Archive for the ‘small garden’ Category
May 29th, 2010 | 
Author: Small garden in a toilet : thing you have to consider.
Many people often looking for the way to have a small garden in a toilet because not only they want to make the toilet looks beautiful, but also garden will help toilet to have good ventilation and atmosphere.
Before you are going to have a small garden toilet, either you arrange by yourself and hire professional service. There are some factors that you should know and consider in order to arrange a garden properly.
Light (natural sun light)
As we all know that plants need natural sun light to survive, so you should have small cavity to let the sun light come in to the room, at least about 50%. The possible option may be you can use a piece of transparent roof tile or have a small ventilator on the wall to get the sun light. If possible, if you can have space to let the sun light come that has no roof top will be excellent.
Drainage
It is quite difficult to change the installed drain system, especially some of you who bought a second-hand house. However, if you have a chance to do a forward planning about drainage system, you should have separate drain system for waste water that come from bathing and waste water that come from gardening activities. This is because the waste water from gardening may contain piece of rock and soil, so we need to prevent these fragments to clog the drain system.
Ventilation
It would be excellent if you have large toilet so you can have more space separate for your garden. Therefore, the plants can get enough sun light and air to survive.
Apart from larger space that you should provide to the plants, you should have good ventilation plan, install some ventilators may be good for both your plans and yourself. The plants that grow in very limited space or not enough ventilation will have less small size and look fresh than the ones that grow in larger space. In case you have very limited space for the garden, you should provide cavity or louver or install a ventilator on the wall.
Maintain your garden
The most important that to have to be careful is the drain system. You have to make sure that you often clean the drain system to prevent from clogging. Collect plant’s leaf, have a plate to support under the flowerpot to store waste water to strain soil and piece of rock which may come out with the water.
Bugs and insects also the important thing that you should pay attention to. You can not void problems about insects as long as you have garden in a toilet. I have to say that there’s no definite effective method to get rid of specific type of insects. You may have to use your own judgement to deal with them. However, I would suggest that do not chemical to kill bugs and insect, try to use natural method.
Each type of pants need different way to maintain, make sure that you maintain humidity and provide enough water to them. However, too much water may bring too much humidity then fungus and mould problems.
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Human beings have ever depended on the trees and plants around them to provide food, clothing, shelter, medicine and above all oxygen. Now, various researches are increasingly revealing that plants and flowers can also contribute to better physical, mental and emotional health.
We can easily trace the fragility and beauty of life through flowers. They evoke and share the feelings of love, health, trust, age and the fleeting fragments of time. Flowers and people and flowers – they have been identified with each other through life’s greatest and darkest moments.
Over the time, flowers have gained much importance in our daily lives and it has become part of our daily lives and we use them for all purposes such as to express something to someone, to greet, to congratulate, to welcome and most importantly for rituals and weddings. We place them even on graves.
Gardening of flowers has become an important aspect of our lives. A small garden filled with various kinds of flowers in front of our house is a delight to everyone. Everyone admires and even dream of such a house. If we have a special love for any flower then we can make it an everlasting beauty of our garden with innovative cultivation and enjoy the beauty of the flower of our choice even though the climate and other conditions are not quite favorable. But then if we want to divide the flowers on the basis of their life cycle then there will be three divisions, namely, annuals, biennials, and perennials though we can certainly go out of our way and plant flowers according to our choice.
Annual flowers complete their life cycle in one season so it is easily changeable and it also gives a bright color to our garden. These flowers are quite comfortable in the summer season and they are sun-lovers. Some names of flowers that can be grown in March and April – ageratum, aster, balsam, celosia, cone flower, cosmos, crotalaria, cypress vine, dahlia, floss flower, globe amaranth, gourds, marigolds, morning glory, nasturtium, petunias, rose-moss, salvia, sunflower, torenia and zinnia. There are also bright shade loving flowers like impatiens and bedding begonias.
Biennial flower plant
Flowers grow more during the fall and spring. The life cycle of biennial plants begins during the fall continues all through the winter season and ends at spring. During the fall the biennial plants produce only leaves. Then the winter period passes and they bloom in the spring, produce seeds, and then die. Some popular biennial plants include foxglove, hollyhock, stocks, and sweet williams. The only disadvantage of biennial flowers is that it produces too much of leaves.
Perennials are considered to be ornamental plants that do not die after one season of growth. This does not mean they live forever. In fact many perennials are considered to be short-lived, lasting only 2-3 years. Rose campion is a short lived perennial, but because it self-seeds so readily, it appears to live much longer. Some important perennials are; Pink Astilbe, Blue Pincushion Flower, Blue Perennial Sage, Purple Coralbells, Threadleaf Tickseed, Russian Sage, Blue Speedwell
Purple Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan and Purple-Leaved Beard-Tongue.
