“A beautiful garden is a work of heart.”

There is immense satisfaction in creating your own garden plan — the satisfaction derived from relaxing or entertaining in the garden as well as the satisfaction that comes from a job well done. The effort that you expend in planning and executing a design unique to you will add to the enjoyment your garden provides for years to come.

How do you begin to create a garden space that is unique to you? Here are ten simple steps that will help you move effortlessly through the process.

1. Identify WHY you want a garden.
   How will you use it? Who else will enjoy the garden? Remember that you may not be the sole inhabitant, so get input from all family members on how your outdoor space will be used.
2. Do a little dreaming.
   Now that you know why you want a garden and how you intend to use it, let your imagination play with all the possible features in your special space. A little dreaming will uncover those attributes that will put your personal imprint on the garden.
   
   Also decide whether you want a formal or an informal garden. Formal gardens are highly structured, divided by a strong central axis and cross axes. Informal gardens have a more natural look with strong, flowing curves.
3. Make a list of “must haves”.
   What items are essential? Listing your needs up front ensures that your final plan won’t be missing anything important. Do you need a retaining wall? A privacy fence? A path to the garage? More parking space? Do children need a place to play? What about pets?

   Walk around your property and make note of everything that is essential. Your final design should balance dream features and “must haves” to create a satisfying and functional space.

4. Evaluate what you already have.
   To get where you are going, it helps to know your starting point. Is your space large or small? Is the site flat or sloping? What is the climate? What type of soil do you have? How much water is available and from what sources? What are the predominate views?
5. Ballpark your budget.
   Once you know what you want and what you need, it’s time to consider what you are willing to spend. This dollar figure will influence what features you include in the final garden plan — trees, plants, hardscape materials and architectural elements such as arbors, fountains, ponds and benches.

   Remember that your “budget” comprises two elements: money and TIME. In terms of time, does the garden need to be finished by a certain date or can you create it over time? (Speed costs!) Also, how much time are you willing to budget to maintain your dream garden? Can you spare several hours a week or are you lucky enough to afford a caretaker?

   As you develop and refine your plan, you may need to balance time and cash costs. Be flexible. You may need to spend more time if you can’t spend more money and vice versa.

6. Identify your garden’s focal points.
   Every garden needs an eye-catching spot that causes you to pause a moment. When you choose a focal point, you are choosing the direction you want visitors to look when they enter your garden. Did your list of “wants” include a waterfall or fountain? An arbor retreat? A blossoming apple tree? If so, you are well on your way to identifying a focal point — or points — for your garden.
7. Create a rough design.
   Take all the information that you’ve gathered and incorporate it into a workable design that balances the “wants” with the “must haves”. Your goal is to create a space that is both satisfying and functional.

   Buy a pad of graph paper that contains 8 or 10 squares per inch and let each square equal one foot. (In other words, every inch on the paper will equate to 8 or 10 feet on your property.) Create a basic map with your property lines and house drawn to scale.

   You will also need tracing paper, markers, a tape measure, a ruler, a pencil and a good eraser. Lay the tracing paper over your basic scaled map. Then refer back to your list of “must haves” and “wants” as you sketch the various areas of your garden. Show the approximate position of focal points, activity areas (“rooms”) and pathways. Use as many sheets of tracing paper as necessary until you find a layout that pleases you and meets the goal that you identified in Step 1.

8. Choose your plants and hardscape.
   The colors and materials that you choose will create the character of your garden, adding interest, movement and visual appeal. Do you want harmonious colors or strong contrast? Warm hues or cool tones? Bold colors or soft hues? Mixing different colors and materials and textures will give your garden a strong sense of space.

   Plants comprise a significant part of your garden. In addition to plants, hardscape materials contribute variety and texture — wood arbors, brick borders, gravel paths, bronze statuary, and wrought-iron benches.

   As you review your preliminary layout, consider the best material for each of the hardscape elements. Keep in mind that each element needs to fit with and compliment the whole. For example, a terrace constructed of the same material as the house unifies while railroad ties around a formal garden create discord.

