Starting a Garden
May 11th 2006 03:03
A Course in Gardening#!: Starting a Garden
This series of articles will look at the steps needed to get a small garden blossoming. It has been adapted from this wonderful site.
You don't need sweeping pastures for a garden, it doesn't have to be grandiose. Gardens are basically about improving the space in which you live, and a small garden is easy to set-up, and can be used for a multitude of purposes.
Today we'll run through some of the challenges unique to setting up a small garden.
1. The Garden as composition
A small garden will be viewed as a whole, and taken in in one glance. Keep this in mind as the flowers or plants you choose should compliment each other. Keeping it simple with a few well-chosen varieties is often better than trying to cram too many in. That's just me, but maybe you are more the 'schizophrenic-aesthetic' type of person...
2. Colour
Once again, I would limit it to a select few. The advantage of doing this has its benefits. For example, cooler colours will make the garden seem bigger. If you are still keen on mixing it up a little, play around with the texture of the plants. Textural variety blends plants into one another nicely.
3. Seasons
Do your homework, and make sure the flowers you choose are going to be blosomming for at least 2 seasons. Otherwise you may have a patchy little garden...
4. Box?
A small hardwood edge around the garden will make it more formal. Or if you are more the bohemian you can simply leave this bit out.
These are just some initial thoughts for the time being. Small gardens are about expression, and setting one up is the perfect way to introduce yourself to the pleasures of gardening.
Also check out this link for some pictures on the many varieties of small gardens.
Stay tuned, as next week we'll briefly run through some basic desin principles.
This series of articles will look at the steps needed to get a small garden blossoming. It has been adapted from this wonderful site.
You don't need sweeping pastures for a garden, it doesn't have to be grandiose. Gardens are basically about improving the space in which you live, and a small garden is easy to set-up, and can be used for a multitude of purposes.
Today we'll run through some of the challenges unique to setting up a small garden.
A small garden will be viewed as a whole, and taken in in one glance. Keep this in mind as the flowers or plants you choose should compliment each other. Keeping it simple with a few well-chosen varieties is often better than trying to cram too many in. That's just me, but maybe you are more the 'schizophrenic-aesthetic' type of person...
2. Colour
Once again, I would limit it to a select few. The advantage of doing this has its benefits. For example, cooler colours will make the garden seem bigger. If you are still keen on mixing it up a little, play around with the texture of the plants. Textural variety blends plants into one another nicely.
3. Seasons
Do your homework, and make sure the flowers you choose are going to be blosomming for at least 2 seasons. Otherwise you may have a patchy little garden...
4. Box?
A small hardwood edge around the garden will make it more formal. Or if you are more the bohemian you can simply leave this bit out.
These are just some initial thoughts for the time being. Small gardens are about expression, and setting one up is the perfect way to introduce yourself to the pleasures of gardening.
Also check out this link for some pictures on the many varieties of small gardens.
Stay tuned, as next week we'll briefly run through some basic desin principles.
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