The Landscape Garden: One Amateur Gardener's Personal Story
By Riley Hendersen
If you have any bit of a green thumb at all, sooner or later you will learn some very valuable lessons in the garden. My husband and I learned these lessons one summer when we decided to add a water feature to an existing garden area.

Landscape garden lesson number one - while massive oak trees may be a beautiful covering over a water garden, they can make it difficult to dig proper sized hole for the water pond. When putting in the water feature, my husband dug and dug for what seemed like hours to make a hole big enough for the pond.

To make matters worse, just as he neared the end of the digging, he encountered a huge root from one of the massive oak trees. Determined he wasn't going to dig another hole, he sawed at the root until he got enough of it cut away that the pond would fit in the hole flush with the ground.

Landscape garden lesson number two - always line your pond hole with sand to allow for proper leveling of the water pond. We learned this after we placed the pond in the hole and then backfilled around it. After we finished and stepped back to admire our work we began to notice something a little strange, the pond had settled to one side and was obviously crooked. We later found this wouldn't have happened if we had lined the whole properly.

Landscape garden lesson number three - this one showed up during a sudden summer storm. We had chosen a tall fountain for the pond and hadn't anchored it very well, so the wind blew it over. Luckily we didn't have any fish in our pond yet because the displaced fountain pumped all of the water out of the pond onto the ground. Oh well, it gave us a chance to level up the pond.

Landscape garden lesson number four - if you add any dirt to your garden, be careful where you get it from, it may contain unwanted plants. We learned this lesson a few weeks after we finished our water feature. As a finishing touch, we had decided to add a waterfall to our water garden. We didn't have quite enough dirt to build up the waterfall high enough, so we borrowed a little dirt from a freshly plowed pea field.

We mulched the area and added walkway lights and stepping stones around the pond with a comfortable bench nearby. During the course of that first summer, I started noticing some strange plants coming up around the water garden. I'd never seen them before, so I called my husband to identify them. They were peas! Apparently the dirt we'd taken from the edge of the field had already been sown with seed, and now we had peas growing around our water garden.

These are just a few of the lessons we learned during our first attempt at a garden. Hopefully by sharing a few of our goofs, you can avoid making the same mistakes when you decide to create a garden of your own.

Still looking for the perfect landscape?

New Space of Love Magazine: Committed to Co-create a New Global Reality
While numerous traditional magazines are failing right along with an economy which was based on resource-depleting practices, increasing numbers of readers are looking for true solutions for a joyful, abundant and sustainable lifestyle. Peace and Harmony is not seen as a simple inner experience within oneself any more, but as an experience with community and most of all, with Nature. The launch of "Space of Love Magazine" seems to be a timely response to a deep need and international demand for integrity and intelligence in magazine publishing. (PRWeb Nov 20, 2008)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/11/prweb1640224.htm

]]>
Millenia® Retaining Walls Voted Best Green Exterior Product
Millenia Wall Solutions Wins Readers' Choice Award for Best Green Building Products (PRWeb Nov 20, 2008)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/Millenia_RetainingWall/Green_Product/prweb1642714.htm

]]>
FREELITE, INC Announces Release of Free Report on Energy Efficient Replacement Windows for Phoenix Area Homeowners
FREELITE, INC has announced the release of "The Insider's Guide to Replacement Windows - A Free Report for Phoenix Area Homeowners" on maximizing savings from energy efficient windows. The free copyrighted report provides valuable information to consumers regarding energy efficient replacement windows, and the environmental demands of the Arizona climate. (PRWeb Nov 19, 2008)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/replacement-windows/energy-efficient/prweb1635344.htm

]]>
C'est la Vie Antiques and King and Company Antiques Celebrate Grand Opening of New Warehouse in Encinitas
King and Company of La Jolla and C'est la Vie of Encinitas have joined together to open the latest antique shopper's haven in Encinitas. (PRWeb Nov 19, 2008)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/11/prweb1637684.htm

]]>
StollerUSA Launches Updated Web site For Growers and Farmers
StollerUSA, the world leader in development and sales of products that maximize a plant's genetic expression, has utilized the latest in Web technology in an effort to enhance their Web site, www.StollerUSA.com. Highlights of the updated Web site include product details, university research, farmer interviews and a blogging forum where growers can exchange opinions and share experiences. (PRWeb Nov 18, 2008)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/11/prweb1608062.htm

]]>
Now Retailing in Armstrong Garden Centers, Cyber-Rain Helps Homeowners Stay Afloat Amid Rising Utility Costs
Home Automation Devices Alleviate Consumer Worries During Economic Slump (PRWeb Nov 17, 2008)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/Cyber-Rain/Armstrong-Garden-Centers/prweb1630494.htm

]]>
Solar Innovations, Inc. Announces the Introduction of a Black Stainless Steel Glass Spacer and Additional Decorative Options
Solar Innovations, Inc., a custom manufacturer of residential and commercial conservatories; greenhouses; sunrooms; folding, tilting, and sliding glass doors, walls, windows, and screens; is proud to announce the introduction of a black stainless steel glass spacer and additional decorative options. (PRWeb Nov 17, 2008)

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/conservatories/solarinnovations/prweb1607532.htm

]]>


Try visiting www.landscapediscussion.com, a website that specializes in providing advice, tips and resources including information on landscape gardening.

Article Source: ArticleTap.com