9. Make a scale drawing.
   Thus far, you have created a basic map of property lines and your house as well as an overlay sheet that shows focal points, “rooms” and pathways. You also have a list of the trees, shrubs and plants for each area of your garden. Now you need to create a scale drawing that shows EXACTLY where each feature will go. You will use this blueprint to lay the walkways, set the arbors and trellises, and plant the trees, shrubs and flowers.

   It is important that you have enough information to help you create in reality the garden that you just designed on paper. As long as your scale drawing or blueprint is in sufficient scale to accomplish that purpose, you will be successful.

10. Execute your plan.
    Before you begin actual construction of the garden, check all local building codes and regulations to make sure that you will be in compliance. Structures such as decks, patios and retaining walls may require a permit from the local city government. Once all permits are in place, you can start to lay out the garden.

    With your scale drawing as a blueprint, use a tape measure to position all structures, walkways and plants. Be sure to measure accurately so each element in your design fits its assigned space.

If designing a garden space sounds a bit intimidating, don’t panic. Just follow these steps one by one and let a space unfold that feels right to you. You CAN do it. After all, a successful garden is just another room of your house, which you’ve already successfully decorated!

With some imagination (and a lot of perspiration), you can create an outdoor room where you will enjoy spending time with your family and where you will be proud to welcome friends.

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Xeriscaping is a type of gardening that is quickly becoming more popular as the importance of water conservation and sustainable gardening becomes more popular. Xeriscaping refers to a type of gardening that is done with little water. A xeriscape garden usually features plants that require low water use, and that can be sustained on little rainfall and infrequent watering. For these reasons, xeriscaping is most commonly used in desert gardens, although the principles of xeriscaping can be applied to any climate.

Why Xeriscaping Works for Amateurs for Gardeners with Limited Garden Time

The principles of xeriscaping are sustainable and earth-friendly, but they can also be a viable way to garden if you have a limited amount of time and resources. Xeriscaping can work for the amateur gardener because it involves hardy plants that survive (and in some cases, even thrive) with minimal care and attention. A properly maintained xeriscape garden does not require frequent watering, and it can withstand a certain amount of neglect. These are hardy, tough gardens that can withstand extreme temperatures, while still adding beauty and richness to the environment. Here are some key principles to keep in mind if you are considering starting your own xeriscape garden.

Avoid Impulse Buy at the Nursery and Choose Your Plants with Care

When it comes to establishing a healthy and viable xeriscape garden, plant selection is key above all else. Walking up and down the aisles at your local nursery store, it can be very tempting to pick the plants with the showiest blooms. But are they right for your garden? But you should resist the urge to pick out just any plant. For a xeriscape garden, you will want to select the right plant for the right place.

Where Will You Be Planting?

In order to select the right plant for the right place, you will want to determine exactly where you will be planting. What are the key characteristics of the planting site? Important factors to consider include sunlight, water needs, climate and soil type. Choose plants that are well suited to the planting location. Smart plant choices will save you a lot of grief in the long run.

For Your Xeriscape Garden, Choose Low Water Usage Plants

Drought-tolerant, low water usage plants are the backbone of any xeriscape garden. If you don’t know which plants are low water use plants in your area, ask your local nursery expert to direct you to hardy perennials that do not require frequent watering. Choosing hardy perennials is the best way to ensure that you are getting low water usage plants that will thrive in your xeriscape garden. Also, consider focusing on plants that are native to your area. Native plants are already adapted to your growing climate, and thus will almost always require less water than more exotic plants. Native plants have the benefit of thousands of years in one area, and thus are better suited for their specific region than exotic plants.

Liven Up Your Xeriscape Garden with Multipurpose Plants

Perhaps you think that a xeriscape garden will result in a dull display. This is not true, especially if you plant multipurpose plants. These are plants that fulfill more than one purpose at a time, especially if you would like to attract birds, butterflies or wildlife. Choose native plants that can provide you with natural year-round foliage, periodical blooms and that can attract local birds or butterflies. Native plants are often the primary source of food for native birds and other wildlife. If you are trying to attract certain birds or other animals into your garden, then this is another compelling reason to invite native plants into your xeriscape garden.

If you would like to control insects better in the summer, attracting birds to your landscaping or garden is a great idea. It is also wonderful to enjoy birds throughout the dark, gray days of winter.

