New Gardener's Tip - Know Your Style

Getting out into the yard is an annual winter rite-of-passage.  But before taking a backhoe to the yard, take a few moments to consider these few aspects of building a successful garden.  Gardening is not supposed to be stressful, but many get discouraged because they skip these steps.  

                                        Envision  - Enrich  -  Enjoy 

My approach to gardening is simple.  Envision, what is desired in the garden.  How will the yard be used?  Do the children need room for practicing soccer?  Will vegetables be grown?  Is a shady sitting area in the plan?  Is outdoor cooking wanted?  These questions allow for a picture to form in this planning stage of the new garden. 

I know getting that Vision is difficult.  So I encourage a trip through landscape pictures, gardens, patios, and decks.  What you like will be evident when you select favorites and the 'likes' will most certainly fall into a style that expresses you and your life style.

There are fifty styles that  can be developed into your space.  Here are a few styles that may appeal to your tastes.

English Cottage

Relaxing nook

Front Yard Vegetable Garden

Formal Garden

Zen Meditation

Mulched Tree Garden

Mulched Borders

Contemporary 

Entertaining Garden

Urban Border

Each garden embraces the owner's requirements for their life style. This vision of what you will use the space for is key to deciding on a garden style. No direction of taste or style will get a confused mish-mash garden that may not work for the family.  There may be an area where you never go, or one area is too small or crowded for where everyone hangs out.

The over-all yard design may be too difficult to easily maintain.  Shrubs that need constant pruning may not be the relaxed space you want.

Decide you style. Then be honest about the maintenance you are willing to do. Formal gardens need periodic pruning to keep the crisp lines of this style.  Let's face it, an overgrown space will overwhelm most gardeners, and sets the gardener up for failure.  I want all gardeners to succeed.  Clean and simple may be just what is needed.

I personally have been so busy pruning, weeding, deadheading, watering, mowing, and mulching, that I never had time to just sit and enjoy my yard.  Learn from my mistakes - and be realistic in your new garden project. 

Enrich the lives of the homeowner.  Allow the pleasure of this outdoor space to bring friends together, provide a quiet spot to read, and gather veggies for the family.  Sun, shade, rain, and colorful flower beds will add an element of satisfaction, peace, and relaxation to enrich any life.

Enjoy the outdoor space you have.  Families and jobs certainly deserve our best efforts.  But even if the tablet is in your lap on the patio, that space can be yours to enjoy.  

Backyards Ideas for Adding Personality

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of garden designs for us to gravitate towards.  There is the English Garden, the Zen Garden, the Cottage Garden, the Water Garden, the Wildflower Garden, and so on and so forth.  So, how can a garden reflect our personality when so many styles are possible?


I have found that many gardeners enter into a style that looks elegant, or looks pretty, or needs little water, or will grow in the shade.  All of these gardeners, however, do not share the same views, budgets, or climates of many of the other gardeners who choose the same style.  What makes each gardener different?   Personality! 

The dictionary defines Personality as ‘a collection of emotional and behavioral traits that characterize a person.’ 
Well, it so happens that a song that’s been going through my head for the last couple of days may make these differences clearer. That song “Personality” by Lloyd Price and Harold Logan was recorded in 1959, and became a Pop/R & B hit.  So let me show what personality traits the songwriters wrote about and let us translate those characteristics to the garden, -  your garden or my garden, your personality or mine.

'cause you got personality,
Walk, personality
Talk, Personality
Smile, Personality
Charm, personality
Love, personality
And of Cause you’ve got
A great big heart


Walk Personality – Walkways in the garden can be concrete, brick, flagstone, gravel, boards, or mulch, or grass. This feature is about bringing visitors into the garden, and by directing their path, the garden unfolds in front of them.





Personality – your personality – is evident if you are a stroller, and like to mosey along, or are you  a curious person and likes to ‘find’ things quickly?  Perhaps you are a jogger, or a cross-country runner,  any of these ‘Walks” will reflect who you are.

 
Talk - Personality -  Families, friends, young and old, seem to gravitate to sections of the yard to talk.  A cozy bench, a picnic table, or  lawn chairs scattered around the yard invite people to stop and chat.  The garden style you choose, will define what seating is offered, but be assured, that the talking spots in the garden will give any garden personality.

