There are more than a few homeowners that love to have a striking garden, but don’t like the time consuming activity of gardening.
Indigenous plants, cacti and succulents require little care and attention yet provide year-round foliage and colour for the modern garden. Having a beautiful garden to look at or lounge in can be hard work, but for those who don’t have ‘green fingers’ there are plenty of ideas to create a gorgeous garden without putting much effort.
These days, gardens can be high style and low-maintenance at the same time. Indigenous plants, cacti and succulents require little care and attention yet provide year-round foliage and colour for the modern garden.
The term ‘retro’ can find itself on the fashion catwalks, indoor décor and even motor cars. And yes, it has found its way into gardens too! Succulents, with their funky shapes, textures, colours and eye-catching forms, have made a striking comeback, minus their 1960s-style rockeries though.
Their resurgence in popularity is probably due to a number of factors:
– They are slow growing and need minimal care and watering (being extremely water wise plants), so there is no need for excessive maintenance in today’s fast-paced world.
– Most succulents’ clean lines, striking forms and dramatic silhouettes fit into today’s modern and simple styles of homes and décor.
Much like wearing jewellery, succulents are even more eye-catching if paired with accessories.
– The increased interest in indigenous plants and the environment means more attention is focused on many of our unique South African aloes and succulents.
– Most succulents tolerate extremes of climate like baking sun, strong winds and even frost, so they are very adaptable and easy to grow.
Follow these tips for using Water Wise succulents in your garden:
Grouping – Group or mass the same succulent for the best effect.
This is a simple tool for the low-maintenance gardener, who wants the greatest impact with the least amount of work.
Repetition – Repeat the same plant in the same pot to create a striking feature.
This could be in small, low bowls with echeveria (succulent roses) on a window ledge, or huge modern pots with aloes or euphorbia.
Contrast – The succulent world has an amazing array of different textures and colours.
Most succulents’ clean lines, striking forms and dramatic silhouettes fit into today’s modern and simple styles of homes and décor. Smart gardeners will combine contrasting succulents to add extra interest to their gardens. Spiky, toothed, spongy, and rounded shapes or foliage of gold, copper, silver, bronze, red, green etcetera can be appealing.
Simplicity – The simple shapes and forms of many succulents lend themselves to being used as focal plants in minimalist landscapes, window boxes and pots.
Accessorise – Much like wearing jewellery, succulents are even more eye-catching if paired with accessories.
They work well with different coloured pebbles, gravels and stones.
They pair with modern materials like glass, stainless steel and weathered copper. They add emphasis to ethnic style gardens and pots, and highlight modern space age design. With the infinite variety of Water Wise succulents today, they are a great way to add a modern chic look to update your home, patio or garden. It is all in the creative way in which you can use them.
Article courtesy of www.home-dzine.co.za
