garden setting.

Elite mall, park and garden benches:

These elite mall, park and garden benches are designed with a slatted seat assembly that offers the look of freshly treated exotic wood. Wooden benches are very attractive in your garden, and these come especially designed to be long lasting, do not require maintenance and are splinter free. No up-scale garden should be without a bench with this kind of elegant and luxurious design. No matter what size you need.

Remember, because the garden benches I have mentioned are suitable for many purposes, you should choose the size of your bench based on where you want to put it, and assess how it will look in any specific place or places in your garden. Measure the perfect length for your garden benches to be before making any purchase, and choose the style that best fits your garden and you.



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Gardening Tools

An Overview

By David Chandler

Most people know very well about the rules and regulations to keep your plants to grow healthy in your garden. For getting sustainable growth from your garden plants, they do require good soil quality, sun light and sufficient water. Although these items have been gifted by nature, gardening tools are necessary to upkeep your garden. Good gardening tools will assist you in taking care of your plants as well as cultivating good growing conditions, thus having a positive effect on your plant's health.

Defective gardening tools can be detrimental to your garden and to you. Defective gardening tools can cause injury to your plants or injury to yourself. Gardeners should find the best quality garden tool that they can afford. Once you have labeled your garden tool as "the best", it implies that the tool provides quality work for which it was designed for and with the least labor possible.

Below is a list of some common garden tools and their uses.

Lawnmowers

Luxus Push Reel Mower rated as best by the gardening aficionados provides large top cover that protects overhanging flowers and shrubs. Another special gardening tool called American Lawn Mower Deluxe has also been accredited as best, which will be helpful to operate on elbow grease alone and causing no pollution. However, this is not conducive for too tall grasses.

Garden Shredders

In general, all garden shredders have a high watt motor and come with silent crushing system. This kind of gardening tool accelerates your shredding activity. Gardening shredders with an electric shredder are easy to assemble and aids in tree pruning with maximum of 40 mm. The garden shredder also aids in shredding debris from punning your hedges. This gardening tool is considered the best among all the garden shredders since it is available with a plunger for increased portability and built-in wheels.

Cultivators

These modern gardening tools are available with patented tines to help in cutting the hard compacted soil smoothly. Cultivators are available with a free border edger. It is perfect to use in cleaning the moss, aerating and in thatching. This garden tool helps extensively in preparing vegetable plots, flowerbeds, etc.

Leaf sweeper

These gardening tools are extensively used for smaller lawns. It is having an infinite height adjustment with 200-liter collector.

Edge Trimmer

The gardening equipment reviewers have also accredited this gardening tool as important equipment. This aids in trimming the hedges and aids in plant pruning.

Spading fork
This is a wonderful gardening tool used for aerating and transplanting. By using this gardening tool, it is possible to perform splitting grasses and perennials. In addition, this garden tool can be used as a manure fork, mulch fork, and sorting hay.

Mattock

Mattock is an important gardening tool for breaking up the clay soils and working around established trees with the roots. There is no need to have a pick and a hoe, if you have a mattock.

Before you leave the garden center, it is highly advisable to have a look at this checklist of gardening tools and confirm if you have all the gardening tools you need to make your garden picture perfect.



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Gardening Styles Revisited

By W. Bergfeld

Each gardener has his or her own set of gardening guidelines that correspond to certain predetermined gardening styles. If you know your gardening style and if you can apply that style to creating an organic garden, then you have pretty much captured an edge over other gardening enthusiasts. But, if you do not have a gardening style that you can apply to organic vegetable growing, then you could be at a strong disadvantage. What are the different styles of gardening that actually apply to successful organic vegetable harvesting? Here are some of the types that you could consider:

Residential Gardening

This is the most common of all gardening techniques. It is often referred to as "backyard gardening". If you are just a novice and not seasonally experienced in vegetable gardening, then residential gardening is your best approach. The primary purpose of the residential garden is to feed a family. A steady supply of home grown vegetables can not only feed your family now, if you understand canning and preserving, your garden can nourish your family long after the production period of your garden has ended.

The second appeal of residential gardening lies in its aesthetic appeal. Your garden can add color and depth to your landscape. It is quite transforming to see what was once only grass, a wooden deck, or a concrete balcony develop into an eye pleasing sculpture.

