Gardening is not only a hobby but also a practical pursuit that improves a person’s outlook and character. A lot of people choose to do gardening for various reasons: to grow food, to make an aesthetically pleasing home, or to indulge in their favorite pastime.
But the earliest gardens were merely grown for practical reasons rather than leisure. In Ancient Egypt, for example, the Egyptians grew vineyards for wine as well as fragrant flowers. Typically, ancient temples were surrounded by gardens where trees like sycamores thrived. Ancient Egyptians believed that the gardens and greenery pleased the gods and even built funerary gardens for the dead.
By the 16th century, topiary, fountains, and sculptures were found in many European gardens. Aside from these and other similar structures, hedge mazes were also used to divide areas. Architectural modernists then used the garden as a way to exhibit outdoor decor and design in the 20th century. These modernists believe in using less-cluttered designs and used modern materials such as steel and plastic.
Elements of a Sophisticated Garden Design
Different types of gardens require different structures. However, the basics of a good garden landscape include soft scape, hardscape, décor, and supporting features.
The soft scape contains the grass, plants and trees; or anything that grows in one’s garden is part of the soft scape.
The hardscape includes decks, patios, rocks, pavers, walls, fences, and sidewalks.
Decorations mainly consist of non-botanical ornaments such as lighting, water features, statues, and tree hangers.
Lastly, supporting features include beehives, tree houses, feeders, and bird houses. Luxury garden rooms or studios, as well as other items placed in the garden, are included in the supporting features.
Achieving a Sophisticated Design for Every Type of Garden
Any homeowner needs to come up with the best combination of garden elements. They need to decide on what they want to define, and then decide on the type of garden they would like to foster and cultivate.
Flower gardens naturally contain soft scape that is comprised of ornamental flowering plants such as roses, tulips, or daisies. In this case, the supporting hardscape would have to compliment the colors and design of the flowers.
A woodland garden is pretty impressive because it relies heavily on the perfect combination of supporting features to create a “wilderness” look. Flowers such as daffodils, shrubs, as well as trees like maple have to perfectly blend in with wooden add-ons to achieve an excellent woodland atmosphere.
Rock gardens rely on the hardscape such as the type of rocks and pavers to be used.
Water gardens, like woodland gardens, likewise rely heavily on the supporting features aside from the plants in it. For an Eastern mood, it is recommended to try on a combination of bamboo and waterworks. Fish such as carps can likewise be added.
Finally, a herb and vegetable garden is perfect for anyone who would like to use the garden not only for leisure but also for practical reasons. Medicinal plants and other herbs are best appropriately labeled.
Finding the right consultants for creating a garden can be tricky, but in places like Minnesota, some businesses could help in designing and building custom garden structures and conservatories for ordinary people and businesses alike. Specialists are more equipped with experience and therefore heeding their advice would ensure that you will build the garden you’ve always wanted to have.
