Garden landscape - transforming your yard and garden

For some, there comes the turning point, a time when we’ve had enough of the lawn mowers, the weed-eaters, the noise, the dust and the gas.  When you reach that point, expect great changes in your lawn.  

In order to maintain that green lawn’s appearance, you must water it so you can mow it so you can water it so that you can mow it yet again.  This is a rather mundane cycle,  unless one enjoys watching grass grow. 

An alternative would be turning that patch of high maintenance green into a playground for birds and bees and butterflies.  Throw in the concept of reaping what you sow and you’ve got a win-win situation.  Keep in mind that a lot of planning goes into this, as well as the patience to see it through.  For those wrapped up in the world of instant gratification, the last thing you’ll be looking for in your life is a garden.

For garden ideas you’ll want to take a look at various garden design books.  What do you want to create?  Or conceal?  Are you looking for a contemporary landscape with a certain formality or would you prefer a more informal look?  Vegetables and fruits, natives, or a combination?  Perennials or annuals?  Accent boulders or straight-lined cut rock?  Perimeter fencing or trellises that open up sight lines for you?  Will you add garden art?  The possibilities are endless, and with some brainstorming you’ll be able to develop a game plan that helps you achieve the end result. 

During that brainstorming session you should plan on visiting several nurseries that specialize in native plants. Most of these places are quite knowledgeable in helping you make informed decisions.  Don’t forget to drive around the neighborhoods, taking note of gardens that, on some level, have a certain appeal.  Remember that if the front garden looks great, there’s a strong possibility that the back area is equally as impressive, if not more intimate.  It never hurts to knock on a door.  A new-found fellow gardener may be in the works.  

If the thought of turning your entire yard into a garden is too much, consider an island garden, or raised beds.  Here's a chance to keep part of your lawn while still having the beauty of various plants and flowers as focal points throughout your yard.  Also consider the location of these gardens.  Depending on canopy tree locations, a western garden, situated on the west side of the home, may require more upkeep than a garden on the north or east side of the home.

Once you’ve laid your design out on paper, or formulated a mental picture, you’ll want to build a materials list. Here the dollars come into play.  Do you have a green thumb? If so, that’s dollars saved.  Does your friend have a garden where you might be allowed to rustle a few transplants?  More saved dollars.  When gardening, remember this: get yourself a copy of the farmer’s almanac and circle those transplant dates, among other things.     

A major decision in this transformation is whether you’ll attempt to do the work yourself or whether you’ll hire someone to do it for you.  Landscape management can be a daunting task. Consider whether you have the strength and the time to pull this off.  Of course the great reward in doing this yourself, in addition to an honest man’s aches and pains, is having a front row seat in the transformation process.   If you decide to hire out the work, check not only his/her references but take a visual tour of his/her projects completed six months ago, a year ago, two years ago.  Gardens evolve as they mature.  Spacing of plants is key to a successful garden, and you’ll want to give them room to grow.  

One of life’s simple therapies is getting the hands in the dirt.  There’s a certain release of stress that occurs while gardening.  Simple pleasures occur in observing the flight of a hummingbird, in the metallic glow on the wings of a sunlit butterfly, in implementing the execution orders of a grub worm. 

A garden is, after all, similar to a personal relationship.  The more you care for it and the more love you give to it, the more beautiful it becomes.