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Designing a water garden is fun and easy, it can be created by a person or by a professional landscaping company. A water garden design should factor in the space allowed, the plants desired, and the climate of the area the garden will grow in.

Digging A Hole

Making a water garden in one’s back yard begins by digging a hole in the ground. When planning the dig, gradually slope the sides to allow different plants optimal growing conditions. Some water plants flourish in deeper water and others are suited for shallower water.

Some water garden designs will begin with a shelf for plants that enjoy one foot of water or less and from that point the pond will slope to around eighteen inches and the deepest point over twenty-four inches deep. This will allow for a variety of plants to be grown in one water garden.

Choosing Pots

A water garden design should be planned similarly to a container garden because that is essentially what a water garden is. One difference is the type of pots needed for water gardens, water garden plants will do best if they are fabric pots which allow the water to flow freely around the soil and the roots.

Also even the smallest water plants will need a pot at least ten inches wide to allow the water plants room to grow. Water garden designs should figure places for pots to be placed to allow the particular plant the most sun, water depth, and soil that it needs to be healthy and thrive. Some plants will need the long “window box” type of plastic planters to allow the plant room to grow.

If fabric pots are unavailable or undesired plastic pots will also work well for water garden designs. The pots can be placed on cinderblocks while young to encourage them to grow faster and lowered slowly as the plant matures.

Choosing The Types Of Plants

There are too many beautiful water plants to talk about each in detail; however there are some general buying guidelines to follow when selecting appropriate plants for the region in which one lives. The United States is divided into ten climate zones; these zones are based on the date which there is no longer a risk of frost for that year.

Water plants labeled tropical will only do well in extremely hot conditions; they prefer the very edge of Florida, Texas, and southern California. Most other areas even in the south will not have consistent favorable temperatures for enough of the growing season.

Plants labeled hardy will grow in most areas of the United States except for extreme climates such as Alaska and a few other pockets of the country. Hardy plants are ideal for most peoples water garden designs as there is a large variety of plants that can suit anyone’s taste.

The history of garden design starts from the basic use of agriculture then. This primarily means that gardens were not used for aesthetic purposes then but for practical reasons. As such, Bristol garden design or to garden design Bristol homes were non-existent. What existed was planting herbs and vegetables for food.

Although many believe Egyptian tomb painting were the first evidence of ornamental gardening, most of the credit in the origin of garden design goes to Persia or Iran as we now know it. In ancient times, medieval European gardens were a combination of planting herbs for medicinal purposes, planting vegetables for food and planting flowers for decorative purposes. Garden design in a purely aesthetic manner started with the renaissance gardens, most notably the Italian renaissance gardens and gardens of the French renaissance, evident in popularity in paintings of that era.

Italian renaissance gardens started from the late fifteenth century and were most known for much of the art of its era, a rediscovery of earlier roman descriptions of what a garden should be. There were however, early renaissance gardens, with the first ever being the Villa Medici in Fiesole in Florence. This was in the 14th century and owned by the Medici dynasty. In this period, many followed the philosophy that a garden should overlook what it could such as the city, a valley or the sea. Italian renaissance gardens were popular for symmetry, the use of fountains, installation of pathways and ramps for tiered gardens and the installation of patios or labyrinths. Gardens of the French renaissance in the meanwhile were largely influenced by the Italian renaissance gardens and mirrored the usual rules of proportion and harmony while being grander in scale. They were a way to symbolize power and wealth. The garden à la française or the French formal garden was also largely influenced by the Italian renaissance gardens following the rules of proportion while garden designers, during this time, started considering the garden designing as a branch of architecture.By the mid-eighteenth century, the French formal garden experienced a decline with the increasing popularity of the English garden. The English garden is largely influenced by choosing nature over architecture. Symmetry was brought to an end. Instead, gardens were inspired by landscape paintings that included a lake, spanning lawns, clumps of trees and building of beautiful architecture such as bridges and temples. In a sense, it aims to be more romantic by being the subject of paintings, art and poems. The French landscape garden, again, is similarly influenced by the English garden.

The last genre to gardening is the contemporary garden, the garden that we know today. A contemporary garden can be a revival of past garden styles, a present garden style and a modern garden style. The cottage garden is also an informal garden that encourages the growth of wild or natural grown plants in backyards. Though this was already existent even before garden styles were even known, it is currently being revived. Currently, private or residential gardens are not limited to certain genres but largely follow the interior design and architecture of homes such as Zen style gardens have become popular at the advent of Japanese platform beds and other furniture. Trends in garden design are first dependent on individual style while many try to harmonize the style house and the garden as naturally as possible.