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Small garden bridges have become an all-time favorite form of garden decor. They add just the right touch that will turn a mediocre garden into something quite splendid.
This small structure is an ancient design that has been used across the ages for foot traffic and decoration, and it goes by many descriptive names: Foot bridge, ornamental bridge, landscape bridges, timber bridge, oriental bridge, Japanese bridge and garden bridge are just a few.
Small garden bridges are gently arched structures that span lengths from 5 feet to 20 feet, and are usually about 3 feet wide. Some bridges feature a flat platform.
The simplest garden bridge is the arched or flat plank structure without hand or side rails. More decorative garden bridges are built with ornamental and functional posts and side rails. Some side rails are specifically designed to protect children and other pedestrians; other side rails are strictly for decoration.
Garden landscaping bridges are not just for large, elaborate gardens. Many gardens that are small in size are large in beauty simply because garden bridges have been added in just the right places. Used over a small stream, rough terrain or even a little pond, bridges can add a wonderful, new dimension to any garden.
With such popularity, small garden bridges are easy to find. Garden centers and home improvement depots carry them, and one of the best places to find and compare garden bridges is online. Most bridges are shipped requiring some assembly.
How To Select Small Garden Bridges
Choosing the right garden bridge is easy with just a little planning. Look at the space you have and decide where a bridge would fit in. Consider more than one area and then choose your favorite. Always measure the area you intend your bridge to span.
When you measure the distance you want an arched garden bridge to reach across, you need to know exactly how long the bridge will span. Measure the actual span length of the distance you wish to cover and not the arch length. Some bridge builders may sell an “8 foot bridge” but it will actually only span about 6 or 7 feet.
Make sure the bridge is made of weather and water resistant wood, or sealed and stained wood. Most small garden bridges are constructed of cedar, teak, pressure treated pine, spruce, redwood, and birch planks and posts. You can also find garden bridges made with an attractive steel frame with wooden planks. The construction of the bridges should also use only stainless steel or galvanized hardware such as bolts, washers, nuts and screws.
Try to find a garden bridge that is very easily assembled with only a few tools required. Find out if the manufacturer numbered and labeled each board, each post and rail – so when it’s time to assemble it, you just match the numbers and put in the screws and tighten.
For Do-It-Yourselfers, building a small garden bridge is a great project. Garden foot bridge plans are always available at the same places you can find the actual bridges for sale.
Small garden bridges can be used in a host of garden and landscape settings. As a foot bridge over a stream, or as a decorative accent through a large flower bed, these simple structures instill a functional and captivating charm.
Copyright 2006 Robert Mosse
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The small garden design begins and ends with thoughtful, precise planning. However, small does not mean limited. A small garden design can still deliver a huge “wow” factor.
Small Garden Design: The Problems
A small garden design comes with big challenges. Perhaps your property abuts the two-story blank wall of a neighbor’s townhouse. Maybe the space is all straight lines and right angles. Or you’ve remodeled your home, changed the elevation, added a new room and reduced the size of your backyard, all of which affect the relationship to the existing landscape.
Turning Liabilities into Assets
With small garden design, as with all landscape design, the goal is to create spaces in which the home and architectural elements have a relationship with the yard and surrounding area. First, consider the big picture-your assets and liabilities. Begin by looking at the large, possibly immoveable factors, such as trees, a long fence-line or pool equipment, and decide if they are liabilities or assets. In this way, you test the viability and capacity of the site, a determination that will help clarify your landscape design options. Landscape designers or landscape architects can bring expertise and experience to this process.
Small Garden Design: Features to Consider
? Hardscapes. Decks, patios, pergolas, arbors and gates can be used to help define a small space, break it up or create interest. These choices, in effect, create other rooms. Your material selection adds further texture, thus making the space livelier.
? Water features such as swimming pools or outdoor water fountains. Swimming pools can be custom-made to fit into a small garden design. Also outdoor water fountains can be used to good effect in small gardens. Water features create movement and pleasant sounds, both elements that heighten your enjoyment of a landscape.
? Landscape lighting. Landscape lighting, in particular, can bring an element of drama to a small space. It is good to keep in mind that your landscape is viewed at night for about 30 percent of the time. Since so many people work and don’t come home until after dark, landscape lighting means homeowners can still enjoy their outdoor property, whenever they get home. It turns the landscape into a 24-hour event. Landscape lighting is also very practical as it provides security and nighttime lighting for any tricky steps.
? Infrastructure, like irrigation systems and drainage systems. Irrigation and drainage systems are the work-horses of Houston gardens. Sprinkler systems deliver water to plants during our long, intense summer months and drainage systems take away excess water when we get our infamous torrential rains. They save money, time and worry.
The Heart of Small Garden Design
Jeff Halper, landscape design specialist with Exterior Worlds, says, “The overall objective of any great landscape design, including small garden designs, is to create a space that breathes with the home and has a relationship to its surroundings. It should reflect the client’s visual desires and functionally work together in every aspect.”
