Rock Garden Ideas
green and purple apple in garden – what is it?
found a green and dark purple apple in my garden, any ideas on what it is? its also very hard, like a rock!!
i’m assuming it’s on a tree! ? if they aren’t very big, it could be crabapples.
Rock Garden Ideas
Landscape gardens: Ideas for transforming your own outdoor plot
Do you look out your garden window and wish for something a little more, well, exciting? Gardens can be fantastic places for everything from entertaining to quiet reflection, but too often they’re kept from truly blossoming into all they could be by a lack of time, money and imagination.
Now, you could simply hire a landscape designer or architect to re-jig your outdoor space for you, but in these economically trying times, you may not view it as a wise investment to be spending big to have others do your gardening for you.
To help you out, here are a few ideas of what you could do with your outdoor plot. The number one principle of landscape design is ‘unity’ – ensuring that, no matter what you decide to do, the final result is cohesive in terms of colours, height, size etc. While it may be tempting to combine rainforest plants with a sculpted English garden look and a Japanese rock garden, you’ll likely find the result not only garish but also impossible to maintain.
When it comes to plants, it’s best to keep it fairly simple and go for repetition – stick to plants of two or three colours, repeated throughout the garden – and be sure to take into account your natural environment before planting. Ferns, palm trees and other tropical plants may look amazing, but they’re unlikely to last in a cold climate, unless you build a greenhouse.
If you live in a climate which experiences drought, you may also want to consider xeriscaping – the art of designing gardens with plants that require very little water. In such a garden you might want to introduce some landscaping rocks or boulders, to keep in with the arid theme. You may also consider reducing your water usage further by using astro turf in place of real grass – there are some fantastically lifelike fake grasses available, and it will mean that you never have to mow or water your lawn again! If water use is not a problem for you, then you might consider that classic garden installation, the water feature. Mini-waterfalls and fountains are perennially popular, especially when teamed with a Zen-inspired Japanese garden, but a natural pond kitted out with ferns, mossy rocks and some goldfish can also form a fantastically serene centre-piece to any lusciously overgrown garden.
If the Roman piazza look is more up your alley, though, with terracotta tiles and marble benches, then you may want to look into a Roman-style water cascade incorporating a mask set into a wall – bonus points if you can get it to spout wine during soirees.
Last, but certainly not least, is the edible garden. Planting fruit trees and a herb and vegetable patch may not produce the most aesthetically pleasing outdoor space, but you will have the satisfaction of eating organic produce sourced from your own ground – and who could deny the perfect symmetry of investing time and money into something which will yield its own delicious rewards later on?
Isla Campbell writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
About the Author
Isla is a part of the digital blogging team at shoutingindigital.com who work with brands like Evergreens. For more information about me, or to keep up to date with the latest in retail news, check out my posts at shoutingindigital.com or visit my Twitter account, @shoutingID.
Where can I find landscaping rocks to line a garden, in Colorado?
I want to line my garden with some nice, flat red rocks, sort of like what you would find on the flatirons in Boulder. However, when I go to home depot, they are $5/ piece. I’m hoping to line the garden for less than $25, any ideas?
Thanks for the suggestions, especially since yes, there are a lot of rocks in the Rocky Mountains? Any park names or areas by the side of the road where I can go exploring? Thank you all for the ideas.
Jeez, they’re not called the Rocky Mountains for nothing, if you need help finding some, get in touch, I’ve got Park Ranger friend in Estes Park. RScott
Ep 38 – Rock Garden – Part 2