Principles of garden designing - Flower gardening

Flower garden designing techniques
how to design a flower garden
Designing a flower garden (contd)
Features of a flower garden
Different gardens - water garden, bog garden and wild garden
Features of garden - terrace garden, kichen garden, children garden
Features of garden - greenhouse, summer house, steps etc
Features of garden - fences, garden gates, arches and walls
Features of garden - furnitures, bridges, seats, bird baths and sundials
Features of garden - floral clocks, japanese lanterns, fountains etc.

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You are reading on Flower garden designing techniques (Principles of garden design).

Garden furnitures, garden bridges, bird baths and sundials - features of flower garden.

Different features of flower garden explained here.

Garden furniture

Good design in garden furniture is as necessary as the selection of furniture of the house itself. A wide range of attractive garden furniture are used in modem garden design. They make outdoor living attractive and comfortable. To add fun and pleasure in the garden simple material and attractive design are preferred.

Seats

Comfortable seats are usually made of wood and fabric. Iron and stone seats are too hard and absorb temperature. Nylon, PVC and aluminium are largely used for making light and attractive furniture. Cast iron work for benches, tables and chairs look very charming in white colour.

Bridges

When water is introduced into the garden, particularly in the form of lake or canal it may be necessary to bridge the bank at some point, either as a matter of convenience or for the sake of an attractive feature. A well designed bridge has not only an aesthetic value but it is very useful in viewing the water vista. The design of a bridge should fit in with the character of the garden and surrounding.

Ornamental tubs, urns and vases

Plants displayed in ornamental tubs or urns at suitable places look beautiful and add beauty to a garden. The tub or the vase can be made of timber or preferably of bricks, concrete or are carved out of stones. These can be built permanently in position or may be moved whenever needed. When fixed permanently, these should generally be positioned over an ornamental piller keeping in view the proportion between the two.

If there is a pawed path, an ornamental vase or tub can be placed at the end of it or one each on both side. Similarly, these can be placed near the gate or near the staircase of the main entrance. Ornamental urns preferably of metal with carvings outside look beautiful in the terrace near the staircase, or even inside the house. Suitable ornamental plants should be grown in such containers.

Bird baths

There are nothing but large bowl shaped containers generally made of concrete, fixed over a pillar or column which is about I metre tall. Water is stored in the bowl for the birds to come and drink or bath in it. Bird baths should be constructed at a quiet corner of the garden.

Sundials

A sundial has many roles to play in a garden. It can be used as a focal point in a garden. It can also form a centre-piece of formal flower bed, can be placed in the centre or at the end of the lawn or at the junction or termination of a path. A sundial is also a good feature in a sunken garden. The sundial should be positioned in a place where the shadow from a tree or building does not fall for a long duration, otherwise the feature becomes meaningless. There should be free access to the base of the column, so that one can closely observe the dial.

The column of the sundial should be fixed firmly in the ground and is generally made of bricks, tiles, stones or a combination or these without a mortar coating to look more artistic. The top is generally square where the sundial with the compass is fixed. This is also made of stone or concrete. The digits can be carved on the cement or the stone itself. Before fixing the dial, the movement of the sun should be observed and then the dial is screwed to the base. The height of the column should not exceed 60 -90 cm or the dial will not be visible easily. Live sundials made of living plants complete with the figures, compass, etc., in the form of topiary, can be seen in some western countries.



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