THEMES FOR YOUR GARDEN
English. Asian. French. Alpine–whatever your fancy, implementing a theme in a garden can express a love of history, art, and culture.
But before you begin to invest in those fancy lanterns, statues, vases and table sets, the design specialists at All Things Are Possible Ltd. suggests it’s best to pick a theme that compliments your lifestyle and even complements your indoor living. Your choice depends on your personal preferences, time, budget and desire.
Creating a themed garden can get as detailed as you want, from the types of flowers grown historically, to the colours that mimic the preferred scheme. Holland says a designer is similar to an artist—they can help people see the bigger picture once the plants, statues, lights, water features, rocks and stones are in place and growing in harmony.
If you like a Roman style garden, cedars are popular, but they can be sensitive to bright, hot sun, and of course, roses, the staple (and some say, the downfall) of Roman gardens, also need specific soil and growing conditions. French and English gardens are also stunning, but there are some plants in those countries that can’t grow here, so you need to research alternatives that work in our climate.
If you’re going to create a theme, say, Moroccan for instance, it’s a good idea to do some research in design or gardening books first. Then determine what plants, hues, height, landscape supplies you need to create the look.
To create a focal point in the garden, such as a sculpture, floral, shrub, tree, water feature or rock grouping will be a good start. The remaining elements can complement the feature. You don’t have to invest in a lot of pieces either. Little touches can add character to an area of the garden, such as a large lanterns framed by grouped colours that can match your flowers, pillows, chairs, etc.
When infusing fabrics into the yard, such as material for draping, pillows, tablecloths or cushion covers, choose colours that will last a few seasons and weaves that are weather and wind friendly.
Statues and décor can also be a fun focal point in promoting a particular theme. You can even consider adding cultural artistic items to your garden and fencing, similar to hanging a prized painting on a wall. They can be weatherproof fairy statues, bistro sets, gnomes, Buddhas, little lights, vases, etc. Consider buying items gradually, investing wisely and add to your garden as it grows and matures. Little surprises are a delight to find, especially if they are of a particular theme. And don’t forget that you don’t have to buy new. Garage sales or items inside your home made work in the garden, as long as they are durable enough to show their beauty all summer long.
The team at All Things Are Possible Ltd. suggests that when you use mother nature as the backdrop for your theme, you can use your imagination. For more ideas, send us an email at [email protected].
