Green Fingers 2

Green fingers - natural ability to grow plants

Creating Beautiful Spaces 

Creating beautiful and practical spaces outdoors takes dedication and care, it also takes a whole lot of love and patience. Yet creating a little idyllic spot, as small or big as it may be, can also be a simple matter. 

Many times we choose flowering plants because it is the flower that pleases us - makes us smile. But flowering plants are mostly seasonal, so when creating a space it’s good to still appreciate the beautiful foliage - and there are so many colours really, there are all types of green, silver, red and auburn, purple shades that tend to look blackish, all so fantastical. 

A garden is best when it seems effortlessly done, a combination of flowering plants and shrubs, sitting side by side, or pot by pot. A lot of effort goes into creating an effortless garden/green space, so it really all depends on your end goal - do you want to and can you afford to have a high-maintenance area or would you like it to be a breeze? A breeze would imply watering a few times and taking that little extra care on the weekends, but at the end of the day you know you have chosen sturdy plants so they will survive. On the other hand, do you want to be in the garden (let’s call it that for ease of conversation) every day, every other day, or just have a potter about twice a week? 

Once you’ve got that sorted it’s all about choosing the plants that make sense for you. So you’re not only considering how good and beautiful they look, you’re out in search with a bit more purpose now. Look at their maintenance, at what areas they thrive in and what areas they are not suited for - this also helps you consider where to plant them, will they need more sun or shade, so what areas get more sun and shade? 

It might be helpful to take a sketch of your area with you when you’re out at a nursery or garden centre to note down exactly where you would place each plant species - would you repeat it, what would it sit next to…? If you’re planting in soil, consider: height, width, flowering season, colour, texture and outline - so that you can picture it all. 

Look at how the plants feel as well as look, how they smell, what height they grow too or how widely they spread! Also, always choose plants that make you happy, colours that make you smile, this will make tending them so much more of a beautiful experience. A few beautiful statement pieces go a long way, so scale is also important - you want things to remain in proportion to your space. I say this and yet I usually have the urge to go wild and buy them all! 

Be patient with the look, it might take a season for everything to settle and for you to see your vision coming to life. Besides, there’s always something to do in a garden, it’s never truly finished!