It happens to everyone, and not just when it comes to planning out your landscaping and garden layout. Just like the writer who stumbles with a writer"s block, you have what is referred to as the gardener"s gap. It essentially is a stretch of time, sometimes lasting for days, months or longer, where you just cannot come up with a plan for your garden. Here are 5 great ways to stimulate your imagination and senses.
Now, you may of course come up with your own ideas for botanically stimulating your senses to the point where ideas will just start flowing from your head to your green thumbs and fingertips. However, if that does not work, try the following tips:
A local Arboretum: Not everyone is fortunate enough to have one of these close enough to home to make an easy drive of it to gather ideas and knowledge that will enhance their own landscape projects. Depending on how far of a trip you are willing to make, you can do an online yellow page type search, or go ahead and get out the thick yellow hardcopy version of the same to pinpoint the closest arboretum. Well worth the trip, fees if they charge, and time, for the rewarding landscaping and gardening ideas you will get on top of the expertise from arboretum staffers that you should not be afraid to tap in to. Here is a tip: Take a photo or two of your yard and home together with you to the arboretum, ideally 8 " x 11". Be sure that you take a wide enough shot to see the entire home and the area you area of yard you are looking to plant. When you see a plant or flower species you like, you won"t have to close your eyes this time to imagine how it will look in your yard.
Upscale Homes: This one may not work for you if you consider your home to already fit within this category. However, if you manage to let a little raging jealously fester inside of you over similar homes within your neighborhood that are fashioning the latest variety of Coreopsis or Corydalis, make it work for you by capturing some of those neighboring images you like, and see how they might work in your own landscape. Never let envy spoil your own dreams for a better planter bed or box. Mimicking is the greatest form of flattery, and duplicating garden schemes you find not only will beautify your yard in the same manner you encountered at that other home, but will more often than not improve the market value and appearance of your property and give it that upscale home look.
Local Neighborhood Homes: As with the previous example of upscale homes, homes within your own neighborhood, whether upscale or not, can still reveal wonderful examples of gardening potential for your home. Maybe you have already come across a yard or two while taking a walk or drive that just make you want to slam on the brakes and take out the Polaroid for a lush Kodak moment. Okay, maybe not a Polaroid. How about a Nikon for a digitally framed moment? There is a good chance that just down the street from you is a creative example of how a homeowner with a more limited budget was able to smartly and cost effectively enhance their landscape.
Magazine Photos: Not just any magazine photos. They need to be wide angle shots that frame the subject home"s yard in a way that you will be able to imagine how your yard might appear using the same plants, shrubs, or trees. Visit the local bookstore to peruse their magazine selection for ideas, and write down anything you like, along with details of sun exposure, water needs, and any other vital information they provide.
Online: You did not think we would forget the obvious now did you? Not so fast. Just because there are millions of photos of plants and other green living creatures spread across the web, does not mean you should base your decision entirely on what you see online. Coming from a photography background, I can vouch for the fact that a good portion of the brightly vivid plant photos you see in magazines and online are doctored up with one of numerous photo editing tools available on the market. Because of that, seeing a variety of plant in person is always preferable.
These are just a few of the inspirational ways to find ideas for landscaping and garden schemes for your home, and wish you a happy journey in your search for your ultimate garden.
Happy landscaping!
Now, you may of course come up with your own ideas for botanically stimulating your senses to the point where ideas will just start flowing from your head to your green thumbs and fingertips. However, if that does not work, try the following tips:
A local Arboretum: Not everyone is fortunate enough to have one of these close enough to home to make an easy drive of it to gather ideas and knowledge that will enhance their own landscape projects. Depending on how far of a trip you are willing to make, you can do an online yellow page type search, or go ahead and get out the thick yellow hardcopy version of the same to pinpoint the closest arboretum. Well worth the trip, fees if they charge, and time, for the rewarding landscaping and gardening ideas you will get on top of the expertise from arboretum staffers that you should not be afraid to tap in to. Here is a tip: Take a photo or two of your yard and home together with you to the arboretum, ideally 8 " x 11". Be sure that you take a wide enough shot to see the entire home and the area you area of yard you are looking to plant. When you see a plant or flower species you like, you won"t have to close your eyes this time to imagine how it will look in your yard.
Upscale Homes: This one may not work for you if you consider your home to already fit within this category. However, if you manage to let a little raging jealously fester inside of you over similar homes within your neighborhood that are fashioning the latest variety of Coreopsis or Corydalis, make it work for you by capturing some of those neighboring images you like, and see how they might work in your own landscape. Never let envy spoil your own dreams for a better planter bed or box. Mimicking is the greatest form of flattery, and duplicating garden schemes you find not only will beautify your yard in the same manner you encountered at that other home, but will more often than not improve the market value and appearance of your property and give it that upscale home look.
Local Neighborhood Homes: As with the previous example of upscale homes, homes within your own neighborhood, whether upscale or not, can still reveal wonderful examples of gardening potential for your home. Maybe you have already come across a yard or two while taking a walk or drive that just make you want to slam on the brakes and take out the Polaroid for a lush Kodak moment. Okay, maybe not a Polaroid. How about a Nikon for a digitally framed moment? There is a good chance that just down the street from you is a creative example of how a homeowner with a more limited budget was able to smartly and cost effectively enhance their landscape.
Magazine Photos: Not just any magazine photos. They need to be wide angle shots that frame the subject home"s yard in a way that you will be able to imagine how your yard might appear using the same plants, shrubs, or trees. Visit the local bookstore to peruse their magazine selection for ideas, and write down anything you like, along with details of sun exposure, water needs, and any other vital information they provide.
Online: You did not think we would forget the obvious now did you? Not so fast. Just because there are millions of photos of plants and other green living creatures spread across the web, does not mean you should base your decision entirely on what you see online. Coming from a photography background, I can vouch for the fact that a good portion of the brightly vivid plant photos you see in magazines and online are doctored up with one of numerous photo editing tools available on the market. Because of that, seeing a variety of plant in person is always preferable.
These are just a few of the inspirational ways to find ideas for landscaping and garden schemes for your home, and wish you a happy journey in your search for your ultimate garden.
Happy landscaping!
About the Author:
Linda Johnson is an experienced crafter and interior/exterior decorating specialist, with years of helping friends, family, and clients solve their decorating and craft needs. Linda and her contributing editors invite you to submit your own great ideas for free, and also find tons more 'craft ideas and decorating projects' like this with phots to try.
Linda Johnson is an experienced crafter and interior/exterior decorating specialist, with years of helping friends, family, and clients solve their decorating and craft needs. Linda and her contributing editors invite you to submit your own great ideas for free, and also find tons more 'craft ideas and decorating projects' like this with phots to try.
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