A wonderful way to attract birds is to provide them some year-round protection such as trees and shrubs. These can also provide a source of food. Designing a small water feature, whether it is a small pond, a bird bath, or a fountain can also draw birds to your home. You can win both ways because of the increase in birds you will see as well as having an attractive landscape.

The easiest way to attract birds is to provide them with a source of food in a bird feeder. It is never too late to start through the winter, but once you do start feeding the birds, please continue throughout the winter months. The birds become dependent on the feeders and can have a hard time replacing their source of food if you discontinue feeding them.

Three very important things to remember when starting to feed the birds are:

1. Providing water is essential not only as a drink, but also for the birds to clean themselves over the winter. This is very important to their survival. There are also heaters available for very little cost to purchase and to run that will keep their water from freezing during the cold months.
2. It is important to use high-quality feed and not purchase the less inexpensive but filler laden food. These fillers actually increase the price to you and the birds will not eat any of the fillers so the less expensive feed actually becomes a waste of money. It is also important to put out a suet feeder for the birds so that they get the essential oils during the winter months. This can be homemade or purchased for very little money at bird supply stores.
3. You must clean your bird feeder with a soap and water solution or better is a 10% bleach and 90% water solution. Recommended cleaning is once a month. This is to prevent moldy feed and also helps to sanitize the feeder to prevent unwanted diseases. Birds will attempt to eat moldy food, but it is life threatening to them, so please take a little time to keep your feeder clean. Be sure to let it dry thoroughly before refilling.

You will be surprised at all the different types of birds that come to enjoy your food and water. They can provide many hours of entertainment and enjoyment and even learning. There are many helpful books to identify the birds that will soon find your new feeder!

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If you’ve ever looked through books on landscaping and read some of the suggestions, you know how daunting it can sound to do it yourself. The fear that it will be too difficult is one of the things that can stop many home owners from attempting to take on their own landscaping tasks.

Fear not! You definitely need to read up and look at pictures before you begin a project, but remember; this is your backyard and you are free to do with it what you want.

The main thing to be concerned with when planting different plants is to make certain of their growing requirements. Do they require a lot of sunlight, a mix of sun and shade, or mostly shade? Other than that, let’s get started.

The biggest and most dramatic feature you can add to your backyard is a pond. Put in a waterfall and enjoy the relaxing sounds of water while you sip lemonade and read a good book.

If a pond is in your plans, do this first. It will be the focal point and you can begin your plantings later.

A pond is not hard to build. Plan your layout and get some white spray paint or chalk and layout your design. You can use one of the plastic pre-shaped pond kits if you like, but you can never really get the natural look that you can with a liner.

The hardest part will be digging. The tedious part may be laying out the liner to try to remove most of the wrinkles. The fun part will be filling the pond with water and, later, stocking the pond with fish.

Put in some water lilies and, if that’s the only thing you get done the first year, who cares?! This will be dramatic and will definitely bring you lots of relaxation as well as pride. Plant it near where you spend most of your time. Don’t hide it away at the back of your yard.

When the pond is finished, pick areas around your yard and plan the location of your plants. Notice the sunshine at different times of the day. That’s what will determine the location of your plants in each area.

Unless you have a lot of time and money, you probably won’t be able to plant your entire backyard in one season. Start with one area and till it up. Plant a few plants and space them out somewhat. This will give you a chance to mix in some plants next year. You can see what the plants look like and decide if you need more color or some hostas or some more of the same plants. Next year, you can add or subtract plantings as needed.

One more important point. Plant short plants in front and taller plants in the back.

Start with a few sections now or one section and add more each year. You’ll be amazed what you can accomplish in four or five years without breaking the bank. You’ll create a backyard haven made especially for you.

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Your garden can benefit from feng shui and it can even help to change the energy in your home. A properly arranged garden can be a place to be uplifted and energized and also soothed and relaxed.
This balance is very necessary but is easy to accomplish by using various plants, flowers, and decorations.

The best place to have an entrance to your garden is facing South. The garden will get the maximum amount of sun exposure. You should also use an arch or open space instead of a closed gate.

One of the hardest things to do in a garden is avoid clutter, but this is a must in feng shui. When you first plant, everything is pretty small and your garden may look a little barren.

This is just fine. You want to make sure that each plant has its own space so you don’t end up with a cluttered jungle.

