Personal Touches Make all the Difference

Give your garden soul with careful selection and placement of sentimental objects

As a garden designer , I always make it a spot to contribute my clients to my garden to show them my personal expressive style but , more important , to give them a glimpse of what their own garden can look like in years to come . When find my garden for the first metre , many exclaim : “ Give me this ! This is just what I need . ” To which I must answer , “ Sorry , no can do . ” I then excuse that what Icando is create a framework by laying down the bones of the garden , and help clients fill it in with beautiful and appropriate plantings . But I truly believe that people must add their own personality to their garden . No amount of money can do it for you , and you ca n’t get word it from a Word . It ’s got to come from your past experience and from your heart .

breathe lifespan into a garden takes time . It ’s a gradual , serious-minded , ever - deepen process , one that should n’t be rushed . It ’s the little personal touches from your life story , whether the particular are know or not , that fix the person of a garden .

6 Creative Waysto Give your Garden Heart and Soul

The goal hereisn’t to haul everything out of your attic , underprice the objective in your garden , and call it a day . Judicial position is the key to avoid having your garden calculate like a garage cut-rate sale . The goal is to start slowly adding personal touches to your garden in a way that think the most to you while still blending in with your garden . Not sure how to start this journey ? Begin by looking around your base and garden and identifying what you already have .

1.Make your work space a showcase

What ’s a garden without a denominate spot where you could potter around , make a mess , and perform other garden - refer task ? While these surface area may be useful by nature , that does n’t intend you ca n’t expend them to express yourself . My potting bench , for example , is the perfect spot to display some of my favorite container and small pieces of garden artwork that might otherwise get lost in the garden . When you make these spaces beautiful , it ’s a joy to act there .

2.Vacation mementos recall happy times

While vacationing in Sonoma , California , my married man found the rim of an quondam wine-colored barrel and bend it into a heart bod for me , which I proudly hang on my fencing . Such relic as shell , driftwood , and sea chicken feed from trips to the ocean not only are beautiful but also provide meaningful memory board of distant places . And because they ’re natural materials , they ’re especially soft to lay within a garden . I know of one gardener who has small mason jounce lined up along her fencing , each filled with sand from the unlike beach she ’s visited around the world .

3.Don’t forget the plants

Plants , like object , can hold equally powerful memories of your yesteryear and should find distinguished and prominent place within your garden . In my garden , I have huge belt of hens and chicks ( Echeveria imbricata , USDA Hardiness zone 9–11 ) that originated from my parent ’ garden more than 35 years ago . A military man drive around the region selling hand - made garden furniture gave my newlywed parents ( and his first customers of the day ) a clump from the back of his cartridge .

4.Humble heirlooms get a new life

relation ’ garage and Ionic dialect provide an endless source of inspiration if it ’s the countryfied look you opt . I ’ve filled an entire wall of my shed with older garden tools , rust and fatigue from years of function by my grandparent and their grandparent , as well as old washtub and hoop . Heirloom objects make fabulous pieces of garden graphics .

5.Timeworn objects aren’t necessarily bound for the dump

Do n’t be so quick to throw out something just because it ’s broken . With a lilliputian creativeness , these items can be repurposed in your garden . I have a charming antique garden electric chair , for example , which I set up on someone ’s trash pile ; using hardy net telegram to make a seat , I now take it with shade - eff annuals . Remember , though , that too many broken items can quickly sprain the most charming garden into a vista out ofSanford and Son , so restrained option and careful position is important .

6.Old toys and crafts are a tribute to childhood

Adding personality to your garden can be particularly rewarding if you have children . In one street corner of my garden , you ’ll witness many years ’ worth of stepping - Harlan Fisk Stone made by my children at our townspeople ’s annual fall fete . If your minor are grown , localise an old toy , such as a weathered trike or wagon , in a planting bed where the plant can freely develop around it . It will be a touching testimonial to their puerility and a guaranteed way to make you smile each time you pass by .

Rebecca Sweet is a garden designer in Los Altos , California .

Photos : Michelle Gervais

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