L-3: Garden components and Garden adornments

Garden & Gardening

Garden Components
➢ Garden components are elements which require for garden arrangement.
➢ Components differ greatly from one garden to another under normal circumstances.
➢ A garden is your opportunity for positive action to resolve personal concerns and
problems.
➢ A judicious blend of plant and non-plant components in a garden makes it beautiful
and useful. The common plant components of a garden are discussed here
A. Plant Components
• Lawn
• Shrubbery
• Flower beds and borders
• Rockery
• Carpet beds
• Topiary
• Trophy
• Hedges
• Edges
B. Non-plant Components
• Arches
• Pergolas
• Trellises
• Islands
• Garden walls
• Garden fences
• Foot paths
• Roads
• Arbours
• Bridges
 A. Plant Components
1. Lawn
• A lawn can be defined as the green carpet for a landscape. It is a basic feature for any
type of garden.
• In a home garden, lawn improves the appearance of the house, enhances its beauty,
increases conveniences and usefulness thus adding monetary value to the real estate.
• The lawn provides a perfect setting for a flower bed, a border, a shrubbery or a
specimen tree or a shrub.
• Besides the material value, a lawn has its spiritual value, too.
• A lawn is the source of charm and pride and reduces tension of the mind after a day’s
hard work in the materialistic world.
2. Shrubbery
• Growing of shrubs in a group is called shrubbery.
• It is of two types
I. Pure shrubbery- Pure shrubbery refers to planting of entire selected area with a single
species.
II. Mixed shrubbery- A mixed shrubbery has many different species of shrubs.
3. Flower beds and borders
• Annuals and herbaceous perennials are grown in flower beds to provide mass effect of
different colors.
• Borders are continuous beds of more length than width containing plants of one kind
only.
4. Rockery
• A rockery or a rock garden is the arrangement of rocks with plants growing in the
crevices.
• The stones help the plants in retaining their moisture and keeping their roots cool.
• In plains, on the sunny side some of the cacti and succulents and plants like Lantana,
Setcreasea, Verbena, etc., can be grown successfully. Ferns and some indoor plants
also look natural on the rockery slopes in shade.
• Rocks are also valued in garden design for their interesting shapes. The range and
variability of shapes and size give them a sculptural quality.
5. Carpet beds
• The art of growing ground cover plants closely and trimming them to a design or
alphabetical letters is called a carpet bed.
• Colourful foliage as edge plants is found to be more suitable for this purpose.
Plants for carpet beds should possess the following characteristics:
a. Perennial in nature
b. Should have quick recuperative quality
c. Should withstand frequent pruning
d. Should withstand summer sun and heavy rains
e. Should withstand drought e.g. Alternenthera.
6. Topiary
• It is the art of developing the plant or training the plant into different forms or shapes
like animals, birds, arches, etc.
• The plant should be amenable for repeated pruning and also flexible
• with more vegetative growth.
• e.g. For hills - Cupressus macrocarpa, Pinus patul;
• for plains - Casuarina sp., Caesalphinia coriari, Bougainvillea sp., Clerodendron sp.
7. Trophy
• It is the arrangement of colorful potted plants in different tiers around a central object
which may be a tree trunk, lamp post or a pillar.
8. Hedges
• With the help of plants, live hedges can be formed and used as a fence or a green wall.
• Acalypha, Casuarina, Divi divi (Caesalpinia coriaria), etc., are plants suitable for
hedging.
• Hedges help to screen a particular site or building or hiding of unwanted places.
• They help to partition the garden into several parts.
9. Edges
• These are perennial herbs often used as a short border for lawn or ground cover or
dividing beds from roads, walks or paths.
• These herbs often stand frequent trimming e.g. Eupatorium, Alternanthera, Duranta,
Dwarf marigold, etc.
B. Non-Plant Components
1. Arches
• Arches are supports provided for climbers.
• It should be at least two meter height and one metre wide. The breadth depends upon
the path over which it is constructed but should not be less than 1 metre.
• Arches may be made of wood, metal, stones or concrete structures.
2. Pergolas
• A pergola is formed by connecting a series of arches over a considerable length.
• Usually flowering creepers are trained over the arches.
• A pergola is a useful resting place during the summer months in tropical regions.
• The path below remains cool due to the creepers growing above.
• Below the pergola, concrete or wooden benches may be constructed for sitting.
3. Trellises
• A garden trellis makes the most of limited space with a vertical display of lush
greenery and colorful blooms.
• Uses of a garden trellis include the following.
• Creates a privacy screen in a garden or on a patio or balcony
• Provides support for large vines and trailing plants
• Screens an unattractive area of the landscape
• Provides shelter from wind
• Provides shade for sitting area
• Climbers such as climbing roses, Clematis, English ivy, passion flower, etc., are
suitable for trellises.
4. Islands
• Various types of islands are made in garden lakes and ponds.
• Islands are decorated with trees, flowers, several other features and connected with
bridges.
• Islands are a very important feature in Japanese gardens.
• It is no doubt a special representation of nature and a retreat for quiet meditation.
5. Garden walls
• Garden walls serve many purposes in different situations.
• They provide privacy and security, screen out wind and noise.
• They can also be constructed to observe the ugly sights in the garden.
6. Garden fences
• They have a specific function as well as beauty.
• Fencing provides privacy, separates different areas of gardens and ensures safety.
• They have almost infinite possibilities and variations in design, material and
usefulness.
• Fences may be solid or open.
• Materials like wood, bamboo, wire, wire-netting and chain link fences may be used
for fencing.
• Painted fences are an additional attraction in the garden.
7. Foot paths
• Foot paths facilitate movement within the garden area.
• Foot paths may be winding, circular or straight.
• Spinal or herring borne designs can also be adopted.
• Winding foot path conceals the components beyond and creates curiosity.
• Straight foot paths make one walk fast.
• A vista at the end of a straight foot path adds beauty to the scenery
8. Roads
• The different locations of landscape over an area require proper roads.
• In a small garden, foot path will serve the purpose.
• Roads are constructed in larger gardens like dam site gardens, public gardens and
botanical gardens.
• Such roads should be straight in formal gardens and with curvatures in informal
gardens.
• The road gradient should be 1 to 30 for effective traction.
• Width may be 3.3-5 m.
• Drainage gutters should be provided on both sides.
• The road may be made with single metal with black top.
9. Arbours
• Garden arbours are an attractive and very functional addition to landscape that will
allow
• exploring the vertical dimension of garden.
• Arbours come in a variety of shapes from rounded or gently curved tops, to linear, flat
tops to suit any garden style and space.
• An arbour, or pergola, can also cover a larger area such as a patio or balcony.
• The following are the uses of garden arbours.
✓ Add vertical interest to the garden
✓ Create a transition from house to garden or from one garden area to another
✓ Extend or integrate architectural details from house or garage to garden
✓ Provide a shaded area in the garden
✓ Provide shelter from wind
✓ Provide support for vines
✓ Screen an unattractive area of the landscape
✓ Create privacy
10. Bridges
• Bridges are essential constructed features in a garden to link ponds and rivers.
• The design and colour of the bridge should merge with the landscape design; always a
rustic
• design is preferred.
• Bridges should be structurally sound to withstand traffic.
• The culverts along the main road and foot paths also should be rustic.
• Bridges made of single or double trees fallen across a stream or a single long stone,
arched bamboo bridges will serve better in informal gardens.

