The layout of the gardens obviously involves the choice of plants and plant species capable of decorating the green space in a rich and aesthetically pleasing way. From this point of view, the choice to focus on shrubs always proves to be reliable and successful, all the more so when it comes to evergreen shrubs: in addition to being a guarantee for the landscape, they play a particularly important psychological role, in how they transmit a feeling of tranquility throughout the year, but especially in winter. If you have a garden of considerable size, you can rely on large shrubs, that is to say with a height of between three and seven meters: considered small trees, they can be planted without problems as single, isolated compared to other plants, all the more so when they have decidedly ornamental leaves or flowers: this is the case, for example, with camellia japonica.
A species such as the prunus laurocerasus, on the other hand, can be used, planting it in rows, as a screen or a vegetable barrier. It is worth emphasizing that by cutting the stem near the ground, the branches give rise to a low, thick and rather compact hedge. Also very common in garden installations are medium shrubs, also ideal for medium-small spaces: maximum three meters high, offering the opportunity to choose between different structures and shapes, depending on personal needs and tastes. Usually arranged in quite small groups, they are often used as elements of delimitation between properties or between different areas of the same environment. They must be given a particularly careful pruning, which gives rise to a sufficiently thick wall, able to last over time.
Nothing prevents, among other things, from using such shrubs to hide deformities or aesthetically ugly parts of buildings or buildings. As for small shrubs, on the other hand, they can be planted in groups or isolated, especially on land with slight slopes. Generally they are used to separate the flower beds, or to delimit areas with different purposes (for example, the area with children's games from the barbecue area, or a rose garden from a meadow).
The importance of the terrain
Before choosing a shrub instead of another, of course, it is necessary to deal with the soil on which they must be sown or planted: the degree of acidity of the soil, as well as the high or low content of nutrients, are fundamental parameters to be taken into consideration when setting up the garden. This applies, of course, not only to the shrubs, but to all the plants that you want to sow, and of course also for the lawn.
Sowing and watering
About the sowing of the lawn, before making it is advisable to treat the soil that will host it with a herbicide, which must be left to act for at least three weeks (avoiding spreading it near crops that will give life to vegetables or other vegetables intended for finish on the table); in case of particularly large or resistant weeds, you will have to proceed manually, possibly with the help of a small knife. Once sown, the lawn must be irrigated twice a day until the blades of grass emerging from the ground have reached a height of three centimeters. From that moment on, the waterings can be reduced, dropping them once every two days. The grass in the garden must be wet in the early hours of the morning: for this reason, to avoid effort and fatigue, it is advisable to use an automatic irrigation system, which will provide water for the times and quantities required.
Speaking of water, even if it is an undervalued element, it often causes the death of some plants, or in any case the grass rot. It seems strange that the element that gives life can also cause death, but it is so: many, in fact, do not know that, even more than a lack of water, an excess of water supply is harmful to plant species. In other words, too frequent and unnecessary irrigation can cause serious damage. The reason is easy to say: if the soil is wet when there is no need for it, it succeeds with difficulty in making the water flow (even more so if it turns out, by nature, to have little drainage); consequently, water stagnations are formed that cause excess moisture and can promote the appearance of infections and fungi. To avoid these risks, on the one hand it is necessary to favor the drainage of the soil (through periodic weeding operations) and on the other to respect the timing of watering.
Gardens set-up: Calculate the available budget
In conclusion, it is worth remembering that an efficient set-up of gardens cannot be designed without taking into account the initial budget, and ultimately the amount of money one is able to spend: for this reason, make a preventive calculation of the expenses that you intend to support can only favor the execution of the works, and above all will avoid leaving one or more crops in half.