The weather will be a major influence on the design and planting of your garden. If you live in an area where the proportion of cold, wet days is high, you should site your vegetable patch near the house, or at least make sure there is a dry path to it so that it will he easy to pick a winter cabbage.
Plants need light to achieve growth, through the process of photosynthesis. You can take advantage of the microclimate in various ways to increase the amount of sunlight available to a plant. A slope, for example, may catch more of the sun's rays than fiat ground and the water of a small pond will reflect light, aiding the growth of nearby plants. However, some plants require less sun and more shade than others and too much solar heat results in excessive water loss.
Shade-loving plants tend to be the ones with relatively large leaves, since these become hotter than small leaves when exposed to sunlight. While plants and soil absorb heat from the sun during the day, at night they give off heat into the atmosphere. On cloudy nights, heat radiated from the ground is partly reflected back again, so that temperatures do not increase too rapidly. On clear winter nights, however, nearly all the heat is lost to space and the ground temperature falls rapidly until it is lower than that of the air. The soil then takes heat from the air at ground level, resulting in freezing.
Although a panoramic view is a great asset, the site from which you enjoy it is often exposed and windswept. As well as offering shelter, planting in the foreground (right) may improve such a view by breaking it up into a series of images. A wall with a window in it (far right) performs a similar function and literally frames the view
The overall design and the use of plants can either lead the eve out or focus it within the garden. The garden illustrated above adjoins an equally attractive beyond.
The most common problem in the countryside is the direct force of the wind, whereas in town it is more often draught, or wind coming in sudden gusts which has been re-routed round buildings, that damages plants. Balcony and roof gardens may be particularly exposed to the wind. Wind breaks can be made from a variety of materials, including plants which do not themselves mind high wind speeds. Solid barriers create areas of turbulence so an open-work fence, a broken wall, a group of plants or another form of partial wind break may be the better solution. - 16035
Plants need light to achieve growth, through the process of photosynthesis. You can take advantage of the microclimate in various ways to increase the amount of sunlight available to a plant. A slope, for example, may catch more of the sun's rays than fiat ground and the water of a small pond will reflect light, aiding the growth of nearby plants. However, some plants require less sun and more shade than others and too much solar heat results in excessive water loss.
Shade-loving plants tend to be the ones with relatively large leaves, since these become hotter than small leaves when exposed to sunlight. While plants and soil absorb heat from the sun during the day, at night they give off heat into the atmosphere. On cloudy nights, heat radiated from the ground is partly reflected back again, so that temperatures do not increase too rapidly. On clear winter nights, however, nearly all the heat is lost to space and the ground temperature falls rapidly until it is lower than that of the air. The soil then takes heat from the air at ground level, resulting in freezing.
Although a panoramic view is a great asset, the site from which you enjoy it is often exposed and windswept. As well as offering shelter, planting in the foreground (right) may improve such a view by breaking it up into a series of images. A wall with a window in it (far right) performs a similar function and literally frames the view
The overall design and the use of plants can either lead the eve out or focus it within the garden. The garden illustrated above adjoins an equally attractive beyond.
The most common problem in the countryside is the direct force of the wind, whereas in town it is more often draught, or wind coming in sudden gusts which has been re-routed round buildings, that damages plants. Balcony and roof gardens may be particularly exposed to the wind. Wind breaks can be made from a variety of materials, including plants which do not themselves mind high wind speeds. Solid barriers create areas of turbulence so an open-work fence, a broken wall, a group of plants or another form of partial wind break may be the better solution. - 16035
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Selecting suitable plants that suit to the climate of the region of your garden is important in garden planning.