It’s easy and fun to incorporate the five feng shui elements into your garden. A birdbath can cover water, some lights or torches are fire, and for earth, clay pots and small boulders work wonders.

As far as paths in your garden go, you should avoid straight paths and instead opt for curvy, leisurely paths made from rounded tiles. Avoid edges whenever possible in your paths.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Technorati Tags: garden feng shui, feng shui

Ornamental grasses may be grown in your garden amongst the flowers or clumped in an open space for a natural effect and to add a vertical dimension. If you decide to add them to a flower garden, choose the type carefully, for some are extremely invasive and others may cast unwanted shade over your flowers.

Ornamental grasses differ from lawn grass in that frequent mowing weakens and eventually kills them. They can be small, clumping ground covers like blue fescue or the popular mondo grass, or stately spires like Chinese Silver Grass, towering to 20 ft. Some, like Red Switch Grass, have beautiful fall color. For a grass with strong colors try Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubra’. It has tallish straplike blades of deep burgundy mixed with a green that is almost jade.

Tall grasses can be stunning used as a single specimen in the middle of the lawn, or in a landscape with trees and rocks. Most grasses have few diseases or pests to worry about and nothing could be easier to care for, so if you are pushed for time or not into major gardening, ornamental grasses may be the ideal solution.

The beauty of many grasses is not only in their leaves but the seed. Often seed is born in tall spires above the clump and not only hangs on for months, but offers food to birds and insects. Pennisetum villosum has soft and fluffy seed heads in the late summer, while the delicate feathery seed heads of Stipa calamagrostis will last right through to fall. Stipa gigantea is a larger variety as the name suggests. Many seed heads last for ages when picked and dried and make wonderful indoor decorations.

Many grasses also have flowers that are attractive, like Melica uniflora, which has tiny, beadlike flowers borne on slender, arching spikes. It requires shade to grow well and looks fantastic teamed with ferns. Some grasses like Lamarckia aurea, are annuals. This one has unusual downswept flower spikes.

Shorter grasses can also be used for borders and edgings, enclosing pretty annuals within a green framework. Blue fescue grown with black mondo grass can give an unusual and effective, yet extremely simple appeal in a small garden if grown in a checkerboard pattern. Use the grasses alone, with small, clumping annual flowers or even squares of white pebbles to give a lift. Phalaris arundinacea ‘Feesey’s Form’, the less common variety of gardener’s garters, has a white stripe down the center of the leaf that makes it most attractive.

Many woodland grasses thrive in heavy shade in spite of the root competition of overhanging trees, because this is similar to their natural habitat, so if you have a spot that is difficult to grow flowers in, think in terms of grasses instead.

Warning! Ribbon Grass, though beautiful, is one of those that are extremely invasive. Plant it in a bottomless container to prevent it spreading.

Red Baron or Japanese Blood Grass, so called for its beautiful coloring also spreads, but is not so invasive as Ribbon Grass. Lemon grass, while not madly attractive, can be picked and steeped in boiling water for a calming tea.

There are many other beautiful ornamental grasses for the garden other than those mentioned above. The only trouble is in deciding which ones to leave behind.

If you have an interest in the landscaping that surrounds your house but you are at somewhat at a loss for not knowing exactly where to begin, then you can quite easily discover many different inspiring examples. It might be simply driving around your neighborhood and stopping the vehicle to take a picture of a landscape design that is appealing to you. You may even knock on one of the doors and see if the homeowner will give you some advice on whether they use a professional or if they did it themselves.

Resources of Inspiration

Another good place to get many different ideas for your landscaping projects would be the numerous magazines and books that are published on the topic of design landscapes. Also, nowadays there are numerous different resources that are available online for designing and embellishing the landscape that’s around your house. Quite a few of these websites even offer sample landscape design plans, numerous pictures of various ideas, as well as tips from experts for do-it-yourselfers, and contact information for professional landscape design that are around your area.

Some of the most common features in landscaping for homes are patios and decks. Patios and decks not only provide beauty and are a type of centerpiece to overall landscape design, but they can also add a functionality to your house and furnished outdoor living space as well.

