Adding Interest to Your Garden

There are many ways that you can add interest to a garden.
Anything that becomes a focal point will add interest and that can range from garden sculptures to the types of plants you choose.

Adding block planting of a particular specimen can become a focal point in the garden.
Even adding areas of variegated foliage can create a focal point in the garden.

Seats are another item that can add interest to the garden and additionally they can offer a nice place to rest and relax while you admire your work.

Mirrors that are strategically placed can enhance the garden in many ways.
They can bring reflected light to dark corners of the garden.
They can also give the impression that the garden is bigger or alternatively they can give the impression that the open space is bigger.

Placed at various angles, mirrors can add a lot of fun and interest to a garden and help to lead a visitor on to other areas.

Using hedges can also add interest to the garden while offering protection to the plants.
Hedges are also an excellent way to gain privacy without feeling closed in.

Water features are a favorite for many people and the sound of running water in the corner of a garden can add an atmosphere of calm and relaxation.

Water features can also be good for the birds in the garden particularly in the summer months when they might find it difficult to find water lying around to suit their needs.

As with sculptures, stones, rocks and pebbles can add interest and offer areas where you can walk even when the surrounding ground might be too wet.
Shells also make a good cover on the ground for paths that can remain dry in the wet season.

There are so many different things that you put in your garden to add interest.
Everything from old cartwheels to wind chimes, aviaries or anything else you can imagine.

Choosing Plants that are Healthy

When you are buying or receiving plants from someone there are a few things that you need to look at before deciding to plant them in your garden.

You will generally get a better quality plant from a garden center and it will be less likely to have disease or other problems that could spread to other plants in your garden.

There is still the possibility that the garden center plant might not be the healthy specimen that you might expect so you should still check it out before parting with your money.

The first thing you need to do is look at the plant and see whether it looks healthy.
This might seem very obvious but we often assume that buying from a garden center will assure us of a healthy plant when in actual fact even garden centers can have problem plants and you don't want to be the new owner of their problems.

Plants are very good at showing any signs of distress so a plant that doesn't look healthy, generally isn't.

Check the conditions of the leaves, stems and roots of the plant where possible.
You should also look at the condition of the soil that it has been growing in, as this will have had an effect on its health.

If you are buying flowering plants it is always best to buy the ones that have yet to flower, as they will withstand the trauma of transport and transplanting better than those that already have flowers.
If there is no alternative but to buy or receive plants that already have flowers then many people suggest that you should remove all the flowers to give the plant a better chance of survival.
While you might be reluctant to do so, you will probably have a better plant that will produce more flowers in the future.

If there is anything on the plant that concerns you seek advice or decide against having that plant in your garden