Thursday, July 13, 2006
Tend your garden with an eye on future
Do you think that your garden would look stale and tire you after a few years? May be not. The garden is like nature - alive and dynamic. It constantly changes and has a life of its own, provided you take adequate care of it.
Gardens outgrow their initial environment. Time is factored into the design. When a designer places a tree sapling, sketches a lawn and visualises a garden he or she takes account of the time factor. It may not always be possible to design exclusively for the future, because the immediate visual effect is what a landscape architect is expected to deliver.
It is absolutely imperative that one takes a close look at the garden say five to seven years down the line, whether it is part of a factory, a corporate, a facility or a home. In the case of smaller residences the need to change design to suit growth is not pronounced. However, it could be reviewed based on personal preferences. We will be looking at this aspect in some detail in the coming weeks but for starters we will consider why the need to change and redesign is to be considered seriously.
Dosage of nutrients
The most obvious reason is the soil. The initial soil preparation needs to be enhanced annually with adequate doses of nutrients, preferably bio-fertilizers. The use of chemicals, a rampant practice, may produce immediate results and may be required in some cases. But all this can only provide sustenance and in case of bio-products, the basic nature of the soil will not be harmed. But over a period of time the soil despite all care loses its capacities. A part of it may be also lost due to heavy rain and sustained watering. External factors such as paint and distemper droppings during whitewash can penetrate the soil and play havoc with its composition. In any case it is necessary to add a few inches of soil mix every five years and, if need be, remove the existing soil and refill the same with fresh sand, red earth and natural manure. While adding a few inches of soil, care must be taken not to expose the growing roots of plants and trees. In the case of lawns, whatever the extent and quality of care taken, the grass loses its sheen in about five years.
Another factor is that in a period of five or more years, the topography of a site would have changed. This is more pronounced in the larger sites where buildings are added and the obvious casualty is the lawn. If it does not give way to built-up area then it surely becomes a part of the approach either in the form of a road or utility pathway. In such cases the entire design needs to be changed .
Sunlight a necessity
Another reason that will compel a review of your garden is the growth of plant materials used on the site. Trees and larger shrubs tend to grow higher, occupy more space and spread their canopy around.
This necessitates changes in variety. For example Korean grass is one of the easier grass to maintain.
It is free from weeds. It does not require frequent mowing and its carpet like quality is both a visual treat and a pleasure to walk bare foot. But it needs sunlight and more of it during one half of the day.
In cases where Korean grass is laid along with Australian grass, there are chances that shading pattern may affect the growth. It then becomes necessary to change the type of grass used.
Trees must be closely attended to. Trees are generally planted along the periphery with the central areas of the plot occupied by buildings, parking lots, and visually appealing landscape elements.
Once the tree starts spreading its branches the most natural thing to do in a bid to avoid complaints from neighbours or corporation authorities is to chop off those branches on the roadside.
Gardens outgrow their initial environment. Time is factored into the design. When a designer places a tree sapling, sketches a lawn and visualises a garden he or she takes account of the time factor. It may not always be possible to design exclusively for the future, because the immediate visual effect is what a landscape architect is expected to deliver.
It is absolutely imperative that one takes a close look at the garden say five to seven years down the line, whether it is part of a factory, a corporate, a facility or a home. In the case of smaller residences the need to change design to suit growth is not pronounced. However, it could be reviewed based on personal preferences. We will be looking at this aspect in some detail in the coming weeks but for starters we will consider why the need to change and redesign is to be considered seriously.
Dosage of nutrients
The most obvious reason is the soil. The initial soil preparation needs to be enhanced annually with adequate doses of nutrients, preferably bio-fertilizers. The use of chemicals, a rampant practice, may produce immediate results and may be required in some cases. But all this can only provide sustenance and in case of bio-products, the basic nature of the soil will not be harmed. But over a period of time the soil despite all care loses its capacities. A part of it may be also lost due to heavy rain and sustained watering. External factors such as paint and distemper droppings during whitewash can penetrate the soil and play havoc with its composition. In any case it is necessary to add a few inches of soil mix every five years and, if need be, remove the existing soil and refill the same with fresh sand, red earth and natural manure. While adding a few inches of soil, care must be taken not to expose the growing roots of plants and trees. In the case of lawns, whatever the extent and quality of care taken, the grass loses its sheen in about five years.
Another factor is that in a period of five or more years, the topography of a site would have changed. This is more pronounced in the larger sites where buildings are added and the obvious casualty is the lawn. If it does not give way to built-up area then it surely becomes a part of the approach either in the form of a road or utility pathway. In such cases the entire design needs to be changed .
Sunlight a necessity
Another reason that will compel a review of your garden is the growth of plant materials used on the site. Trees and larger shrubs tend to grow higher, occupy more space and spread their canopy around.
This necessitates changes in variety. For example Korean grass is one of the easier grass to maintain.
It is free from weeds. It does not require frequent mowing and its carpet like quality is both a visual treat and a pleasure to walk bare foot. But it needs sunlight and more of it during one half of the day.
In cases where Korean grass is laid along with Australian grass, there are chances that shading pattern may affect the growth. It then becomes necessary to change the type of grass used.
Trees must be closely attended to. Trees are generally planted along the periphery with the central areas of the plot occupied by buildings, parking lots, and visually appealing landscape elements.
Once the tree starts spreading its branches the most natural thing to do in a bid to avoid complaints from neighbours or corporation authorities is to chop off those branches on the roadside.
# posted by mashup @ 12:56 AM 