Decks and patios provide you with an excellent place to host family gatherings as well as other types of entertainment. While at the same time, a small patio can be added to a special garden area to make a place for you to get away to relax and be refreshed by the beauty of your natural surroundings. Adding patios and decks, or making different improvements to existing ones, is also an excellent way to add more value to your home as well as increase your equity.

Fountains and Rock Gardens

Nowadays, more frequently, fountains are steadily becoming features of home and garden landscaping. There are the more traditional types, multi-tiered fountains that are reminiscent of European villas and country estates which can add an old world charm to your surroundings.

There are also more modern types of fountains that use specific types of rocks and stones or large ceramic pots which are steadily becoming very popular in different types of landscape architecture. Naturally, there are numerous other creative and beautiful styles that are available on the market today to meet any style and taste.

Rock gardens are also becoming quite popular. These type of gardens have the benefit of being highly attractive, however they generally integrate very few, if any, types of plants. The end result of this is that they are very low maintenance as they need either no watering, or very little, and virtually no weeding, and generally speaking need almost no attention, except to simply sit back and admire how your rock garden adds to the beauty of your overall landscape design.

English Cottage Gardens and Lawns

Emulating an English cottage landscaping garden is an additional home and garden inspiration. These type of gardens are notable for their overall lack of a formal plan. There is very little rigidity in their design with English cottage gardens since the whole idea behind them is to let the plants themselves “just grow” and to let them develop in a more natural, or organic method. These type of gardens have a specific charm to them and very often make individuals feel more relaxed as well is embraced by nature.

Lush green lawns are, in all probability, the most common and largest component of most of the landscaping design plans. A beautiful lawn is very popular since it provides for homeowners with an area where the family can enjoy numerous different types of activities. Lawns are also one of the simplest of the landscape components to maintain as well as staying beautiful for many years afterwards with basic maintenance routines.

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When people come to your house, almost all the time the design landscaping that surrounds your house and defines the areas of your garden are the attributes that give people the first impressions of your property. The landscape design that you use is one of the most significant elements in determining how the people who visit you will feel once they arrive at your home. Additionally, the landscaping around your house will also have a significant impact on what your house and property will be valued at.

There are many different kinds of ways to improve the landscape surrounding your home. There are some people who are worried that in order to improve their landscape design properly, they would need to hire landscape contractors or landscape architects. This can be a very helpful option if you have the ability to afford it, however there are many people that successfully undertake landscaping design of their houses on their own.

If you as a type of person that is interested in taking on the challenge of completing design landscaping for your home and garden, then one of the first things that you need to do is educate yourself on some of the basic landscaping design principles. There are basically four main aspects to all good landscape design and if you combine them with your own attention to detail and sense of style, then likely you’ll be well on your way to creating a landscape environment around your home that is unique.

Balance

One of the first components of landscaping is the concept of balance. If you concentrate the majority of your new plants in one area, then the rest of your garden landscaping area will appear to be rather neglected. You need to distribute the plants around the yard or garden at least to some degree in an even manner and with a sense of flow. This will help to draw the eye through the entire landscape design and help to engage your visitors.

Proportion

The second element of good landscaping is that of a proportion. The concept here is to make certain that any landscape design feature that you select fits in appropriately, in terms of its size, the surrounding areas, structures as well as fixtures. For instance if you try to wedge a huge gazebo into a very small backyard it will end up looking almost comical and will not give you that superior effect. While at the same time, if you have a very big front lawn, then the addition of larger elements in features or plantings will be required so that they will be noticed and not as overwhelmed.

Transition

The third principle is that of transition and you will need to have some knowledge of this for your landscaping project as this element is closely related to proportion. Despite your landscape design including large shrubs and flowers, plants, bushes and even some trees, the way to really make them work in a graceful beautiful way is through the use of transition. It is the smooth flow from one kind of plant and size to that of another. Your goal is to lead the eye from delicate plants to larger types with some size variation in between. Transitions of color can also be a very effective element of your overall landscape design plan.

Unity

One of the last of the four concepts of landscaping is that of unity and it is this ultimate sense that you’re attempting to express with your design. All of the different selections that you make and how you balance, proportion, transition of the various sizes, colors as well as textures of landscape elements should be principally governed by a unifying theme. This is what actually brings a landscape design together to make it work in harmony in creating a unique home and garden.

