Make your garden tasty
YOUR garden may be old, and overgrown with tree branches wilting due to little rains or they may be poorly designed or neglected. Despite the tasteless look of your garden, you can revamp it for a better look.
BY HARRIET BIRUNGI
YOUR garden may be old, and overgrown with tree branches wilting due to little rains or they may be poorly designed or neglected. Despite the tasteless look of your garden, you can revamp it for a better look.
Consider major changes to your garden such as putting in a new deck or entertaining areas, a new courtyard, or other features such as a gazebo or pavilion, fountains or water features.
Whatever you want to introduce, always make sure you are using as much of your outdoor area as practically possible.
Uganda has beautiful weather which should be enjoyed by spending time outdoors.
If you do laundry from outside, then do it in hidden places such as down the side of the house, or screened off towards the rear of the yard since not too many people enjoy the view of a washing place.
Awkward areas, particularly on the side of the house, can be turned into small retreats to sit and relax. They can be used for a beautiful water feature or to display a garden artifact.
Careful use in these areas can intrigue buyers if you are looking at selling. Consider how much lawn or open area will be required.
If children are part of your life, a lawn area is a must since they have to play. In case you are thinking of a swimming pool, then ensure there is enough garden area left. It may end up being enclosed in a courtyard area.
To have an entertaining area leading to the pool, place a few pots along the way can work. The other important factor to consider at this stage is how much of a gardener you are. This will determine the actual extent of the garden. The larger the garden, the more attention it requires.
After this, consider the existing plants in the garden. Leave some or clear the lot from scratch. Sometimes when you clear away old overgrown shrubs, they can reveal beautiful old tree trunks, eye catching palm tree bases or interesting plants lost under the undergrowth. These are important because they can act as your new garden framework unless they interfere with major structural changes.
Other plants may simply be serving their purpose such as providing shade or privacy. So leaving them in can be a logical option. Keeping original framework plants reduces costs since you do not have to entirely spend on new plants.
As a general rule, always try to incorporate similar plants in all your garden areas to create continuity and uniformity. This also applies to the front and rear gardens. They should not be made to look different. Do not forget to bring in your individual touch, it is an important factor to consider when designing a garden.
If you are not sure of where to start from, start looking at recreation parks, people’s homes, books and magazines. However, do not copy them, instead adapt the ideas they have used. If in doubt, get advice from a garden designer.
It is worth the expense than spending more money to correct mistakes.
YOUR garden may be old, and overgrown with tree branches wilting due to little rains or they may be poorly designed or neglected. Despite the tasteless look of your garden, you can revamp it for a better look.
Consider major changes to your garden such as putting in a new deck or entertaining areas, a new courtyard, or other features such as a gazebo or pavilion, fountains or water features.
Whatever you want to introduce, always make sure you are using as much of your outdoor area as practically possible.
Uganda has beautiful weather which should be enjoyed by spending time outdoors.
If you do laundry from outside, then do it in hidden places such as down the side of the house, or screened off towards the rear of the yard since not too many people enjoy the view of a washing place.
Awkward areas, particularly on the side of the house, can be turned into small retreats to sit and relax. They can be used for a beautiful water feature or to display a garden artifact.
Careful use in these areas can intrigue buyers if you are looking at selling. Consider how much lawn or open area will be required.
If children are part of your life, a lawn area is a must since they have to play. In case you are thinking of a swimming pool, then ensure there is enough garden area left. It may end up being enclosed in a courtyard area.
To have an entertaining area leading to the pool, place a few pots along the way can work. The other important factor to consider at this stage is how much of a gardener you are. This will determine the actual extent of the garden. The larger the garden, the more attention it requires.
After this, consider the existing plants in the garden. Leave some or clear the lot from scratch. Sometimes when you clear away old overgrown shrubs, they can reveal beautiful old tree trunks, eye catching palm tree bases or interesting plants lost under the undergrowth. These are important because they can act as your new garden framework unless they interfere with major structural changes.
Other plants may simply be serving their purpose such as providing shade or privacy. So leaving them in can be a logical option. Keeping original framework plants reduces costs since you do not have to entirely spend on new plants.
As a general rule, always try to incorporate similar plants in all your garden areas to create continuity and uniformity. This also applies to the front and rear gardens. They should not be made to look different. Do not forget to bring in your individual touch, it is an important factor to consider when designing a garden.
If you are not sure of where to start from, start looking at recreation parks, people’s homes, books and magazines. However, do not copy them, instead adapt the ideas they have used. If in doubt, get advice from a garden designer.
It is worth the expense than spending more money to correct mistakes.