Shaping the Garden

Does the exterior of your home seem boring and uninviting? Does your garden look tired? Perhaps it is suffering from a dull shape or lack of direction. Is it empty and unappealing? Perhaps it is lacking personality. Whether you are just starting a garden or rejuvenating an existing one, giving it life might can be as simple as changing its overall shape. Even if the garden is filled with beautiful plants and other features, a dull shape or unimaginative layout can quickly turn others away.

Dull-shaped gardens can appear boring. For instance, a garden that is dominated by nothing but lawn can look bleak, empty, and uninteresting. However, you can transform it into something more exciting simply by adding curves and reducing lawn areas. Liven it up by adding plants and other features that mimic your individual personality. Anchor the garden with a variety of small trees and shrubs. Perhaps the gardens consists of nothing more than a narrow strip along the front or side of the home. Reshape these beds and borders. Pull them away from the house and add graceful curves to soften the edges. Twists and turns in the garden can add excitement and a sense of mystery by enticing others to peek around corners just to see what's there. Curved garden shapes also look more natural and are much more pleasing to the eye than sharp edges and straight lines.

If possible, extend the living space of your home by enlarging or adding a patio or deck. Don't be afraid to experiment with different plants to create different effects. Play around with different colors, textures, and forms. Put them on paper first and then use containers to find and position your desired effect before placing anything in the ground. Remember, a boring garden is not the effect you want to achieve, so choose something pleasing and full of interest. Be sure to look around you. The surrounding landscape is one of the best resources for your garden design. Take note of its contours and its curves. Mimic these in the garden for a more natural appearance.

Gardens require a sense of direction. If the garden lacks focus, regardless its shape, it will also appear boring. Gardens that lack a sense of direction are best fixed by giving it some definition, a purpose or function. Focal points help achieve this, such as benches, sculptures, or large architectural plantings. Create focal points that draw the eyes toward the garden's most attractive features. Add seating to areas where you want others to view. Hide unattractive areas with creative screening. Repeating features, such as similar plants and objects, can also provide interest. A well-focused garden is a great way to spruce up a dull layout.

One of the greatest things about the garden is the fact that it can easily change whenever needed. So if the garden isn't what you'd like it to be, if it seems uninviting or lacking something, don't let it burden you. Take comfort in the fact that this is an easy fix. Oftentimes all the garden needs is to get in shape, just like the rest of us. With only a little effort involved, the garden can go from dull and lacking to bold and beautiful.