Garden Embellishment and Transformation

In this article, I am going to be sharing a long lasting project of how I was able to embellish and give an actual purpose of some parts of my garden. Indeed, when I say that it was a long project, it was done over a two year span because I am a student and am not always home. However, it turned out to be useful because that way, I was able to see all of the plants grow and see what did not work. You will even see the improved version a year later where I changed what had not work or what I was not satisfied with. In the end you will see the final result after two years of trial and errors.

For all the steps, do not hesitate to look at all of the extra photos in addition to the three displayed ones.

Supplies

• A Garden
• Dirt
• Mulch
• Borders
• Mulch cloth
• Micro-porous hose
• Plants

Tools:

• Shovel
• Garden fork
• Rake
• Hammer

Step 1: Thought Process

The first step was to actually plan the project. The main goal was too make the garden look better and also add a bit more purpose to it.

Our garden is rectangular which gives it a very linear effect. We were not big fans of it and so we wanted to change it’s overall shape and the way we were going to navigate through it.

To counterbalance the linear and rectangular aspect of our garden, we decided to add flower beds at the entry of our garden. We wanted the flower beds to be quite long and of a wavy design. This way we would add flowers and plants to the garden and break the linear aspect of the garden. In addition, it would change the way we would walk through the garden which would make it more pleasant.

On the other side of the garden (bottom wall of top view) I decided to add two beds for aromatic plants since it’s the closest part of the garden to the kitchen. In addition, in between I, chose to add a rock bottom with a nice design and a bench onto it so we would have a place to sit and enjoy our garden. This part would be a bit more rectangular because we did not want to loose to much space and it made it more practical this way. We still decided to add a bit of waviness into the design of the rock bottom which you will see in the steps to come.

Once all of the plans were clear, I had to think about what materials I would use and what plant I would add. In addition, I also tried to estimate how much I would need of each material (dirt, rocks…) in order to also value how much it would cost to make sure my parents were ok with it.

Step 2: Mark Out and Prep the Area

Once everything was clear, it was time to get started. Initially, I used rope and sticks to draw the shape of the new zones to come into the garden to make sure it would look as expected and also have my parents validate it.

Once it was all validated I started to remove all of the grass where we would plan on adding the beds. In addition, once all the grass was removed, I made sure to rake and plow the ground and level it as good as possible.

Thereafter, I went on to buying all the needed supplies.

Step 3: Prepare the Soil and the Borders

Adding the borders was also essential so that we could later on add the soil into the demarcated zones.

For the main flower bed, it was necessary to dig quite deep grooves so that I could then bury part of the borders into the ground.

For the aromatic plants beds, I decided to use big pieces of wood to delimit each rectangle.

For the bench area, I had to dig even more into the ground so that the rocks could later be level. Once I had removed a good 10cm of dirt I leveled it as good as possible, added sand at the bottom, then a weed cloth barrier and then a honeycomb structure that would receive the rocks. I bounded the bench area using slate borders so it would contrast well.

Once all beds were prepared I added a rich soil mix to later greet the plants and create some relief.

In addition, I also added a micro-porous hose into the big flower bed so that we could later on automate the watering of the plants.

Finally a thick cloth was added on top to retain the soil and prevent weed growth. Huge steel staples were used to secure the cloth into the ground.

Step 4: Planting the Different Plants

Finally, it was time to add the plants. Initially, I placed all of the plants in their pot above the cloth to try to arrange them all in a nice way and make sure it would fit well.

In addition I made sure to respect all of the plants different needs and also take advantage of some of the plants interesting particularity. Indeed, for example, I made sure to plant the lemongrass/citronella next to the bench so that it would also act as a mosquito repulsive when sitting on the bench. The mint was added on the other side of the bench so that we could enjoy all of the lovely smells.

In the main bed I also made sure to play with heights, varieties, creeping plants…

Once I was satisfied with how it looked, it was time to plant everything, all I had to do was to make a hole in the cloth, and set the plant into the ground. As you will see in the photos, I tried to plant some plants in an original way using half buried terracotta pot and roof tile.

Step 5: Finishing Touches: Mulch, Lightning...

Succeeding the planting, I added mulch onto all of the bed to keep the soil fresh and humid but also to limit even more weed growth. Another important factor of the mulch is its appearance. Indeed, I used both slate and wood mulch which created a very pleasant contrast.

I also made the rock pattern below the bench area using different colors of rocks.

Step 6: Final Result (first Version)

Here are the photos of the final results from the first version a bit more than a year ago.

You will see in the steps to come how it evolved and what I decided to change/upgrade.

Step 7: First Version Outcome, Growth and Issues a Year Later

A year later I was not satisfied with the results, indeed, now that time had passed we had more perspective on things.

Two things bothered me:

• The mulch had settled down a lot
• The borders that we used where made of plastic, and after a year they were already sun burnt and had become extremely wavy due to shrinking.

Also a few plants endured frost damage sadly.

Step 8: V2: Project Upgrade After Long Term Trial

Since I was not fully satisfied, it was time for a V2.

First of all we decided to redo the whole lawn which had been neglected for years and such a project did not help it either.

A few months later I found new borders made of stainless steel so it was time to throw the old ones away because I really did not like the messy look the old borders gave to the beds.

These stainless steel borders turned out to be amazing, they are solid, not wavy at all and overall look a lot better and classier.

I am not going to lie, it was quite a process to remove the old borders and prepare for the new ones. Having to dig again some bigger grooves while making sure to keep the mulch away from the grooves was a tedious process. To make things right and have these borders last forever I even went ahead and poured concrete all along the bottom.

Finally I added new grass seeds all around the new borders so the grass would come flush with it. I also added new mulch on top to refresh the beds.

Step 9: Final Results: Main Flower Bed

Here are the final results of the main flower bed after fixing everything that I did not like from the first version. Just be aware that some plants still have to grow for it to become a bit more dense. Also the mulch lost a bit of color but overall I am extremely happy with the end results and most of the plants have grown a lot since the beginning.

Do not hesitate to look at all of the extra photos in addition to the three displayed ones.

Step 10: Final Results: Bench Side

Here are the final results of the bench area with the aromatic plant beds.

I am extremely happy with the end results and most of the plants have grown a lot since the beginning.

Do not hesitate to look at all of the extra photos in addition to the three displayed ones.

Step 11: Conclusion

All in all it was a long but extremely rewarding project. I like the fact that I was able to do this project over a long period of time this way you get a good idea of the issues encountered and how it evolved over time.

It was my first time doing such a project, I am still a student studying in a totally different subject so I might have made a few mistakes but overall I am highly satisfied with the end results.

Do not hesitate if you have comments or advice.

Hopefully you found this project interesting !

Thank You !