Trends in interior design and architecture today promote eco-friendliness and environmental awareness. So expect garden design trends to follow suit. People who garden will focus more on the cause of saving the world rather than simply aesthetics while having a sustainable irrigation system to water plants from within the garden. In the same manner choosing a low maintenance Bristol garden design that need very minimal tending to will also become widespread this year compared to high maintenance gardens while choosing eco-friendly plants that do not need chemicals to keep them alive. The best garden design bristol homes could possibly have this year is a perfect blend of aesthetics, functionality and its contribution in helping save the environment. Basically, that is what a contemporary garden is a practical approach and adherence to the form follows function principle. Create it for what it is intended for.

When it comes to landscaping, the task should always be assigned to a professional who is trained in landscape and garden design and has worked for different clients who wished to add a touch of novelty to their garden spaces. The contribution of the designer can range from just a professional advice to regular consultation which can help to transform the space into a completely different entity. There are several designers who offer project management as an important part of their service, providing recommendation as far as the landscape contractors are concerned and also monitoring their tasks to maintain the integrity of the design.
Garden design calls for the implementation of diverse disciplines such as construction expertise, irrigation expertise, horticulture knowledge and drainage. It is also necessary to have adequate knowledge of design principles and the way they should be incorporated into the overall design plans.The designer needs to understand the site at which the landscaping is been done and is initiated with conceptualising the whole project. If you are resident of Surrey, you can rely on some sound advice from Surrey landscaping experts.
Garden design is focused on some basic principles and it is important to arrange the different elements in a proper order to create the intended design. A neat landscape design can be achieved by following seven basic principles namely balance, emphasis or focalisation, unity, rhythm, sequence or transition, repetition and proportion.Balance: This lends a symmetrical pattern or equilibrium in the visual appearance which can be achieved by aspiring towards formal balance.Emphasis or Focalisation: This refers to the placement of an object at a position, preferably at the centre of the garden, to attract attention. The object might be a fountain, a sculpture, spruce and herbaceous perennials.Unity: This refers to the use of diverse elements in a way that it is consistent and in harmony with the basic idea behind the landscape. This effect can be achieved by arranging the trees and other materials that are similar in their texture, shape or hue.Rhythm: The sense of rhythm lends a feeling of movement which naturally shifts the visual attention from one section of landscape design to another.Sequence or Transition: This effect is created by the natural progression of the form, colour, texture and size. This can be used to create a distance from the central point.
Repetition: This obviously refers to the repeated use of patterns or elements of similar colour, texture or form and lends a sense of uniformity to the entire landscape. However, it should be done carefully as there are chances that the excessive repletion of the same elements can mar the overall appearance of the garden.

Access to adequate water supply is the lynchpin of gardening success. But public water sources aren’t always available, even in heavy rainfall areas, supply can exceed demand. Installing a water reclamation system is easier than you think and can deliver a water supply for happy gardening year round.

It is likely that your property already has some elements of a water reclamation system. As a giant rain catcher, a rooftop can be exposed to thousands of gallons per year: an ample supply for maintaining a stunning garden. Rainfall calculators like which can be easily found with a Google search will show you how much water you are missing out on by not reclaiming it, whether your region is arid or temperate.

The gutter is the key component, after the roof, of a typical water reclamation system. Gutters run along the eves of the house and utilize downspouts to channel the water into storm drains. Downspouts can also divert water to a rain barrel with about a 70 gallon capacity. You can reclaim even more water for future use by adding a rain barrel at every corner of the house.

As an aesthetic alternative with equally efficient operation for water reclamation, rain chains can be attached to gutters in place of conventional downspouts. In contrast to galvanized metal downspouts, rain chains consist of ornamental sculptures, funnels, or tiny cups that channel rainwater in tiny waterfalls to a pebbled area, basin, saucer or rain barrel. Rain chains can transform an ordinary water reclamation system into an ornamental one, enhancing the design of your garden.

Try planting a variety of lush ferns, Sugar Maple, Indigo Bush, or Red Chokeberry to create a “rain garden” around your water source. Rain garden plants like these absorb excess moisture that gathers around the source, be it a rain barrel, basin or other receptacle.

Even with a rain garden to absorb excess, runoff is still likely with heavy downpours. Help reduce storm drain runoff by planting water-loving plants along decorative retaining walls. Altering terrain levels to create natural irrigation systems serves to channel water to plants further from the source. Attaching soaker hoses to rain barrels helps distribute water to drier areas, like succulent or less-thirsty flower beds, without using pumps.

To assure a consistent water supply, save money on bills, and keep plants happy, a water reclamation system combining rain barrels with rain chains and varied terrain for irrigation, can also result in a unique mini ecosystem that resembles the surrounding environment. This natural landscape contributes to a healthy, water conscious and beautiful garden.