Archive for category Garden Design

Garden Design – A Journey Down the Ages

Gardens add beauty and charm to our lifestyle. The tranquil peace and serenity works like a balm over the stress and rush that make up the modern world. Garden designs are on the priority list for both homemakers and home builders more than ever before.

Garden designs have become more unique along with being more utilitarian. The gardens were initially a green plot of the household where the family used to grow edible products. The entire concept was either for commercial or entertainment. The palatial gardens had pompous designs with grand structures and accessories.

The ancient gardens of Babylon; around 600 B.C could be coined among the first famous examples of garden designs which possibly even applied the Archimedes screw for proper drainage. Garden design includes the use of fountains, statues of exotic animals and rare flora.

Influenced by the styles of various periods, the English gardens have had the most dynamic styles and evolution over the ages. After Charles II’s return from exile in France in 1660, the High Baroque style of garden design crept in. It involved planting ranks of trees in straight lines on the avenues. It had a tendency to be enfolded by walls.

This form of garden design was best adopted in Melbourne Hall Gardens, England. It was designed by London and Wise. The typical old Augustan garden design was given a concrete shape by William Kent, a professional designer. Water, wood, glass and the archetypal statues were used for deriving the perfection. The West Wycombe Park, Castle Howard, Chiswick House as well as Riveleaux Terrace and Temples are a few examples where the Roman influenced Augustan style is evident. Read the rest of this entry »

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Inspiring and Intricate Herb Garden Designs

The history of garden design dates back to 1500 BC. The earliest evidence of horticulture and landscaping is in the form of Egyptian tomb paintings depicting lotus ponds surrounded by symmetrical rows of acacias and palms. The famous Hanging gardens of Babylon were known as one of the wonders of the world. Temple gardens contained vegetables and herbs that were considered sacred. In the middle age, sophisticated herb garden designs and horticulture techniques were developed by monasteries. Monks grew medicinal herbs and treated the sick fellow monks and the community who were suffering from ailments with these healing herbs. The wealthy Romans built villas with water cascades, topiary, rose and shaded arcades. Much of the present modern herb garden design is influenced and inspired by the intricate, traditional Persian, Zen and Italian Renaissance gardens.

Your herb garden design should reflect the inspiration and theme. Herb garden may be one of the various design styles and techniques brought out below:

Knot Herb Garden Design

Knot gardens are symmetrically-designed gardens using geometric patterns with fantastic view obtained from trimming the plants in a knotted shape. It requires constant grooming and keeping the defined shapes by the precise pruning of edges. Herbs that work well in knot gardens are those that can be trimmed and designed into hedge. Varieties of dwarf herbs, such as Thyme, Chamomile and Lavender are good choices. Some possible patterns for a modern knot garden can be Diamonds, Oblongs, Diagonal crossings, Triangles and Wheels. These patterns can have divisions for different herbs that can be segregated according to hues, contrasts and fragrances. Read the rest of this entry »

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The Art of Garden Designing

The difference between a bush, a forest and a garden lies in the layout. That is what separates a garden from a bunch of green trees and plants. Gardens are made to look beautiful and to add to the beauty of the surroundings. The gardens have drawn admiration for years, but a wonderfully inviting garden is the result of careful garden designing.

The entire garden designing procedure should be absolutely functional. Gardens should be designed according the owner of the garden. Do not have racks of a single plant species, just because it is your favorite. It might spoil the entire design of the garden. The available garden space, proper sunlight and effortless cleaning are to be carefully considered. A proper garden layout unfolds some revelation or surprise at every corner.

It could be a fountain, an all way wooden pathway or bunch of bright flowers in contrast to the surroundings. Sometimes walls, trellis or hedges are used as dividers, to lend the designer look. Low walls have minimum maintenance but are a bit expensive to build. The trellis is cheaper and flexible, it is time consuming to maintain. Low hedges in the garden give it a very natural look. It requires regular trimming to keep it neat. The choice of the garden designing expenditure depends on the space and time available at your disposal.

The available shape and size of area are important in garden designing. The flower beds grown on square, rectangular or triangular shapes can be placed at strategic locations, like the corners or the center. It is preferable to enhance an available pond; it works to attract the birds. Garden designing is a personal choice depending on one’s own tastes, so let your creativity flow. Read the rest of this entry »

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