CREATING A GARDEN
THE JOY OF CREATING A GARDEN
By Maxina Williams
There are many things in life which bring you joy. Establishing a
garden is one of them.
The absolute pleasure in seeing a bare piece of ground transformed
into a thing of beauty is unsurpassed.
There are countless numbers of reference books available on how to
create a garden and you will get lots of good ideas from them. You
may even find a design which is just right for you. There are also
plenty of garden designers out there with unlimited ideas and just
waiting to be let loose at your place but there two things against
this: 1. the cost (These guys don’t come cheap) and 2. the absence
of the personal satisfaction you will get from doing it yourself.
A garden designer, also known as a landscaper, will work out a plan
to start with and you can also do the same but it’s quite a lot of
fun to plan it as you go,”on the run” so to speak, where one idea
can lead to another and great ideas can grow from being adventurous.
However, you do need to have a basic idea of what you are trying to
achieve before you start in with your pick and shovel, or even
something bigger. For instance, are you wanting to create a privacy
screen between you and the street or potentially nosey neighbours; do
you want a garden full of flowering trees and shrubs that will
attract birds and other wildlife; do you want to have your own cut
flowers to enhance your home; are you looking for low maintenance, or
would you like something that combines all of these?
Transforming an existing garden in a house you’ve just bought can
also be an exciting challenge. When we moved into our current house
three years ago there were lots of existing flowers and shrubs we
simply didn’t like and we’ve systematically replaced them, with
spectacular results. We now have lots of birds entertaining us every
day and we have a regular supply of cut flowers. We also installed a
bird bath for our feathered guests and it’s fun to watch the
different bathing antics of the various species.
Deciding on the type of garden edging to use can be a challenge. You
need to stick to a theme. I personally like using bush rocks and logs
for a more natural look but you may prefer timber, concrete or even
bricks. We recently did an attractive edging at an historic cottage
in our town by using old house bricks set in against each other on a
45 degree angle. It looks just right for a cottage garden and was
simple to do.
So, no matter what choices you make, be sure to have fun doing it!
Maxina Williams loves anything to do with gardening and outdoor
living.
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