You’ve been looking at your lawn a lot lately, especially the area behind the house. Your thoughts are almost visible – a new flower bed where the tree and stump were removed after last summer’s hurricanes. A garden for some veggies and herbs for the kitchen a little closer to the back of the house might be really great. Let’s see what we can do.
Creating a new flower bed is a true artistic endeavor. Things will have to be planned out, decisions made, and a lot of choices. For example, will the new flower bed be a cutting garden for flowers that can be cut to bring into the house? Or will it be exotic plants, tall irises, plump climbing roses, plants to add color and scent from other parts of the world? It all sounds quite lovely.
The area for the new beds has some slope, so plans will have to be checked and possibly modified. Raised or terraced bedding might work best there. If you’re planting close to the house, the question of drainage is essential. You don’t want your new garden beds to allow water to get through the cracks in the foundation or around the basement windows. Irrigation will have to be considered, as well. Will we need a different system for this flower bed?
The beds for veggies and herbs might do best as container gardens, maybe on wheels so that they can be moved into the sun, into the shade, away from the wind, and closer to the kitchen. The significant benefit to that system, aside from being able to move the gardens, is that they are high enough that you won’t have to bend to work with them.
As you know, you can always ask for a consultation with your Custom Acres folks. They already take care of your lawns, trees, bushes, hedges, and tasks like mulching and weeding. In addition, they probably have some great ideas and plans for different configurations of gardens that might fit some of your needs.
It would also be a great time to bring up some other ideas with your Custom Acres service. Don’t be afraid to ask them anything related to your landscape, hardscape, or lawns. These are very informed and dedicated people, and they might have some ideas of their own to help you achieve yours.
Flowering Plant installations
Fantastic, you decided to go ahead with the flower beds. The land has a nice slope in that area, so you will probably be making two beds with retaining walls. Drainage will be added to both areas, and you can put in some showy flowers with brilliant colors. Also, since they will be raised somewhat in the front, they will be easier to work with for weeding, planting, and mulching.
Your experts from Custom Acres will build the retaining walls and add a drip irrigation system to the new flower beds. It will give the flowers planted there a regular and consistent watering schedule. They will also be adding the mulch once the plants have been chosen and planted. Drainage will be added when the retaining walls are built, leading to the drainage that’s already on that side of the property.
They had some great ideas about what to plant and how to plant it. The bedding nearest the front will be bursting with smaller, shorter flowers with bright saturated colors. Those flowers will be attractive to your kids, so don’t be surprised if you get a sweet bouquet every once in a while.
The ideas for the upper bedding, closer to the house, are exciting. The tall flowers and ornamental grasses will make a perfect backdrop. Not only that, but those taller flowers, with some bushes behind, will give you a bit of privacy on the side of the house.
Once they are about six inches tall, mulching around the flowers will bring the two beds together. And let us not forget, the mulch will go a long way to prevent weeds.
Your team from Custom Acres will be taking care of the new bedding for you. No hurting backs or knees. Just a great conversation about what’s going on in the flower bedding, what’s not working, and what will work best for replacements.
Edible plants: veggies and herbs for the kitchen
You’ve always wanted an herb garden, and there are so many spices and herbs that do well in all conditions. Central Florida has excellent conditions for growing vegetables and herbs.
Container gardening is not a new idea. In cities and areas where houses are crowded together, you will often see window boxes, big flower pots, and other types of containers for planting favorite plants. Many people who garden in window boxes will choose to plant herbs and spices for the amazing scent and cooking. Miniature vegetables also do well in smaller containers.
Your containers will be somewhat larger than window boxes, with a system of drainage that will capture the water for re-use. In addition, the inside of the boxes will be lined so that the water or soil won’t damage the wood containers. As a result, they will last longer and stay beautiful longer.
Big wheels and handles on each side will be added so that you can move the containers to the best spot as the weather changes. For instance, you will probably want to move the containers into the garage or garden shed if your community is under a hurricane or tornado watch.
As time goes on, you’ll discover what herbs and vegetables your family most enjoys. For example, you might find that while cucumbers and zucchini are very easy to grow, they are almost too enthusiastic for your needs.
If you’re thinking about edible flowers, get advice from your garden gurus at Custom Acres. It’s so easy to make a mistake, and you wouldn’t want anyone to get sick. They can help you with every element of your gardening needs and make it as easy as possible.