Residential gardening does not require a great deal of space. A window sill, deck, balcony or other small area that has sufficient light can easily produce a small crop. These small confined areas are easy to monitor and at the same time, easy to maintain. Protecting your garden from pests is much easier in a smaller area. The great thing about residential gardening is the ease with which it transforms the gardening wannabe into the gardening professional. It takes the rookie, having no knowledge of planting, growing, and harvesting, to a level of understanding where other gardening styles become the dream and the possibility.

Specialized Gardening

Specialized gardening usually involves non-residential areas. Common examples of specialized gardening include amusement parks, botanical gardens, zoos, commercial landscaping along highway right of ways, and many more. Making the landscape more attractive seems to be the most common underlying theme of the specialized garden. These landscaping endeavors are rarely the responsibility of a single person. Often times a staff of botanists and gardeners work together to maintain the garden's aesthetic attractiveness. These gardens are often created to support or deliver revenue to their owners or the organizations supporting them.

Specialized gardens rarely sport vegetables like corn, tomatoes, potatoes, peas, or beans. They, in agreement with their type, focus more on the special or more rare type of flora. Unique flowers, shrubs, even trees are often found in these areas. But, when a specialized garden does focus on vegetable planting, wide row techniques, sewing seeds in a wide band rather than in a single row, are most often applied.

Impact Gardening

By definition, impact gardening focuses on getting the most out of a small space. It involves using a relatively small gardening area and finding ways to maximize its gardening potential. In order to accomplish this objective, plants are strategically organized and systematically planted in a "crowded" format. This type of gardening requires a basic knowledge of plant types; annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, and even ground cover. Understanding the types of plants most suited to the environment and the climate is paramount to successful impact gardening.

Impact gardening requires planning. A haphazard approach will not work. A layout of which plants will be placed where is paramount to successful impact growing. The best approach is to actually draw out a schematic of the garden labeling specific areas and then filling those areas with the appropriate plants. These designs or surveys should be as detailed as possible to include plant specifics and cost analysis.

There are four basic steps to successful impact gardening.

* Step one, survey a space for the garden and mark off the specific site. It is best to have the long side of the plot aligned with the sun, from east to west. This helps keep the plants from burning in the summer heat, and ruining your crops.
* Step two, design the garden. It should be attractive yet maintain its functionality.
* Step three, make long thin beds, eight feet longer than they are wide. This makes it easy to weed and plant. Build the bed frames out of long 2x8's. If you make several, you can lay them end to end, parallel to the sun.
* Step four, use soaker hoses to water. Place them up and down the rows, about one foot from the edges of the bed.


Indoor Gardening

Growing plants indoors is not only a science, it is an art. This type of gardening can be as small as a few potted plants kept on the coffee table or near the front door; or as large as a greenhouse with thousands of plant varieties housed in a climate controlled environment. These greenhouses or conservatories are designed and built with controlled systems for heating and air conditioning, whatever the plants require. Unfortunately this hot house type of gardening is more suitable to the commercial grower because of the expense factor involved.

For the home owner, the greatest benefit of indoor gardening is the simple fact that plants can be grown year round, completely independent of extreme climatic conditions like heat, cold, wind, or rain. Light is the most common limiting factor for indoor gardening. Most plants do not do well indoors, so it is important to match the light needs of a particular plant with the amount of light you can offer it. There are three general light categories--high, medium and low light. An easy way to measure how much light is in a particular area is to use a light meter, which is typically available at local nurseries, or simply hold your hand between the source of light and the spot where the plant is to be set. The amount of shadow gives a rough indication of available light. If there is no shadow or if a shadow is difficult to see, then that is an indication of low light.

Water Gardening

If you like low supervision gardening and love fish and aquatic plants, then water gardening is your style. Perhaps the most important consideration in water gardening is location selection. Most aquatic plants and fish need plenty of sun, so a place that gets 6-8 hours of direct sunlight is your best bet. Choose a site away from tall shrubs and trees. This site will then provide the best lighting and hopefully prevent the accumulation of leaf debris on the pond surface.

Planning is once again very important. Make sure you apply both common sense and some basic gardening principles to your site plan before you begin construction. Consider the overall size of your property, the size of your site selection, and your ability to maintain your garden before you scoop the first shovel of dirt. It goes without saying, small ponds are best for small properties. A container on a deck may be all that your need in accordance with the space you have available. Features like waterfalls, rock work, lighting and fountains are budget dependent. They may add style, but they could be overly costly.

