Taking a Page from Nature

Sirena Van Schaik — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:50:45 +0000

This weekend, I went for a nice long hike with my family for Father’s Day. It was a nice day, not too warm and the shade from the trees provided the perfect backdrop for tranquil moods. Sunlight filtered through the trees leaving little pools of yellow light on the forest floor and the earth around us was a cascade of greens and browns. Large ferns nestled in between the dark browns of decaying trees and wild flowers found a spaces of sunlight to stretch out there weary petals and grab hold of the faint rays.

It was beautiful and it got me thinking about elements that I would like to see in my garden. That in turn made me think about sharing those ideas with you, the readers of Savvy Gardening. So what exactly am I getting at? It’s simple, when you are designing your own garden, take a few minutes to take some things from nature.

Okay, I probably lost you there since nature is abundant in a garden but I mean it in a more inspirational way. Have you ever taken a photograph of a forest path? When you stop and look at the pictures you can look at it and find a haphazard mess with trees leaning everywhere and plants growing wherever there is space and sunlight. It might not be the exact image that you have for a garden but if you stop and take a closer look you can find so many points that you could incorporate into your garden.

Forest ferns may provide the perfect shade of green in one corner of your garden. The path that gently meanders around trees that are hundreds of years old may provide you with a layout for your own garden path. The carefree sprinkling of wild flowers can give you an array of colors to pull out of the picture and into your own garden. There are a million ways to be inspired from nature around us an it is very easy to start using the nature in your yard to build up flower beds and ponds.

For me, I have already decided on incorporating a few more ferns, adding a few more trees and I have plotted out a patch in my yard where I would like to plant wildflowers. The hike has given me endless inspiration and that is really what you should pull from nature; the inspiration to create a garden of untold delights.

Happy Gardening,

Sirena Van Schaik

Easy Gardening Techniques To Grow A Simple Garden

Jennifer — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 02:50:14 +0000

Not everyone is born with a green thumb, but many want to have a garden that is attractive and simple to maintain. There are ways to make an attractive space that is really an easy garden to maintain.

Easy Gardening: Try Hanging Plants

One easy gardening tip is to purchase already potted plants in hanging baskets. These lovely pre-arranged flowers are simple to care for and add an attractive feature to any space. Hanging baskets can be placed on hooks on porches or stands can be purchased and placed in the yard for the baskets to hang from. This easy gardening idea is a snap to set up, and many of these hanging baskets are butterfly magnets.

When looking into easy gardening ideas, another is to use potted plants. Again these can be purchased already done for you, or you can create your own look. There are many stores that carry pots in a variety of shapes and sizes. Simply purchase potting soil and then select flowers that appeal to you. This is an easy space to maintain requiring limited weeding involved, the biggest step is to remember to water the plants. Potted plants can be placed in the yard, by a walk way or any place within your home. Potted plants are an easy gardening solution for people who do not have a lot of space to spread out a garden.

If your desire is to actually dig in the dirt, there are easy gardening tips for this too. One is to make sure that your soil is ready to be planted. Check with a local nursery to determine what would be a good product to get that can improve the soil condition in your yard. Most of these products are easy to use, and help the soil immensely. Once the soil is ready, plant some flowers that are easy to maintain. Pansies are often a good choice, as are Johnny-jump-ups. Both of these flowers are simple to maintain and grow very well.

Easy gardening ideas are everywhere. Local home improvement stores even offer clinics with additional ideas on ways to make gardening even easier. Check out what types of plants are available in stores in the region you live in to determine what will work best in your yard.

Creating an attractive garden that is simple to maintain can take just a few minutes of time. Potted plants and hanging baskets are some of the easiest ways to have a garden, with little fuss. Easy gardening can happen by looking into what will work best for your lifestyle and space.

Savvy Gardening: Garden Ideas, Tips, Pictures, and More » Easy Gardening

Taking a Page from Nature

Easy Gardening Techniques To Grow A Simple Garden