Ecological Gardening - Garden Design

• Use preferably autochthonous plants.
• The main advantage of autochthonous plants is that they require less maintenance, because they are more resillient to the lack of water, plagues, soil type, diceases, etc.
• Group the species in the garden according to their needs of water
• Protect the plants from the wind
• Do not cultivate the plants very close to each other
  

Ecological Gardening tips

The incorrect cultivation methods produce negative effects. For example:

• The massive use of insecticides, herbicides and fungicides, has an impact in the environment and there is a risk both for people and animals
• The excessive usage of water during the watering, specially in areas where it's a scarce resource
• The usage of nitrates (highly soluble fertilizers) that get into water streams and pollute them
• The great amount of vegetable waste that are incinerated of are taken to dumps without being correctly disposed
  

These and other concerns take us to think and create a new concept: ecological gardening. What we try to do with this is build gardens and maintain them in a racional and respecful way towartds the environment.
The ecological gardening tries to save water, fertilizers and other products and other elements. It encourages methods to help conservation of the environment. and health.

Backyard Garden Design - Basic Tips & Ideas

Garden Design is a broad topic and you can find many sites entirely dedicated to more advanced patio design concepts. This is just a beginner article that relates the basic concepts to consider when facing the home garden design of your own garden.
The first advice, don't hurry. Pay attention to every detail and study all the options you have and what you want to achieve.

Here, you will find garden design ideas and techniques, but the pacience, enthusiasm and love in the creation and home garden design of your own garden is something that only can reach.

So, what are the main points to bear in mind when trying to design you own garden?.

1. What themes do you want your garden to have ?
Lawn Theme: for example, under a tree's shadow, a sunbathing area, next to the pool, a reading area, etc.

Draw a sketch, distribute the different themes that your garden will have.


2. What elements do you want to include?
Paths, posts, Fences, Garage, sculptures, dog house, plant containers, Archs, Greenhouse, etc.


3. What plant species would you like to cultivate?
Trees, Palms, Bushes, Roses, Aromatics, Cacti, Acuatic, etc.


4. WHow much money are planning to spend in its building? Are you going to make in stages?
It will always be a great investment the budget that you spend into your vegetable garden design for all the good moments that you and your family will have there.
The main advantage of gardening is that it can be suitable to any income level. If you want to buy construction material, and big already-grown plants, take into account that the budget is going to skyrocket. If you are just beggining, always buy young plants, they are always cheaper.
If you are building your garden by stages, first plant trees and the basic infrastructure. Once it's done, proceed to the next stage, like a small pond, a greenhouse. A garden it's never finished, you can change it unlimited times, that's the best part of it. You modify some areas, you create new themes, you plant new species.
In case you have kids and animals, there is going to be a big part of the garden dedicated for them to play, and it should be mainly surrounded by trees or big bushes only.


5. How much maintenance will it require?


It's important to know how much time we have available, Will it be just weekends?, Will you hire someone else to do it?

If you want a low-maintenance garden, avoid bushes and plants that require several prunings during the year. Avoid lawns and plant containers.
Choose the plants according to their watering and fertilizing needs, avoid those that lose leaves during the year, plants prone to diceases and parasites, etc.


6. What garden style would you like to have?


Formal or classic garden, mediterranean garden, tropical garden, arabic garden, japanese garden.


7. What kind of sensations do you want to create or transmit?


Misterious, relaxing, romantic, fresh, etc.


8. What is the climate and microclimate?


Obviously, so you can choose compatible species and avoid problems related to temperature and humidity.


9. What kind of soil does your garden have?

In a soil with high levels of limestone, do not cultivate plants with an acid pH, because they would turn yellowish. If you have a really poor soil in terms of nutrients, you should add a layer of organic vegetable matter.


10. What kind of water will you use for watering?


Depending on the water pH.

11. How is the natural environment in which it is inserted?

Many people like to blend their garden landscape design with the environment. Many others just look for the opposite, they try to make it look completely different.

Sources: Wikipedia