Aquatic plants should cover no more than 50 - 60 percent of the water surface. Some are free floating while others are marginals or partially submerged. Selection depends on pond size and your personal preference. Water lilies are very popular and can add drama and fragrance even in small gardens. Some plants oxygenate the water and they help keep the water clear and the pool healthy. Fish can be a beneficial addition, because of their scavenging activities. They naturally clean up debris that would otherwise accumulate in the garden. They also can help control mosquito larva, and other insect development.

Community Gardening

Community gardening is becoming quite popular especially in highly populated urban areas. It involves concentrated efforts from different members of the community to help plant, maintain, and then harvest a garden. It is a huge undertaking, but the members of the community are given autonomy to style their areas in whichever way they choose. Locally, the Master Gardner program, through local Agricultural Extension Services, can provide just the right atmosphere for a community to plant a garden, maintain its integrity, and harvest its produce.

Neighborhoods pull together and transform vacant lots into green space. Building tenants gather on rooftops to plant and grow vegetables. Everyone shares in the responsibility and the harvest. This is community gardening in its purest form. These community gardens are a great way to get both children and adults involved in beautifying the neighborhood while at the same time working with nature.

No matter which style suits your needs best, it can be effectively applied to organic gardening. Each gardening style requires some level of planning and site preparation. Once planting is complete, the actual work of gardening begins. Caring for the plants in your garden is very similar to caring for your pets. They need regular food and water. Their space needs to be cleaned or weeded regularly. And, the more attention you give them, the more they respond and produce.



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Vegetable Gardening

A Hobby for Everyone

By Mary Amos


The Rewards of Vegetable Gardening

If you love to have fresh produces in the spring and summer, you should consider creating a home vegetable garden. Growing a vegetable garden is a fun and healthy hobby that anyone can excel at.

While gardening, you may find that your troubles and stresses of the day simply float away. Home vegetable gardening relieves stress and allows you to be out in the sun. Vegetable gardening is proven to lower blood pressure and clear the mind. Also, the act of nurturing plants and watching them grow is rather soothing. And it can look good too!

The Pros of Organic Gardening

One great aspect of home vegetable gardening is that it does not require a bunch of chemicals. Therefore, home vegetable gardening allows you to have more natural, juicy, and healthier vegetables that are also better for the environment. Using a lot of chemicals on vegetables is not only unhealthy for your body, but also takes a large toll on the environment. Growing your own vegetable garden and using less chemicals yields natural food.

Organic vegetables are always the best-tasting because they will not be picked until they are completely ripe and you are ready to pick them. One more pro of growing your own organic vegetable garden is that it will save you money. Instead of buying all your organic vegetables at the store, you will have your own selection of vegetables at your disposal whenever you want them.

Anyone can create a home vegetable garden. As long as you have dirt somewhere, you can create an outdoor vegetable garden in the solid ground. Even if you don't have a plot of dirt, you can buy a few pots and create a container garden.

Vegetable Gardening on Solid Ground

Before starting your vegetable garden, should keep in mind these simple thoughts: size, location, and soil.

First of all, we'll discuss the location. You must plot your garden in an area with plenty of shade and sufficient drainage. You must nurture your plants by putting them in a place that receives about 6 hours of sunlight each day. Every plant is different and requires a different amount of light, but the average is six hours a day.

Therefore, do not plot your garden in a shady place! Also, make sure that your garden has adequate draining. If you place your garden at the bottom of a hill, water will flood your plants during the wet season; this is a common mistake that many beginning planters make. By locating your gardens away from bottoms of hills and other spots where water is likely to collect, you will prevent your vegetables from drowning!

Second of all, let's talk about size. You should decide how big you want your garden to be initially. Remember that you should start out small and expand later; otherwise the size of the garden may overwhelm you. I recommend starting out with a garden space of 25 square feet or less. After you get the hang of it, you can expand your vegetable garden as much as you would like.

Third, let's talk about soil. Soil is one of the most important aspects of gardening, so it is very important to have good soil to produce a good garden. The best type of soil is slightly loose and easy to till. Therefore, stay away from soil that is hard-packed. If your yard does not have a lot of good soil in it, you can fix this problem by using mulch or compost in your garden. Alternatively you can buy good soil from your local nursery.

