size garden. A good design needs careful planning.
The photos you see on this page came from Alastair North,
whose garden design is intended to apply to a small to
middle size urban or suburban garden of about 150-200
square wah, or 600-800 square metres.
“In my own garden, about half is an open
view passing
over a flower border and a rockery to the furthest corner,”
he
wrote in response to my invitation that readers share
their gardening
experience and/or
photos of their plants and gardens. “The
edges of the grass
and the trees forming the sides of the view are not
parallel,
but are slightly convergent so as to give an artificial
perspective
and feeling of distance.
“Then there are areas of
interest, not grand enough to be
called features, to be found behind the limits
of the
first view.
As one example, behind the Mussaenda philippica at the back
you discover a gravel path and epiphytic Bromelia on a
fallen tree trunk.
Behind these is a very small path winding
past a corner of cordylines and
crotons.”
Trees in their many different forms are so versatile that
they can be
used in any garden style.
They provide not only height and width, but as Mr
North
has shown, they also impart a sense of distance.
The lawn in the foreground, meanwhile,
creates a sense of
space and reminds me of a clearing in the woods, while
the
different varieties of Mussaenda philippica planted in
a group and other
flowering plants add a dash of colour
to the greenery.
Flowers are not the only sources of colour
in the garden.
Crotons, cordylines and bromeliads all have colourful leaves
that brighten up the landscape. Mr North planted his
bromeliads on a fallen
tree trunk; alternatively, they look
attractive attached like orchids on the
trunk or branches
of a live tree.
Whether you are commissioning a professional
designer
to do the landscaping for you or doing it yourself, keep in
mind that
a good design needs careful planning.
It must meet your needs and desires and
at the same time
keep the surroundings attractive and pleasant.
Most importantly it must be something that
you are truly
happy with, because you will be living with it for years,
if not
for the rest of your life.
Before you start, answer the following questions:
1.
What kind of lifestyle do you
have? Do you prefer the
outdoors or indoors for recreation?
How frequently do you entertain?
Are you an avid gardener?
2. Do you have children, and if so, how old
are they?
Do you want a playground
incorporated in the landscape?
3. Do you have any preferences for certain plants?
4.
How much are you willing to spend on the project?
5.
How much work (or money) are you willing to put into
(or pay for) the
maintenance of the landscape?
6. Do you expect to walk through the
landscape or enjoy it
from your window?
Once the site characteristics have been
determined, the plan can
be made based on your answers to the above questions
and
according to the three basic functional areas of the
house:
the public area, private or outdoor living area and service
or utility
area.
The public area is the space between the
house and the street
and the part most visible to passersby.
This is the area
which creates the first impression, thus it is
what most homeowners are most
concerned about.
The
outdoor living area is where you relax or entertain guests
away from the public
eye. Ideally it should be connected
directly with the living or dining room.
To
ensure your privacy, use plants to screen the area from
passersby, from other
parts of the ground and neighbouring
houses. The service area is usually near
the back door and is
not meant to be in public view.
As its name implies, it is a service area
for such things as
the doghouse, garbage bins, clotheslines, storage shed and
other odds and ends. Again you can plant shrubs and trees
to screen this area.
The most basic and important part of
landscaping is choosing
the right trees and plants.Remember that, unlike furniture,
trees cannot be moved around once they are in place,
so you have to choose them
carefully. If the house is a
bungalow, choose a small tree to plant beside it,
as a big tree
beside a small house will make the house seem even smaller.
In landscaping, plants have different uses
and are classified
as follows:
1. Ground cover: Plants used to
cover the ground, to preventsoil erosion. They are usually planted in areas where lawn
grass is desirable but not suitable, such as too steep or too small
areas where mowing is difficult.
2. Edging: Low-growing plants used to define pathways
Choose ones that are attractive and compact.
3. Specimen plant: A plant of special beauty or unusual quality
which is used as the jewel in the crown. To be effective,
it needs space.
4. Accent or focal point: One or more plants which are used
as prominent features.
5. Barriers/screen/hedges: Plants that provide privacy.
Shrubs with dark green, fine texture and dense growth habits
make good screen plants.
6. Foundation plants: Dense shrubs grown near or along the
house, to cover its foundations.
At corners they soften vertical lines; near a door they act as
a frame; in front of a house they minimise its height.
Don’t leave the choice of plants to the landscape designer.
Survey what is available at plant markets such as Chatuchak
on Wednesdays or Thewet or along roadsides if you are
living upcountry and see what you like best.
The vendor should be able to tell you the plants’ growing habits.
Once the plants are in place and landscaping is finished, it is
not the end of the story.
As the the homeowner you must make sure that your
garden is
properly cared for, otherwise after a few
months the landscape
which had cost you a fortune will look unkempt and
unsightly.
Email nthongtham@gmail.com
Lifestyle:
Social&Lifestyle,Bangkok Post ,25 October 2015.
Hope
this is useful idea for everyone who want to decorate
your
garden get the idea to do it .
Most
of all you can modify the idea to your own need
and
the love of the flowers.
Enjoy
your beautiful Sunday.
Sincerely
Yours.
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