Planting the Right Flowers and Herbs in Your Garden, Part Four

When it comes to garden design you can maximize your yard space by creating a garden that gives the illusion of a vast array of flowing foliage. There are certain types of added décor that will help separate your flowers and herbs while also giving the garden a unique look or feel. Such as: granite, flat stones, boulders, wood (either painted/sanded or rough/aged)-this all depends on what style you are trying to achieve.

You also need to decide what to decorate you soil with, if anything, to enhance the over all beauty of your garden such as gravel, bark chips, white rock, red rock etc. This will give an added class to the end result, so choose wisely and pick something that will make you happy for years to come.

Planting the Right Flowers and Herbs in your Garden: Design

There are so many wonderful designs to choose from. There is a classical formation that is in square patterns. This is where to tie off box shaped areas where you will begin planting certain types of seeds and bulbs per each unit. This is a very uniformed garden style.

Another popular way to design your Garden is to make it into a sort of maze which means allowing a walkway throughout the twists and turns that eventually make up a thick area of both tall and short foliage.

There are so many ways to plan the garden area. It can be as intricate or as simple as you want it to be. Remember your personal concepts are the very motivation behind this procedure so what ever strikes your fancy is just fine. Be creative and express various methods that intrigue you while incorporating the sheer art of the task itself.

When you are finished planting the flowers and herbs that have inspired you, begin filling in areas with statues, benches and bird baths as later it may become difficult to squeeze into place once the plants have had time to flourish. Place them strategically throughout the garden to add an alluring atmosphere. Adding lights, torches and lanterns are a special touch that really makes your garden enchanting and charming in the evenings so they are great to include.

Planting the Right Flowers and Herbs in your Garden: Harvesting

When your plants are young it is a wonderful time to begin cutting them back and designing their shapes. The bushier plants can be groomed into round ball like shapes or something a little more extravagant depending on your desires. The larger plants can also be groomed to have a well manicured flat top to make the garden embrace a certain feel for perfection. These ideas are completely up to you and the look you want to achieve.

Later on, when the herbs and flowers have really made a home in your garden by spreading out and becoming full, you'll need to harvest them in order for them to stay healthy and maintain their productivity as well as maintain the manicured state of your garden.

There are important things you should know when harvesting your flowers and herbs. First of the proper times and secondly what to watch for that indicates the proper time. The leaves are the easiest to remember as they can be picked as soon as they are adult in size and this can be at various times of the year depending on the plant. These herbs can be dried or used in their most natural of states.

Berries are usually harvested in the fall when they have reached peek maturity. You can tell by the color, the more deep the better. You can also tell by the tenderness. The more tender the riper.

Flowers are usually clipped when they have reached the type of look you are going for- this is usually just before the bud opens into a flower as it will have a longer life span inside the home.

Seeds and bulbs can be harvested late in the summer after the plant has produced. After pulling of the remainders of the plant you can prepare room for the spring planting of the next generation.

Roots are picked from the ground in the fall but before the plants have died. These are usually used in cooking and have the most flavor when they are fresh not when they are dying off for the year.

These tips can help you manage the perfect garden and keep the contents healthy. There is no doubt that you will find much joy and happiness designing your garden, planting your herbs and flowers and harvesting them for personal use.