Basic Design Concepts For Creating A Small Attractive Garden

OK, if picturing Jake Gyllenhaal in his gardening pants and a sleeveless t-shirt with various gardening tools in his muscular arms digging dirt and planting flowers isn’t inspirational enough for you to really devote yourself to your backyard, then I don’t know what is. Just kidding, but the point is, while some people think of the garden as an obligation they’re not so willing to make time for, celebrities like Jake, Gwyneth Paltrow and Siena Miller, just to name a few, are thinking of it as the ultimate way for mental relaxation. Oh, and some of them even grow their own veggies for their ultra healthy lifestyles.

No, I’m not going to nag you with how you should eat healthy and go to extremes with having your own organic food production. Instead, I like to think of the garden as the place for being creative with plants, flowers and grass in creating a green oasis; a place where you will feel as one with nature. Not to worry if your backyard isn’t the size of a football field for this kind of project, you can pull off an amazing garden with the use of modern plastic planters.

My parents did an amazing job with their backyard; it’s like you’re entering a heavenly jungle with a lot of birds in it. And turtles. My mum has like, 5 turtles she hangs out with in her garden. I was really sceptical about their ideas with the backyard, but when everything was over, I was amazed; that small space was all green with a pop of red and pink colours from the roses my father had planted. And it didn’t look like a messy grass yard; it had order and organization with small paths for moving through it. And the best part: the watering system. They had everything planted in ultra modern plastic planters which worked with a self-watering system. Mom was living her dream.

These modern plastic planters are miraculous – you just pour enough water in the container they have beneath them, put the soil in the pot and place it where you think it would look best. The planter does everything for you; there’s a capillary web installed in it that transfers water to the roots of the plant while they’re still very small. Once the roots grow enough (and they do very fast because the water beneath them provokes them to reach it) the water container takes care of their watering needs.

Having in mind that these planters are the all-in-1 type, you can really do wonders with your backyard in creating a small attractive garden:

1. Simple but thick. This is your no.1 rule if the garden is small. Thick, to create the fullness and richness effect, but simple not to create a headache causing mess. Pick 10 species from the same family, and make sure 2-3 of them are grass or sedge. Grass works as the base layer for the landscape design and can provide nesting material for birds – another great plus for your perfect garden.
2. Flowers. Lots of them! Once you have your base layer all set, add that pop of colour to break the monotony; choose various flower species like dwarf false indigo or skyblue aster, or even roses if you’re a fan (and who isn’t). Plant them in clusters of two or three; planters will allow you to position them where you want and create a pattern.
3. Architectural plants for winter. Your landscape design shouldn’t suffer just because it’s cold and you’re not spending that much time outside. White flowers would do the trick here; think rattlesnake master or butterfly milkweed for adding that much needed pop of snowy white in cold winters.
4. Decorate it. Finally, make a path in the backyard for easy access to your plants. You can use stepping stones to get that effect. Also, a cute bench between bushy plants will create that warm welcoming effect of connecting people with nature and will make your garden look like a soothing oasis.