Garden Adornments
➢ Garden adornments are used for decorate the garden which enhance the aesthetic
value.
➢ There are several garden adornments and accessories such as bird bath, sun clock,
fountains, garden seats, ornamental posts, pillars, etc., which make the garden more
enjoyable.
1. Garden Seats
• The garden-seats should not look out of place.
• They should be comfortable, durable and artistic looking.
• Seats made out of wooden or fabric material are comfortable to sit compared to those
built in stone or iron.
• The wood used is to be treated with a preservative and painted with moisture proof
chemicals.
• Iron or stone or concrete seats get easily heated in the summer months and become
cool in the winter months, thus making them uncomfortable to sit.
• Concrete or stone seats are preferable in public parks as they are durable in nature.
2. Ornamental tubs, urns and vases
• The tub or the vase can be made of timber or preferably of brick, concrete or carved
out of stone, which can be kept permanently or temporarily.
• These can be positioned over ornamental pillars, at the end of paved paths, near the
gate or near the staircase of the main entrance.
• Ornamental urns made of metal with carvings outside look beautiful in the terrace,
near the staircase or even inside the house.
3. Bird Bath
• It is a large, bow-shaped container generally made of concrete, fixed over a pillar or
column, which is about 1m tall.
• Water is stored in the bowl for the birds to come and drink or bath in it.
• Bird baths may be constructed at the quiet corner of the garden.
4. Sun Dials
• It can be used as a focal point in a garden, can form a centerpiece of a formal flower
bed, and can be placed in the centre or at the end of the lawn or at the junction or
termination of path.
• It is also a good feature in a sunken-garden.
• The sundial should be positioned in a place where the shadow from a tree or building
does not fall for a long duration.
5. Floral clocks
• These are huge clocks generally operated by electricity, having huge hands for
showing the seconds, minutes and hours.
• The machinery of the clock is concealed in an underground chamber with only the
hands showing above the ground against a dial of
• carpet bedding plants or flowerbeds.
• Instead of live plants, the dial can be decorated with various coloured pebbles.