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Due to the small area available to some homeowners and apartment dwellers, patios and small gardens may seem like a challenge to landscape.
What follows are a few simple tips and strategies designed to maximize space, and help you create a lush and vibrant outdoor living area.
Container Gardening
Examine your patio or small garden, and you will probably see nothing but straight lines and right angles.
One trick used by professional landscapers is to “soften” these lines, or “round” the corners with vines or trees grown in large containers and placed tightly against walls, in corners, or at the edge of patios.
A good rule of thumb is the old adage, “There are no straight lines in nature“. While many people may enjoy a more formal or symmetrical landscape, small gardens tend to benefit from a more natural, less structured design.
Both large and small, containers come in a wide variety of shapes, colors, and designs. By placing a small tree, vine, or flowering shrub, planted in a large container in a corner, and placing around it a variety of smaller plants in pots and containers, you can create a multi-tiered effect with a great deal of texture and color.
In addition, you can achieve the same affect along walls or the edge of a patio.
Imagine a painters canvas, taller objects will stand in the background with progressively shorter objects working their way into the foreground. This creates a sense of depth, and in smaller gardens this can give the illusion of more depth than actually exists.
One method used to create this illusion of depth, is to employ plants with darker foliage (greens or purples) in the background and place plants with multi-colored, or variegated leaves (“variegated” is a horticultural term for plants who’s leaves naturally possess more than one color), or brightly colored flowers in the foreground.
Vines, grown in a large container, and trained to cover walls or a trellis, will allow you to cover large areas of your “canvas” and still maximize space in smaller gardens or patios. This will also serve to soften, the rigid box-like feel of smaller areas.
Also, a small, self-contained fountain, waterfall or pond placed against walls, or in corners, can become a focal point, or point of interest from which to build out from.
Low growing plants with multi-colored foliage (variegated), are excellent choices for small gardens. These types of plants, many possessing leaves with striking reds, creams, and pleasant shades of green all on a single leaf, can add interest, variety, and texture to areas where they are planted.
Many plants referred to as “house-plants” will have variegated foliage or interesting flowers. Most house-plants are native to tropical or semi-tropical regions of the world and in warm-winter areas will do well outside year-round.
Most house-plants tend to be shade-loving and so do best in shade gardens or beneath larger plantings. In regions with heavy frost or snow, you will need to bring the plant indoors until the weather warms again.
Dwarf varieties of trees are an excellent choice for large pots or ground planting in small gardens.
There are literally hundreds of fruiting or flowering dwarf varieties available to the home gardener. Many will also possess leaves with interesting shapes, patterns, or colors, that are sure to add interest and variety to any landscape.
Patio Trees: The term, Patio Tree, is used to describe trees that are generally small, as trees go, and are also quite attractive at close range. Their branches will not shed annoying quantities of leaves, or drop messy fruit that will litter, or stain patio surfaces.
In addition, all will have “tame” root systems that do well in large containers, or if planted in the ground will not crack pavement or greedily take water and nutrients from surrounding plants.
Finally, fragrant herbs and low-growing plants with colorful flowers make good choices for containers in small gardens. (e.g., Gardenias, Lavender, Jasmine).
Tips on planting in containers
When planting in containers, remember that the root system, cannot search beyond the container for food and water. This means the plant will be totally dependent on the nutrients and water you provide.
Remember to always use a good quality potting soil, and add an appropriate amount of granulated or slow-release fertilizer when planting.
All plants grown in containers will over time, need an application of a good quality liquid fertilizer. Also, when planting in containers, pack the potting soil in tightly to ensure there are no air pockets, or voids that could harm the roots.
Finally, always choose a container with drainage holes in the bottom. Without good drainage, fertilizer salts will build up in the soil and can then harm the plant.
Container gardening is an excellent way to maximize space, and enliven
small gardens or patios.
A wide array of plants suitable for container culture are available to the home gardener, and with a little care and planning are sure to enrich any outdoor living space.
The types of patio trees available to you will depend upon which area or region of the country you live in. Some options include:
Acer (Maple): Patio types are: Acer buergeranum (Trident Maple), A. cercinatum (Vine Maple), A. davidii (David’s Maple), A. palmatum (Japanese Maple).
Lagerstroemia Indica (Crepe Myrtle): with attractive foliage and large clusters of flowers that can range in color from pink to cranberry to a deep or hot red depending upon variety.
Magnolias: available in many regions both hot and cool, have showy displays of tulip to saucer-shaped flowers with a wide selection of colors.
Prunus: (Flowering Cherry) (Flowering Plum).
Dwarf Citrus: such as lemon, lime or orange, make good additions to small gardens and tend to hold their fruit for many months.
Good Luck and Happy Gardening!
