You started the research months ago. You know exactly which plants you want to put in your yard. You know exactly what colors your flowers will bloom in the springtime. And you know exactly which fish you'll put in your pond when you fill it in. Sounds like you have it all figured out, right? Well, maybe. But you may have forgotten the most important part of any major project: the design.
Where will the pond go exactly? How deep should you go in order for it to work properly? Where will you plant all of those lovely pink and purple flowers? Will they work together or fight each other for attention? Whenever you begin to think about what you want your garden to look like, you should ask yourself all of these questions and more. There's nothing worse than an ill-thought out garden. It could end in a crowded, over-run field of plants and flowers all meshed together in chaos. Or worse, everything could die within a few months, leaving you with an ugly yard and an empty wallet.
While you can pay a professional to come in and design your yard for you, at great expense to you, there is a better place to start. With a visit to HowStuffWorks you can get a number of garden design tips that will put you well on your way to creating your perfect garden paradise. We'll guide you through where to start, what would work for your yard and what will live best in your area. Let HowStuffWorks help you plant, grow and enjoy the garden you've always wanted. And best of all, you can tell all of the neighbors that you did it yourself. They'll be green with garden envy.
Garden design tips help take the guesswork out of planning a beautiful garden. Learn great garden design tips for your garden.
Certain plants don't grow from seeds but rather are cloned, or vegetatively propagated, to get a plant with all the exact qualities of its parent. Learn about stem and root cuttings and the layering process. See more »
Most cacti enjoy dry, hot environments, while orchids thrive in humid, tropical locales. Every plant has its ideal growing conditions, but sometimes Mother Nature does not cooperate. That's where man and greenhouses enter the picture.
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Anyone who complains about having a brown thumb may simply be choosing the wrong plants to grow. Some plants are exceedingly sensitive and temperamental. But there are some plants that even the worst gardener would have a hard time getting rid of.
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Flowers are a matter of pride for gardeners, a means of expression for lovers and they play a role in some of our most joyous and somber societal rituals. But not all flowers are bright colors and perfumed scents. Some are quite unusual.
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Wintertime can bring to mind a frost-covered landscape, blustering winds and snow flurries. And for all its beauty, this time of year can also wreak havoc in the garden. Protect your landscape from the harsh reality of winter.
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In this hectic world, everyone is looking to add a little Zen to their lives. Japanese-influenced gardens are a great way to turn your backyard into a calming slice of the Far East. From sand to moss and rock, we'll walk you through our Zen garden.
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Since the 6th century, Japanese gardeners have been creating green spaces that focus less on perennials and peonies and more on meditation and peace of mind.
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Greening your garden is not just about having the lushest lawn or the most vibrant rosebushes in the neighborhood. It's about having a garden you can enjoy that's also sustainable. But what's the big deal about going green anyway?
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It's the rare homeowner or gardener who lives a pest-free life. If it's not the mice in the attic, it's the squirrels on the tomato plants, right? Take this quiz and test your knowledge of animal pests -- and how to get rid of them.
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What has bright, blooming flowers and a sea of flapping wings? A butterfly garden. Planting one will help you to attract and conserve these winged beauties.
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Reproducing plants out of season gave man a measure of control over nature. The allure of it sparked the imagination and inspired new methods for building structures devoted to plants. So how do greenhouses work?
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As you head to work, you notice that the nearby vacant lot has become a utopian garden overnight. Did biblical forces create this urban Eden, or was it the handiwork of guerrilla gardeners?
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As the population of our planet soars and arable land declines, hydroponics will allow us to produce crops in greenhouses or in multilevel buildings dedicated to agriculture. How else will hydroponics save plant populations?
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Creating a backyard wildlife habitat is a rewarding project for nature lovers. However, they might be surprised to find that making a home for neighborhood critters is as easy as it is worthwhile.
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Gardens have lots of benefits, but what if you don't have any land to start your own? If you're strapped for green space, a community garden might be the answer.
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You may think of a land full of leafy green elephants when you hear the word "topiary," but you can train and shape plants in own back yard -- or even on your office desk.
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Planting a few trees in your yard certainly won't obliterate your entire carbon footprint. But it could cut your energy costs. How much carbon dioxide does the average tree absorb?
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Organic gardeners pay very careful -- some say obsessive -- attention to their soil to produce fruits and veggies that they claim taste better than supermarket goods. Organic gardeners can be really into worms, too -- take this quiz and find out why.
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Forget those boring plots of fruits and veggies. Why sacrifice aesthetic appeal when growing your own food? Border your garden with lettuce, use mint as ground cover and encourage your kiwi vines to climb trellises.
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Whatever their medium, artists have been known to use any available resource in order to create a masterpiece. So what if they used nature not only as inspiration, but as instrument?
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What if you could shop for fruits and veggies in your own backyard? Not only would it save you a trip to the grocery store, it might save you some cash. How much?
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