Southern Gardeners ~ gardening locally, sharing globally

The downturn in the economy has created a surge in the phenomenon known as Staycations, where people opt to stay home instead of spending money on expensive vacations in other cities.  In an effort to tighten financial belts in response to an era of vast uncertainty about the future, people are seeing the wisdom in spending their limited resources on entertaining themselves at home whether it’s choosing to invest in quality electronics so that they can rent movies, exploring all of the unknown cultural aspects of their hometown or improving their own domain so that they can seek refuge from the unpleasantries of the day by focusing on home and hearth.

Home is where we go to rejuvenate our spirits in the arms of loved ones who reassuringly tell us everything will be ok.  It’s where we get to sit back and relax in the privacy of our own homes without the usual pressures that we feel at work.  To that end, more people are attempting to create their own haven away from the big, bad world.

One of the easiest and ostensibly, least expensive, ways of doing that is by improving outdoor garden spaces.  What a wonderful way to extend your living quarters and getting an added bonus of being closer to nature to boot?  No matter how large or how small your yard may be there are always creative ways to bring it up a notch.

One important way is to balance your hard scape and soft scape ratios.  Always try to strike a balance between structures like pavers, trellises, ornamental pots, bird baths, decks, etc. with plants, trees and shrubs.  It’s always important for one not to overpower the other.  There is also a risk of having too much of either.  Decide on a design style and stick with it; too many varied elements can make your garden look too busy and confused without a specific identity.

If you are not sure of what type of look you are going for, do research by scouring garden mags and doing google searches to get ideas and identify what particular look that is appealing to you.  Surround yourself in color!  Whether you choose a bright, colorful pattern for patio furniture, a splash of instant color via a container garden or tinted garden statuary, don’t be afraid to make a bold statement and create the haven you envision for you and your family.

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