The Seven Building Blocks to Creating a Dream Garden:

A gardener guide to unblocking outdoor inspiration.

Gardening is a natural human activity undertaken by generations of people. Like the skin on our bodies the soil and the plants that grow from it are as alive as the cell tissues that make up our surface. Just like our skin a garden is a living, breathing and re-generating organism that provides us with a number of delights and delicacies. A garden can but just as demanding as our skin when it comes to its maintenance but like our skin is highly rewarding when healthy and happy. Mimicking a reflection in the mirror a garden is often a representation of its originator and shines as bright as its visionary¡¯s appreciation and dedication. As the world becomes busier, invasive and complex it is such beauties and natural miracles like a garden or our skin that can be forgotten or neglected. Time should never be an issue when it comes to tending to one of the most passionate pastimes. Gardening is richly rewarding and for those that love it time should always be made for this special life gift. If time is of essence but gardening still remains vitally important to your peace and happiness then perhaps you could re-plan your planting approach. By following a more creative and lower maintenance path to gardening success you may be pleasantly surprised about what is possible. By following the guidelines below you will amaze even yourself at what can be accomplished in the realms of efficient and productive gardening. Once the below tactics are deployed it will only be a matter of time until you are enjoying blossoming designs from the comfort of your pawleys island quilted hammock or front porch swing. Let¡¯s take a look at some of the ways we may swing success our way.

• Stop Weeds At The Root Of The Problem. The Best Offense Is Defense

A defensive weed strategy calls for the gardener to tackle the issue of weeds before any planting even begins. It requires an evaluation of the soil beds and a removal of any weeds at their base root. Extinguishing all weeds prior to seeding will encourage a lower maintenance and less difficult gardening platform. Once all weeds are gone try to create an environment that does not allow weed seeds to thrive or germinate by using such tactics as careful plant screening and appropriate organic mulching and fertilizing. When you stop the weeds before they start or give them little reason to grow then a great deal of time and energy is saved which can be directed to other outlets.

• Always Consider Routes & Ranges. It¡®s About Access With Attitude

Not being able to properly attend to your vegetables and flowers due to poor logistical planning is a nightmare when it comes to trying to save time. If simple tasks such as watering, pruning and fertilizing are made difficult by undesirable obstacles the maintenance levels of your garden can become unbearable. One way to counteract this form of chaos is by implementing well thought out stone walkways and pebbled corridors that lead to easy access points and provide for an organized flow of the garden. This type of garden architecture even has the added benefit of allowing guests to have a guided view of the scenery without destroying anything. This can often save even more time by avoiding having to fix unwanted outside disturbances.

• Designate Defiant Clients. High-Maintenance Plants Have Their Own Highway:

When laying out what you are going to include subject wise in your garden try to avoid those plants that are difficult to grow in general or have specific issues to your region and climate. The harder it is for a plant to survive the more time you will spend trying to be its lifeline. Always remember that plants with minimal needs can make better friends indeed. If you absolutely have to have a few ardent plants laden with care instructions then at least place them in locations that give you the greatest opportunity to care for their needs in the most efficient manner.

• Do Not Yawn At The Shape Of Your Lawn:

The time we can devote to our gardens is at times impacted by the surrounding areas of our yard. Constructing a well sized and designed lawn should not be a boring chore but an exciting challenge. Your lawn should be conducive to lawn mowing machinery and should form in a way that makes cutting easy and quick. One example of an effective lawn formation technique is to use paved borders or ¡°mowing strips¡± around the grass to reduce trimming and hedging needs while keeping specific desired boundaries. Another way to keep your lawn in check is to only plant low-maintenance indigenous grass. This minimalist angle to lawn care can be a huge time saver which will surely facilitate more time to devote to your garden, hobbies and other responsibilities.

• Pot And Contain For A Garden Without Strain

Utilizing pots and containers is the perfect step towards creating a dream garden. Planters are not only ornamental but very functionally as well. Not only can we use pots to display style and d¨¦cor but they can be crucial in making weather sensitive plants transportable from the outdoors to the indoors. Plants in containers are at times easier to isolate and manipulate making their inclusion in any garden a perfect addition. Even options such as hanging planters and hand crafted containers can add an even more graceful and unique touch to any garden and should not be overlooked.

• Xeriscaping And Native Species, The Desert Oasis Of Gardening

The goal of xeriscaping is to build a garden around the concept of using as little water as possible. It is a conservation based and environmentally friendly methodology of gardening where saving resources is a top priority. Many times we do not realize how wide the variety is of attractive and inspiring plants that require very little water or maintenance. Many native plants have spent years adapting to less needy schedules of nutrient intake and predator defense and can be as easy to take care of when researched correctly within given regions. Ideas like incorporating a rock garden within your planting schema or selecting water savvy plants such as the Native Chokecherry, the Perennial bachelor's button, Grape Hyacinths and Maximillian's Sunflower is always a good idea. If you are having trouble identifying the maintenance, resource and time saving plants of your area a quick trip to the local nursery can provides lots of useful educational insight and finding a trustworthy expert or consultant can pay gardening dividends.