Mulch is usually an organic covering, such as straw, leaves, compost, or peat that you can cover your garden with to enrich the soil, prevent weed growth, and prevent excessive evaporation of water. Compost consists of any organic particle, such as dead leaves, manure, or (most commonly) kitchen scraps. People put compost in their yards to improve the soil and provide nutrients for plants. Composting kills two birds with one stone; it is great for your garden and cuts down on your trash.

If you address the location, size, and soil of your garden, you will have a booming vegetable garden in no time. Also, some of these tips will also help those of you who choose to have a container vegetable garden.

Vegetable Gardening in Containers

Container gardening is the best type of gardening for many people. If you do not have a good plot of land to garden on, container gardening is your best bet. It is the most practical way to garden for those of us not lucky enough to have large plots of soiled land to garden on.

There are many pros to container gardening. You can place your plants wherever you want: in your living room, on your patio, etc., so that you can add color and radiance wherever you would like. With container gardening, you can easily place plants wherever they receive the best growing conditions. Another pro is that you will have fewer pests eating your plants if they are in containers rather than in the ground.

Although almost any plant will grow just fine in a container, there are some that grow exceptionally well in containers. These are: salad greens, spinach, tomatoes, eggplant, Swiss chard, radish, beets, peppers, and bush beans.

The con of container gardening is that they require more upkeep and maintenance. You must check up on and water many container plants everyday.

Most vegetable crops grow well in 5-gallon containers. No matter what size container you use, make sure it has adequate drainage to ensure a bountiful garden. You should add about 1 inch of coarse gravel in the bottom of the container to monitor drainage. Learn how to prepare the containers of each type of plant for a nice and low-cost indoor garden.

Gardening Problems You Can Tackle

There are two notorious enemies of gardening: weeds and pests. Here is some basic information and helpful hints on how to tackle each of these problems:

One problem a person may have in plant gardening is staying on top of all of the weeds. In order to prevent weeds from taking over your garden, you should go out daily and pick the weeds. Picking weeds may seem like a dull task, but if you have the right attitude, it can actually be quite relaxing and stress relieving.

Where there's a garden, there are bugs. Unless you want to use a bunch of chemicals, you must go outside and kill any damaging bugs on your plants. But make sure not to kill the good bugs, such as ladybugs or praying mantis, because they kill the bad bugs that eat your plants. In fact, you can buy good bugs at your local plant store and put them in your garden to help kill pests. Because no bugs kill big pests such as grasshoppers, you must pick off these big pests by hand.

The Love of Vegetable Gardening

Vegetable gardening is very rewarding because it makes you feel better, less stressed, and produces delicious vegetables for you to eat. If you like the fresh vegetables at farmer's market, you'll love to have a garden vegetable of your own to tend to and eat from.


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How To Gardening

Garden Pond Designs, Layouts, Questions Answered
By Sherry Cochran

The correct landscape design and the right materials are imperative, but what is also crucial is the placement of each stone and planting to produce the desired effect. The art of creating beautiful water falls landscapes involves the ability to artistically place the natural boulders and plantings in such a way that it looks as if Nature had done the work instead of a human. Garden Pond designs may vary from small bird bath types to large garden ponds. The information on this page will make it easy for you to install a pond in your garden. Even the birds will think they are in paradise. Garden Pond Design Aspects The sound of running water relaxes the mind It's a good idea to have some form of water running into your pond Running water blends in with the noise of traffic, it's like music to the ears and it calms the soul. A garden pond will create a peaceful welcoming atmosphere. Before you begin, decide on what type of garden pond design you want Integrate the pond design into your over all garden design. The pond design must fit in harmoniously with the rest of the garden design.

The size and location of your pond is not just dependent on the design principles. An often overlooked item is the natural flow of water on the garden site To look natural, you need to adapt your design to this. In a very formal garden design this aspect becomes less important. Remember that you must not fight against nature. If you are thinking of having a river or a waterfall into your pond, Remember, this simple rule: Downhill. This also means taking the natural slope of your garden into account. Different types of ponds influence the garden pond design. The size, purpose and durability required often determine the type of construction. There are different types of ponds: Concrete Ponds made with an inside plastic liner Pre formed ponds: Include fish in your garden pond design. Provide adequate shelter for the fish against birds. One way of doing this is by placing some broken pots in the pond. Their curved surfaces make an excellent hideaway. You must never be able to see the source of the water comes. For example, a large leaf plant could be placed in the area where the river comes from. The start of the river may also be hidden in some other way, for example a large pot or by another focal point. Provide this through plants close to the pond, and water plants that spread across the surface of the water.

