The “Minimal” Garden

by E-NewsCast Team
August 31st, 2010

Some people who lead busy professional and personal lives, don’tfeel they have the time to invest in the constant upkeep offloral and other gardens, but would still like to do somethingabout landscaping or decorating their property. And there areothers for whom gardens are simply not their “thing”, but theylike a little decoration, without the fuss of digging, planting,and constant weeding. For them, the “minimal” garden or yardarrangements may be the best choice. Strictly speaking,not all these ideas involve a garden, but do utilize gardenaccessories and other items of garden décor, to create the lookor atmosphere that a homeowner can enjoy, while not feelingguilty about getting behind in the care of their plants andflowers. If you are fortunate enough to have a largeproperty, or if your yard borders on a field, the ideal “garden”that takes little care is one that’s planted with wild flowers.With the proper set up, not only will this provide you withcolorful blossoms and beautiful grasses, but it will alsoattract a variety of birds and butterflies. First,check to see what kind of soil you have, and whether it issuited to the wildflower seed that is available in your area.Next, if you don’t have a garden that you are letting revert tothe wild, you may need to have someone use a rotor-tiller tobreak up a long swath of earth along the side or back of yourlawn. Make sure this has been well-turned, and there issufficient soil on the surface for the seeds to take anchor in,as opposed to scattering them on hard clumps of sod that may bedense with grass roots. “Wild” garden seed can bepurchased in containers, in pre-seeded strips of bio-degradablematerial, and in “sheets”, which are simply laid on top ofground that has been prepared and watered. Check the progress ofyour garden as it begins to sprout, and if there are any barepatches that show no promise of growth, you can scratch up thesurface with a garden rake, and sprinkle some more seed. Even ifyou used the pre-planted materials, a little dirt added on top,with some seed, will help fill in the open spaces. Theeffort put into wild gardens is all in the beginning. Afterthat, you’ll be able to sit back in your Adirondack chairs underthe trees, and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. As theflowers grow and begin to bloom, you’ll see just what kind ofbonuses they bring. And you can increase the pleasure, byproviding extras for the visitors to your garden. Natural grasses that go to seed will attract birds. A birdbathat the edge of your garden, or even further onto the lawn willprovide water for the visitors, and allow them to splash anddrink, then return to their browsing in the garden. Designs inbird baths have gone way beyond the classicRoman column with a cement bowl, and now offer delightfulreproductions of fairies, cherubs, angels, and animal figures, such as a squirrelholding a birdbath. You may find that your yard issuddenly extra popular with all kinds of feathered friends, inwhich case, you might like to provide further feeding stationsfor them. Birdfeeders come in a wide variety of shapes, designedfor placement at different levels. There are gazebo and stainedglass feeders to be hung from tree branches, Pelican or fairydish-style feeders that sit on the lawn for ground feeders, andthe wasp-proof feeders that can be hung out, or mounted inplanters for the tiny and charming hummingbirds. Don’tforget yourself, once you have your “minimal” garden set up toadmire. Place a garden swing on your patio, or a patio table andchairs in the shade where you can sit and enjoy nature at itsbest.

Popularity: unranked [?]