LANDSCAPING FOR BEGINNERS

Everyone admires beautiful landscaping but the prospect of achieving such perfection can be quite daunting.  However, it is possible to attain a delightful garden with just a few guide lines.

·         Don’t hide your house.  If your home is being “bullied” by shrubs or trees that have grown too large don’t be afraid of moving the offending plants just because they have “been there forever”

·         Do enhance your home by putting in plants that enhance the scale of the building.

·         Don’t start without a plan.  A haphazard accumulation of plants rarely gives a satisfactory end product.

·         Do develop a long term plan and, even if it seems costly, remember that you do not have to buy everything at once.  Start with trees, which take longer to mature, then add shrubs and finally flowers.  And remember that plans can always be changed.

·         Don’t scrimp.  Buying the least expensive size plant is one way to save money but you may spend years wishing you had spent a little more on a larger specimen.

·         Do think about how the plants will look in a few years.  That is, pay attention to what their “mature” size will be.

·         Do try and incorporate sweeping curves into your scheme.  These will have the effect of compelling you to slow down and enjoy the garden.  A curved line also disguises the size of the surroundings and can make a small yard appear much larger.

·         Do think about enhancing the “curb appeal” of your home.  Perhaps you could upgrade your plain concrete driveway or add a trellis or arbor to provide an interesting focal point.

·         Don’t forget who uses the garden and who has to maintain it.  For a family with young children simple, open spaces are more appropriate whilst a more elaborate arrangement would be ideal for people who have more time to spend tending their garden.

·         Don’t rely on candles if you enjoy outdoor evening entertainment.  Depriving guests of adequate illumination can be risky.  Instead, position a selection of strategically placed lights, directed to highlight garden features.

·         Don’t plant specimens individually.  Nature grows her plants in groups and you will be more successful in your landscaping if you do the same.  Work in odd numbers, 3, 5, 7 or 9 which will look more pleasing to the eye than perfectly balanced even-numbered planting.

·         Don’t copy your neighbour’s scheme even though it may look wonderful. Be original and incorporate your own ideas and themes that appeal to you.  Ultimately, it will be far more satisfying.

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