Garden Pond Plants: Choose plants for your pond that will fit into your overall garden design. Water plants are dramatically different to normal plants. Introduce the water plants by choosing garden plants that blend in with your marginal plants. Soil nutrients constantly leached into pond water could result in green water. To overcome this, retain the media (soil) by placing gravel on top of the soil in the pot. Terra cotta pots work well in ponds. The sun can also cause the water to go green. Water lilies grow at the base of the pond. The valuable cover of the lily leaves shade the algae out in summer. Try and cover a third to a half of your pond with water lilies. You need one lily for every one and a half to three square meters of pond surface. Grow marginal plants along the edges of your pond. Fill a third of the circumference of your pond with marginal plants. Marginal plants include: Iris laevigate, lobelia fulgens, Mentha aquatica, Pontederia Cordata. Oxygenating plants (submerged plants), provide underwater foliage. These plants use up the waste nutrients in the pond, and starves the algae of nutrients. Use five bunches of oxygenating plants for every square meter.

You can get these plants from pet shops that sell fish and aquarium supplies. Oxygenating plants include: Elodea densa, and Ranunculus peltatus. Floating plants can be attached to two empty plastic cool drink bottles. You can also get floating pots from your local nursery. Introduce one for every one to one and a half square meters of surface area A good floating plant is Azolla spp/Lemna. Plant bog plants (moisture-loving plants) in damp soil near the edge of the pond or a constructed bog garden. Most bog plants prefer to have only their roots in the water. Consider a bog garden as part of your garden pond design. Treating the Dreaded Algae Problem Algae are single celled plants. Spores are present in the air and will colonize any new body of water. They are rarely harmful to water-life, but are unsightly. In severe cases they may cause problems with the health of the fish. There are a variety of different algae that will colonize a pond, from thin long strands to floating clumps.

Algae control can be done by obtaining a natural balance using a pond filter, an ultraviolet light purifier and as a last resort an algaecide. The natural balance consists of starving the algae of light and nutrients. Best form of algae control is a correctly balanced pond with enough plant material to screen out the sunlight and prevent the growth of algae. A mesh bag filled with barley straw can assist in algae control. The silicates in the straw bind nutrients, such as phosphates. The straw seems to promote as organism that feeds off the algae. Straw needs to be replaced on a regular basis as it will start to decompose and pollute the water. I suggest you replace the straw every six months. You can buy barley wheat from your local health shop. Enjoy your Pond Doing a garden pond design for your garden is really worth the effort. I have sat on my patio on many occasions and just marveled at the dragonflies, butterflies and birds visiting and enjoying the water. It is so therapeutic and a special meditation retreat for me. It's easy to give your garden statuary value.

Integrate the pond design into your over all garden design. Terra cotta pots work well in ponds. Try and cover a third to a half of your pond with water lilies. Grow marginal plants along the edges of your pond. These plants use up the waste nutrients in the pond, and starves the algae of nutrients. Consider a bog garden as part of your garden pond design. There are a variety of different algae that will colonize a pond, from thin long strands to floating clumps. Algae control can be done by obtaining a natural balance using a pond filter, an ultraviolet light purifier and as a last resort an algaecide. Best form of algae control is a correctly balanced pond with enough plant material to screen out the sunlight and prevent the growth of algae. [SUBTOPIC=4] Great Gardening Tips helps you to find multiple resources available on the web for water garden pond plan. [SUBTOPIC=5] It has been described as "Nature's Song," that relaxing sound of a mountain stream that leads us to a quiet place of balance and serenity. The art of creating beautiful water falls landscapes involves the ability to artistically place the natural boulders and plantings in such a way that it looks as if Nature had done the work. The correct landscape design and the right materials are imperative, but what is also crucial is the placement of each stone and planting to produce the desired effect. Garden Pond Design for Tranquility and Peace A good garden pond design wows just about any garden.

