Gardening can be considered a hobby, and people can extract so much happiness and relaxation from doing something they love, and it can serve as something that is constant in this harsh world. Especially in their later years, many people tend to consider gardening their favorite pastime, because it will give you an opportunity to contribute to the world, as well as something pretty to look at.
However, designing and modeling a garden means that you will really have to put your best effort into it, especially if you want the end results to be good. There are many things that you will have to be aware of in order to make your garden look beautiful, and here, I’ve collected some of the best advice that will surely come in handy when designing the garden you’ve always imagined.
Analyze what you have done last year
Learning from last year’s mistakes is an important part of creating a better garden, and something that everyone will tell you is the first and most important lesson. Learning from your own mistakes can also be misleading because each and every gardening season is a story for itself, and each year, you will need to find a more suitable approach, the one that will fit your current situation in the best possible way.
If you have planted only a few seeds of some plants, and it turned out that they grow perfectly, now you can plant even more since you know for sure that those will be successful. On the other hand, if you’ve had some plants that have failed to grow properly, try and find out why did that happen. Maybe you’ve made a mistake and made an environment that is not suitable for that particular plant. Maybe you’ve made some errors in giving it proper nutrients, or you didn’t give them enough of your attention. Make a list of your personal errors and successes, and keep that list nearby so that you can consult it when needed.
Early Mulching
Life would be perfect if you had those plants that could self-seed and that could grow into beautiful flowers with no assistance whatsoever. Mulch is any type of material that is laid over the surface of the soil as a cover used to retain moisture, suppress weeds and keep the soil cool – but you can also improve fertility by using organic mulches, and by not mulching, you will allow these unwanted plants to grow as they wish – and this is not something that you truly need. Proper mulching will allow the plants to grow and prevent any other unwanted ones, such as copies of your earlier plants, or weeds – something which is totally unacceptable.
This is why it is important to mulch early, before the weeds have the chance to grow, and only this will allow you to have a garden that is organized the way you want it. It can also save you money and prevent you from using special chemicals that prevent weeds from growing, which is both good for you and for the environment.
Do Decorate
While plants can be considered a decoration all by themselves, sometimes, you may want to create a low maintenance garden because of your lack of time. You can either use shrubs, which are back in fashion because you can find new kinds of shrubs that require little to no attention, and they can simply fill out all the empty space you need.
On the other hand, using decorative aggregates is also recommended, since it is another simple way of creating a low maintenance, yet beautiful area. Decorative aggregates, pebbles and gravel are quite popular because it can save you time and cut down the required work by reducing the amount of lawn you have to care for. It can also help you save money as they are much cheaper than other landscaping options which require food, fertilizers etc. Best of all, you can do it yourself, and decorative aggregates, pebbles and gravel can cover any area that you want, and you can set it up yourself. There is no skill required for this, you only need to have an artistic mind and use your imagination.
In the end, it is important to think of solutions that will be uniquely yours, and that will serve you and your garden. Think hard of what you want to achieve and set your mind to it. With a little bit of dedication, hard work and a bit of research, you will do wonders in no time.