A garden creation is the result of one's expression of what one loves through the chosen theme of garden.

Moreover, garden is not just about planting trees and flowers but it involves a combination of soft and hard landscape (softscape and hardscape). Softscape comprises of living plants while hardscape comprises of outdoor accent, rock design, wind chimes, weathervane, wall mounted fountain, birdhouse, bridges, arbor & trellis, pergola, outdoor furniture, hammock, lantern, ponds, waterfall etc... Beautiful scenic view of the garden embrace your soul with serenity and tranquility.

To build a garden may be just a dream for you, but your deepest appreciation of beautiful landscape and garden decoration makes you fully aware and understands what you actually needs and crazes about. In assisting you to realize your dream garden, you should know about some guidelines or rules of creating a garden.

1. Size is an important factor in planning a garden. Color and texture will come and go according to the seasons. Sound effects will be diminished somehow. Structures and buildings can be demolished or modified. But after you have determined the size of your garden and started to create it, it's not easy to change. So, look around your surroundings and available space as well as any garden nearby to have an idea about the size. A small wall mounted fountains and herbal garden may be an ideal for a house with a small compound but it may be not a good idea to put it in a middle of a big house with a large compound. The key point is to size the garden proportionately to the available space.

2. Texture gives shape and profound effects on a garden. Ferns add welcome texture to a garden. Tucked in among rocks surrounding ponds or waterfall, their featherweight fronds make a refreshing contrast to the stone's hard surface. Large leaves plants such as Ruffled Fan Palm, Philodendron Selloum, Licuala Grandis, and bannana tree Mussa Ornatta stand out in a garden. Marginal plants such as Cattails, Arrow Head, grass like plants likes Umbrella Sedge add character to the garden. To add a variation of texture, foliage plants likes Monstera deliciosa or Swiss Cheese Plant can be selected because it's leaf full of holes.Be careful not to have too many plants with the same texture because it will be too crowded and boring. Try to mix and match until you are comfortable with the plants combination. You would unlikely to make mistake if you use "tried-and-true florist's mixture method that is a combination of rounds, pointings, and hangings.

3. Sounds effects in a garden is a very important element that seems always be taken lightly. If you seriously consider this element, you will be 100% satisfied with the result. Think about what is more practical. Do you need to build a fence with dense foliage plants or build a waterfall pond to drown the noise from the busy roads nearby? Then think about the serenity and tranquility when you are in the garden where the water splash down onto the rock and produce a music lullaby that soothe your soul. Learn more about Building Pond, Garden Water Pond, Koi Pond Design, and Waterfall Water Feature. 

4. Structures in a garden are not just about buildings and ornamentals but also pathways, walls, big trees or other elements that make up the entire design of the garden. These structures determine how big the garden is and are the landmarks of the surroundings of an English country garden. While a garden with sculptures and formal like French Parterre has a pathway and a flower bed or a colonial garden filled with woods and brick pathway restricted your movement around the garden. Some of the structures can be categorized as garden decor like arbor, trellis, bridges, birdhouse, birdfeeder, figurines, wind chimes, weathervanes, wind bells, lantern, address signage or pergola. Selection and arrangement of these objects determines the environment of the garden whether it's full of excitements or peaceful ala Zen. What type of environment is your selection?

5. Color Application has several difficult theories about color, it's significant and intensity. Some people say it's easy to refer to the artist's color wheel to determine the suitability of color matching. Others might say forget about the color scheme, choose any color that inspires you. Some people prefer snowy color likes cooling white, green patches, pastel colors. Some people like bright colors such as red, purple and yellow. Do a little bit of experiments to find out what you actually prefer. Maybe you have a lot of space to try out different colors at different places. Think about the colors on the leaf, trees and fruits. Look at the color on the wall, pathway, benches, arbor, trellis, pergola etc... A good mixture of colors composition in the garden is important to create an esthetic value.

6. Lighting can be produced naturally or man-made. Observe the movement of sunlight in your garden. Location of the plants, structures and lamps are affected by the sun. Plants like ornamental grass which has shining leaf and trees with interesting pattern of leaf will be more prominent and brilliant when planted in the direction of sunsets. Sunlight can also help to determine the location of the gazebo or pergola and other structures in the garden to provide more shades. You may think that it's not really necessary to put lighting in the garden since you seldom went out at night. But have you ever think that the reason you didn't go out to the garden at night is there is no lighting in there. Use lantern, electrical lamp, candles or festival lamp to lighten up your garden.

What you really need to realize your dream garden is your motivation, determination and utmost creativity with minimal cost.