Live your childhood dreams DYI your own secret garden
Live your childhood dreams!
A few trees, some beautiful flowers, or even a pathway can make the biggest difference to your secret garden, but where do you even start? Coming up with a plan is great, sometimes though it takes a little research to make sure everything you get will keep your garden looking full and luscious throughout the seasons. What materials will withstand certain weather conditions? The plants I want will they bloom and thrive or is a certain kind of soil going to kill it in a matter of weeks? These are some of the questions we are here to answer for you.
Location makes all the difference
You probably already have an idea of where you want to start building that beautiful outdoor masterpiece, but here are some tricks to make sure you’re in the right spot. Ideally find a spot underneath a canopy of trees, in a private side yard or even tucked alongside of a brick wall or fence. Make it as private as possible so that way it
keeps it looking like you just planted it yesterday when really it was 10 years ago. Maintain the number of ways to access your spot and keep it private by planting tall shrubs and grasses, or even clumps of bamboo along borders of the garden. Existing walls and fences can help make up part of the enclosure, while arbors and trellises support vines enclosing an exposed space.
Make your secret garden inviting
Inside the garden, provide a seating area as a charming destination that draws in visitors. These destinations can be as simple as a pair of chairs pulled up to a cafe table or a bench drawn under a shady tree. If the seating area is partially masked by foliage or fencing, it only adds to the feeling of discovery. Turn to fences, evergreen hedges and trees with leafy canopies for screening. Use a steppingstone path or a winding walkway to draw visitors into the garden. In more open landscapes, adding a sheltered seating area or a small hedged-in garden can help balance a feeling of openness with one of privacy and seclusion. It’s adding a secret garden within a garden.
Changes of the seasons
If you don’t want to undertake larger-scale planting projects like adding a weeping willow or maybe even a fruit tree, consider planting one or two boxes for seasonal color. Plants like tulips, daffodils and other bulbs, summer annuals and perennials, Mediterranean herbs, and small-scale Japanese maples grow well in containers. Welcoming those little creatures will also help naturally give your space the vitamins and nutrients it needs. So, choose maybe native plants and other supporting pollinating, seeding flowers to give sources for food for the insects and birds. This becomes a great connection for birds in the fall and winter.
Go from basic to adding a little bit of you
When it comes to finishing up your garden adding those little objects or furniture will show others who you are. Interesting rock that are maybe from your favorite vacation spot can give insight into your journey you have taken in life. Historical objects or something spiritual can bring greater depth to the garden. Consider partially
concealing the objects within garden beds or around the corner of a path to add an element of discovery. Lights along the pathway or even waterfall lights cascading from your trees can the icing on a dreamy, delicious cake that you have created in your garden. Select lights that are small and subtle to keep it natural and magical.