Garden Pond designs may vary from small bird bath types to large garden ponds Water seems to make a garden look bigger. The reflective qualities in a pond attract us, and nature. If your garden pond is designed correctly, it can add a new dimension to your garden. Even the birds will think they are in paradise. Garden Pond Design Aspects The sound of running water relaxes the mind. Its a good idea to have some form of water running into your pond Running water blends in with the noise of traffic, its like music to the ears and it calms the soul. A garden pond will create a peaceful welcoming atmosphere. Before you begin, decide on what type of garden pond design you want Integrate the pond design into your over all garden design The pond design must fit in harmoniously with the rest of the garden design The size and location of your pond is not just dependent on the design principles. An often overlooked item is the natural flow of water on the garden site To look natural, you need to adapt your design to this.

In a very formal garden design this aspect becomes less important. Remember that you must not fight against nature. If you are thinking of having a river or a waterfall into your pond, remember this simple rule: Downhill. This also means taking the natural slope of your garden into account Different types of ponds influence the garden pond design. The size, purpose and durability required often determine the type of construction. There are different types of ponds: Concrete Ponds made with an inside plastic liner Pre formed ponds. Include fish in your garden pond design. Provide adequate shelter for the fish against birds. One way of doing this is by placing some broken pots in the pond. Their curved surfaces make an excellent hideaway. You must never be able to see the source of the water comes. For example, a large leaf plant could be placed in the area where the river comes from. The start of the river may also be hidden in some other way, for example a large pot or by another focal point. Provide this through plants close to the pond, and water plants that spread across the surface of the water.

Garden Pond Plants Choose plants for your pond that will fit into your overall garden design. Water plants are dramatically different to normal plants. Introduce the water plants by choosing garden plants that blend in with your marginal plants Soil nutrients constantly leached into pond water could result in green water. To overcome this, retain the media (soil) by placing gravel on top of the soil in the pot. Terra cotta pots work well in ponds. The sun can also cause the water to go green. Water lilies grow at the base of the pond. The valuable cover of the lily leaves shade the algae out in summer. Try and cover a third to a half of your pond with water lilies. You need one lily for every one and a half to three square metres of pond surface. Grow marginal plants along the edges of your pond. Fill a third of the circumference of your pond with marginal plants Marginal plants include: Iris laevigate, lobelia fulgens, Mentha aquatica, Pontederia Cordata. Oxygenating plants (submerged plants), provide underwater foliage.

These plants use up the waste nutrients in the pond, and starves the algae of nutrients. Use five bunches of oxygenating plants for every square metre You can get these plants from pet shops that sell fish and aquarium supplies Oxygenating plants include: Elodea densa, and Ranunculus peltatus. Floating plants can be attached to two empty plastic cool drink bottles You can also get floating pots from your local nursery. Introduce one for every one to one and a half square metres of surface area A good floating plant is Azolla spp/Lemna. Plant bog plants (moisture-loving plants) in damp soil near the edge of the pond or a constructed bog garden. Most bog plants prefer to have only their roots in the water, Consider a bog garden as part of your garden pond design. See our page on how to build a pond for an easy way to build and integrate a bog garden into your garden pond design. Treating the Dreaded Algae Problem Algae are single celled plants. Spores are present in the air and will colonize any new body of water They are rarely harmful to water-life, but are unsightly. In severe cases they may cause problems with the health of the fish.

There are a variety of different algae that will colonize a pond, from thin long strands to floating clumps. Algae control can be done by obtaining a natural balance using a pond filter, an ultraviolet light purifier and as a last resort an algaecide. The natural balance consists of starving the algae of light and nutrients. Best form of algae control is a correctly balanced pond with enough plant material to screen out the sunlight and prevent the growth of algae A mesh bag filled with barley straw can assist in algae control. The silicates in the straw bind nutrients, such as phosphates. The straw seems to promote as organism that feeds off the algae. Straw needs to be replaced on a regular basis as it will start to decompose and pollute the water. I suggest you replace the straw every six months. You can buy barley wheat from your local health shop. Enjoy your Pond Doing a garden pond design for your garden is really worth the effort. I have sat on my patio on many occasions and just marveled at the dragonflies, butterflies and birds visiting and enjoying the water. It is so therapeutic and a special meditation retreat for me.

Do not overlook safety

Garden Pond Safety Do not overlook safety in your design. Water is always a hazard especially for small children Design your pond with child safety in mind A sturdy stainless steel grid a few inches under the water surface should provide protection on a deep pond A safer bet would be to have a shallow pond where small children will be able to crawl out of the pond Whatever design you decide on should adequately address this issue No matter how beautiful a design, it can never warrant the loss of a child or a pets life.