Burgeoning awareness of the green movement should not only make us view the garden in a different and decidedly favourable light but add credence to the decision to celebrate the garden as an invaluable extension of the house.
In all likelihood, when handed the keys to our spanking new home, renovations will have to be made before you move in. Very often, it is the invariably the interior that gets the undivided attention while the outdoors is either completely ignored or, at best, given a low priority.
What’s with our propensity to do away with any outdoor space for paved parking or to extend indoor space? Can it be that unwinding in the outdoors just does not gel with our hectic lifestyles, or simply our lack of imagination, knowledge and sense of adventure for creating an outdoor retreat right in our front or back yard?
It is always something to peek into a garden with pebble-bordered floral displays, trickling water cascades and whimsical experimentations at clipped topiary. These garden retreats have the uncanny knack of sprucing up the street, making the homes that they attached to stand out among the sea of cookie-cutter houses that define our suburban landscape. First impressions count, so why not swap the forbidding front entry for a welcoming entryway that is flush with vivacious foliage and flowers? Not only does it set out a colorful Selamat Datang mat to guests but it is also a heartwarming change to our jaded senses after a grueling day at work.
If you are one of those who have always dreamt of having a pretty and a personal garden retreat that captures the essence of outdoor living, what then?
Designing Your Garden: The Three Cs
A garden retreat does not have to be large or expensive to serve you well. It is as much about making a home look good as it is about making you feel good. You will be well on your way to enjoying a garden ripe with possibilities when you bear in mind the 3Cs when piecing together an effective garden design: character, connection and change.
Character
To have an outdoor living space with enduring appeal, the outcome should be an expression of your personality. It should start out as an idea that is born of an understanding of who you are and what you want and should serve as a personal space that gives full rein to your own imagination and passions. You can use your garden space to fill a range of activities from exploiting our year long sunny climate by growing veggies and herbs on your valuable territory, to making a statement by creating an eclectic mix of foliage and blooms with a riot of colors, textures and scents. Or mark off a portion of the lush lawn as a play area for your children.
On the other hand, you can start by creating outdoor rooms with a range of exposures which may include a covered area for wet days, decking to bask in on cool days, a shaded nook under the blazing sun, an open area to welcome guests, or a secluded niche for some navel-gazing. Furnish these outdoor spaces with weather-resistant benches, chairs, or tables so that yo can sit back and relax. You can even add some personal touches by placing bric-a-brac which, besides being good conversation pieces, gives a homey feel to your garden retreat. Alternatively, you can plant fragrant flowers or herbs around seating areas and entrances so that visitors will linger, and take “time to smell the flowers.” In short, your garden should not pander to the whims of fashion but rather be a place you can enjoy and spend time in.
Connection
The indoors, should segue into the outdoors. This can be easily achieved with the installation of sliding doors or pocket doors that push into the walls of the living room, to reveal a patio or a porch with an unobstructed view of the garden, and invite exploration of the spaces beyond.
For gardens with generous proportions, the outdoors should link a variety of spaces together, enticing you to venture from one part to another. It should not reveal itself all at once. You can provide a sense of destination by offering a “come-hither” hideout that beckons from a secluded part of the garden. Journeying on a flagstone pathway, punctuated by water features, pockets of plants, or even a solitary bench to perch on, can be half the fun. As you tread along the path, make a purposeful effort at casting off the cares if the day. It is also fitting that you highlight the arrival at the destination by decorating the entrance with a vine-draped archway, a gate, or tall lush plantings which can heighten the feelings of tension, mystery and surprise.
The gazebo, the quintessential garden structure, is becoming an increasingly popular addition in garden retreats, and it makes an ideal romantic destination to lure visitors to explore the outdoors. These days, a gazebo can come outfitted with built-in benches and table, planters, lighting and even a spa!
Change
You change with the passage of time and so should your garden. Reinvent your garden design to accommodate any change in your lifestyle or needs while retaining the charm it has always held for you.
As grueling work schedules take their toll and send the nesting syndrome into overdrive, the outdoor room has now become a status symbol for the affluent and house-proud urban professional. It can be wired for light and sound and even rigged with plumbing for a midnight shower under the stars.
Make the garden your family vacation getaway by having a backyard pool. It will be a constant source of entertainment for the kids instead of spending a fortune on an expensive stay in a holiday resort. And think of the added bonus of gaining green points by leaving a smaller carbon footprint staying home!
As the children grow into teenagers and families become inclined to spend time together outdoors, the backyard deck can be stylish and financially sound option to expand living space. This open-air extension can be a great place for the whole family to entertain, ‘stretch the legs’ outside, and take in the garden view and fresh air.
When the children leave for college, the paved play area for their once boisterous activities can now make way for a screened-in shady nook for you unwind in, read or to host a barbecue for friends. With time heavy on your hands as you approach retirement age, the lush lawn can be converted into a sumptuous organic vegetable or herb patch, or to nurture a new passion on fish rearing by having a koi pond thrown in for good measure. You can even do a spot of bird watching as you unwind in your outdoor sanctuary by installing an ornamental bird bath or feeder which will also give your garden a whimsical edge.
Let the outdoor living space be a ongoing work-in-progress space as you welcome and embrace changes in your life. Express these changes in the design and it will continue to be a source of untold pleasure and rewards.
Go for the Garden!
