Dec 30 2008
Elements of Style in Garden Makeover
Planning a garden? Don`t limit your thoughts to plantings. Arbors, walls, paths, fences, edgings, and accessories give a garden personality – even in its first year.
It`s easy to get caught up in the little things, especially when designing garden. Country-style gardens, however, take in the big picture, particularly elements such as these:
PATHS: walkways are the hostess of country garden, inviting you to come share a look. It`s important to place paths where people logically walk and have them lead to something special, such as a wood or iron bench, a water feature, or a sculpture. Design your path so that it`s wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side comfortably, making exceptions in areas trees or shrubs dictate a narrower course. grass pathways are a comfortable fit with country-style gardens,as are stepping-stones placed in the grass.
Gravel, crushed shells, and bark are other natural looking materials for paths, and with occasional raking, they`ll look good for years. Once the path is laid, plant borders that spill over to create a casual look using some fragrant plantings to delight the senses.
ARBORS AND TRELLISES: vertical elements visually enhance a garden, help create a mood, and provide a support system for climbing plants. Arbors and trellises can stand out as art or blend into the background. Either way, they help define the garden`s style and tempt you to slow down for a closer look.Arbors can fashioned from willow, metal, or wood, or by training trees to meet in a natural arch.
An arbor may serves as the entry hall to the garden or as a doorway divider between two different areas of a garden. Generally, arbors are most effective when they`re simple and placed to they frame the landscape beyond,
Unlike arbors, trellises usually are propped along a wall or fence. Fanshaped trellies are common, but you also can use wire hardware cloth, plastic netting, twigs, or iron. For more dimensional trellies that can stand alone, try sculpture, wood pyramids, metal cylinders, and bamboo tepees.
WALL AND FENCES: Enclosed by a wall or fence, gardens gain privacy, protection from wind, and an attractive backdrop. Stone walls are an old-fashioned choice that add texture and scale to the garden. Because stone walls easily can curve and mold with the landscape, they also make effective retaining walls on sloped properties. Wood fences, such as picket, twig, and split-rail styles, work well in various settings. They show off plants and create an airy, informal look. A living fence also can be made by planting a shrub hedge.
EDGING: Edging originally were used to keep gravel on gravel on garden path from spilling into a flower beds, but soon were appreciated as decorative elements as well. Over the years, several country-style edgings have remained popular, including brick laid on edge, stone, boards, and tile. All of them, plus sticks woven into trelliswork patterns, were popular in the 1800s. Or, check out metal and iron edgings inspired by the victorian era or dwarf boxwood used in colonial America.
ACCESSORIES: The finishing touches are some of the most important aspects of a country-style garden. Benches, birdbaths, containers, birdhouses, and sundials all add to the lived-in and loved-out in look.