A camp ring or fire pit encourages conversation

Fences do not keep neighbors from talking

Smile – Personality  Warm, friendly gardens will cause the visitor to smile.  A memory,  a fragrance, a sharing moment, or a humorous piece of yard art can evoke a smile from the grumpiest. 






Charm -  Personality  Webster defines Charm as  ‘a trait that fascinates or allures'.  Many examples of ‘charm’ come to mind. The ‘charming’ gate, the ‘charming’ planter’, the ‘charming’ gazebo. Define your charm with a formal feature, or with a whimsical element all your own.


    
The pond as well as the shed décor shown here, are certainly different in style. But there is no doubt that the ‘charm’ factor is there.

Love – Personality Your individual personality can come through when you incorporate something you love into the garden design.

The repeating of a favorite color can indicate where your love lies.


Or perhaps, a favorite plant – that is the focal point in a garden bed will relay that love.


The love of harvesting your own fruits and vegetables is evident when you can present a table full of good food.

If you love something, there can be no wrong application for  its use in the garden and it incorporates your personality into your space.

Finally, the song wraps up the characteristics of the lover’s personality with the exclamation of having a ‘Great Big Heart’.  As gardeners, and lovers of gardens, we are not shocked at this proclamation. We gardeners take on a roll of caretakers in the garden.  We can not abandon our passion to nurture our plants or to care for our environment. We pour our hearts into the growing and sharing of this endeavor with any who would like to enjoy the garden with us.

Caring for your backyard space, and working into that space examples of your personality will create a garden that will have your heart in it for sure. 

Garden Tours–What does this Garden Say?

Gardens have long been a destination for gardeners, plant lovers, and those who just want to see behind the fence. Tours are conducted through groups on local as well as international venues.

But what can the visitor take away from such a tour?  Let’s visit a couple of local gardens and see what these gardens have to say about the site, about the host, about the commitment to gardening, and the style or feeling the garden evokes.



The first garden tour was the home of the Elaine and Robert Middlestetter.  As Miami Valley Hosta Society featured this garden on a lovely Saturday in July, 2013. Visitors could meander this garden and the homeowners offered explanations, descriptions, and information on the garden and plants.

 

This stand of sedum is the tallest I have ever seen.  Just imagine when this is in full bloom!



This welcoming bench invites a visitor to ‘linger – don’t rush away.’






Shady areas had bright spots with the Brunnera, Jack Frost, and variegated Solomon’s seal, gold hosta, and iris that had bloomed earlier in the season.  The garden has taken this current form after several trees were lost, and the 30+ years have tenderly evolved into this garden as it is seen today.
 





Color was evident in this garden, as Elaine played with red and gold in the Blood Grass and the Heuchera. Quite stunning!







An Asian feel to the garden is appealing in this courtyard.  The wooden walkway, the rockery, and the pottery all set the atmosphere with the red door as the exclamation point to this lovely, peaceful garden.



Across the street from the Middlestetter’s garden is another Miami Valley Hosta Society member’s garden of Tina and Richard Fox.



Gates into a garden speak volumes to the openness or the secretiveness of the space behind it.  This double wide gate with the wood spindles at the top allows a visitor to feel welcome, and ‘take a peek’. Quite an inviting greeting!

Richard seems to have an artistic talent, and he let’s Tina cultivate and maintain the plant material.  However, I can see some artistic elements in the miniature gardens Tina has sitting around her garden. 









This shaded pergola invites one to set awhile.



This shade structure  was built by the homeowner Richard  when they lost a couple of large trees.  It offers shade without blocking the expanse of the area on either side.





Water lilies were blooming on a koi pond and the fish went on a feeding frenzy when Richard offered a snack.



Perennial borders and accents of color with annuals helps this garden feel like a warm and happy place to spend some time.

Miami Valley Hosta society offered four gardens to visit, but due to time constraints I regret I only could visit these two lovely garden.

Two gardens, two styles, two very welcoming gardens.  Thanks to Elaine and Robert Middlestetter, and Richard and Tina Fox for all of their efforts.  Kudos.