As proud homeowners, we most definitely can play a role in conserving the environment and add to its natural beauty. Go for the garden – the possibilities are boundless.
In all likelihood, when handed the keys to our spanking new home, renovations will have to be made before you move in. Very often, it is the invariably the interior that gets the undivided attention while the outdoors is either completely ignored or, at best, given a low priority.
What’s with our propensity to do away with any outdoor space for paved parking or to extend indoor space? Can it be that unwinding in the outdoors just does not gel with our hectic lifestyles, or simply our lack of imagination, knowledge and sense of adventure for creating an outdoor retreat right in our front or back yard?
It is always something to peek into a garden with pebble-bordered floral displays, trickling water cascades and whimsical experimentations at clipped topiary. These garden retreats have the uncanny knack of sprucing up the street, making the homes that they attached to stand out among the sea of cookie-cutter houses that define our suburban landscape. First impressions count, so why not swap the forbidding front entry for a welcoming entryway that is flush with vivacious foliage and flowers? Not only does it set out a colorful Selamat Datang mat to guests but it is also a heartwarming change to our jaded senses after a grueling day at work.
If you are one of those who have always dreamt of having a pretty and a personal garden retreat that captures the essence of outdoor living, what then?
Designing Your Garden: The Three Cs
A garden retreat does not have to be large or expensive to serve you well. It is as much about making a home look good as it is about making you feel good. You will be well on your way to enjoying a garden ripe with possibilities when you bear in mind the 3Cs when piecing together an effective garden design: character, connection and change.
Character
To have an outdoor living space with enduring appeal, the outcome should be an expression of your personality. It should start out as an idea that is born of an understanding of who you are and what you want and should serve as a personal space that gives full rein to your own imagination and passions. You can use your garden space to fill a range of activities from exploiting our year long sunny climate by growing veggies and herbs on your valuable territory, to making a statement by creating an eclectic mix of foliage and blooms with a riot of colors, textures and scents. Or mark off a portion of the lush lawn as a play area for your children.
On the other hand, you can start by creating outdoor rooms with a range of exposures which may include a covered area for wet days, decking to bask in on cool days, a shaded nook under the blazing sun, an open area to welcome guests, or a secluded niche for some navel-gazing. Furnish these outdoor spaces with weather-resistant benches, chairs, or tables so that yo can sit back and relax. You can even add some personal touches by placing bric-a-brac which, besides being good conversation pieces, gives a homey feel to your garden retreat. Alternatively, you can plant fragrant flowers or herbs around seating areas and entrances so that visitors will linger, and take “time to smell the flowers.” In short, your garden should not pander to the whims of fashion but rather be a place you can enjoy and spend time in.
Connection
The indoors, should segue into the outdoors. This can be easily achieved with the installation of sliding doors or pocket doors that push into the walls of the living room, to reveal a patio or a porch with an unobstructed view of the garden, and invite exploration of the spaces beyond.
For gardens with generous proportions, the outdoors should link a variety of spaces together, enticing you to venture from one part to another. It should not reveal itself all at once. You can provide a sense of destination by offering a “come-hither” hideout that beckons from a secluded part of the garden. Journeying on a flagstone pathway, punctuated by water features, pockets of plants, or even a solitary bench to perch on, can be half the fun. As you tread along the path, make a purposeful effort at casting off the cares if the day. It is also fitting that you highlight the arrival at the destination by decorating the entrance with a vine-draped archway, a gate, or tall lush plantings which can heighten the feelings of tension, mystery and surprise.
The gazebo, the quintessential garden structure, is becoming an increasingly popular addition in garden retreats, and it makes an ideal romantic destination to lure visitors to explore the outdoors. These days, a gazebo can come outfitted with built-in benches and table, planters, lighting and even a spa!
Change
You change with the passage of time and so should your garden. Reinvent your garden design to accommodate any change in your lifestyle or needs while retaining the charm it has always held for you.
As grueling work schedules take their toll and send the nesting syndrome into overdrive, the outdoor room has now become a status symbol for the affluent and house-proud urban professional. It can be wired for light and sound and even rigged with plumbing for a midnight shower under the stars.
Make the garden your family vacation getaway by having a backyard pool. It will be a constant source of entertainment for the kids instead of spending a fortune on an expensive stay in a holiday resort. And think of the added bonus of gaining green points by leaving a smaller carbon footprint staying home!
As the children grow into teenagers and families become inclined to spend time together outdoors, the backyard deck can be stylish and financially sound option to expand living space. This open-air extension can be a great place for the whole family to entertain, ‘stretch the legs’ outside, and take in the garden view and fresh air.
When the children leave for college, the paved play area for their once boisterous activities can now make way for a screened-in shady nook for you unwind in, read or to host a barbecue for friends. With time heavy on your hands as you approach retirement age, the lush lawn can be converted into a sumptuous organic vegetable or herb patch, or to nurture a new passion on fish rearing by having a koi pond thrown in for good measure. You can even do a spot of bird watching as you unwind in your outdoor sanctuary by installing an ornamental bird bath or feeder which will also give your garden a whimsical edge.
Let the outdoor living space be a ongoing work-in-progress space as you welcome and embrace changes in your life. Express these changes in the design and it will continue to be a source of untold pleasure and rewards.
Go for the Garden!
As proud homeowners, we most definitely can play a role in conserving the environment and add to its natural beauty. Go for the garden – the possibilities are boundless.
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