One thing that can make design landscaping much simpler and also more cohesive is to determine on the type of scene that you want to use and then be certain to stay true to that theme. Having a specific idea in mind can help make any future decisions much simpler when it comes time to add furnishings, plants or any type of accent pieces to your landscape.

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Comparing Landscape Architects to Landscaping Designers

Landscaping designers and Landscape Architects are both landscapers and their jobs are closely related, if not really the same. Landscape Architect, however, is actually an official title. In fact, universities have both undergraduate and post graduate degrees available in this field.

At the federal level, there is a test Landscape Architects must pass. In addition, several states have a specific state board examination that they must pass in order to be issued a license. This reserves the title Landscape Architect to those who have completed the required training and testing.

Sorting through the Confusion

Some states allow landscaping design to be completed by professionals other than Landscape Architects. Both landscaping designers and Landscape Architects are considered professional landscapers.

A landscaping designer can work on any type of project, as long as he or she doesn’t actually claim to be a Landscape Architect. In some cases, however, an architect’s license is required to work on certain projects. Once again, each state regulates this.

The Role of Landscapers – Regardless of Titles

Aside from the legal differences between designers and architects, much of what both professionals do is the same. Let’s take a closer look at what they can actually do for your backyard landscaping. They literally will do just about everything related to the design and upkeep of your lawn, except for cutting the grass and raking the leaves. Some landscapers also supply these services.

Landscapers generally create a blueprint or at least a layout of your entire lawn. They highlight the area for the grass and determine the ideal locations for your plants and flowers. They will also help choose the trees to go along with the design of your yard.

To finish off the job, landscapers will help with the design and layout of landscape lighting as well. This is a key element to your overall design because it adds character and a unique touch to your garden. Fountains and statues can be very effective in a home garden. Your Landscape Architect or landscaping designer can help choose and install the perfect garden.

Working with Landscapers – Both Architects and Designers

You work with a Landscape Architect and landscaping designer in the same way. Good landscapers, whether architects or designers, will usually come up with a few sketches for you to choose from. These designs will include plants, trees and any other elements you wish to have in your landscape. Once you pick your preference, they will start the actual work. In some cases, the architect or designer will oversee the work, while others prefer to get their hands dirty and work on the job themselves.

While some can be very creative, it is important to remember that this is your home or business. Speak up if you don’t like it. After all, you are paying for it. Some landscapers have a pride issue, like some artists. It is important to be polite but be sure to have them change what you don’t like.

Landscapers, both Landscape Architects and designers, do the same work, so your attitude should be the same when talking to either. What matters most to you is the completed appearance of your garden. It should be both appealing and relaxing for you to enjoy for years to come.

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Before beginning the installation of a garden pond, landscapers first choose the best location. The location is most important because the flowers need to receive the proper amount of sunlight. It is best to have an idea of what type of flowers you want when making this decision.

After deciding where to situate the pond, landscapers can help you determine the depth. It is best to divide your garden pond into several sections of varying depths. This allows for different plants that need different depths in which to properly grow. Much of this is determined by the plant’s size and characteristics.

Choosing the right plants for your garden pond can actually be a little confusing for someone new to this type of gardening. Plants play an important role in controlling the balance of the garden pond, including helping to ward off algae. To get your flowers to bloom their brightest, you want to keep this balance in check. In addition, some plants – such as Lotus and Horsetail – can be dangerous and harm the balance in your garden pond.

More about lilies

Lilies are one of the most popular choices of aquatic plants, and many landscapers recommended them for use in garden ponds. These rarely disappoint their customers. Their attractive leaves and flowers are generally easy to grow and add value to the pond and the landscaping design. There are many different colors, sizes, and styles of lilies available. Your landscapes can help you choose the ones that are best for your needs.

One of the most popular types of lilies among homeowners and landscapers alike are the hardy lilies. Hardy lilies can remain in the pond the entire year and they will return each year with new blooms. They typically bloom from May through September with the flowers opening in the early morning and closing by mid to late afternoon. To encourage these blooms, you should fertilize your lilies with special fertilizer tablets after the stems begin to appear.

Tropical lilies are popular among gardeners and landscapers looking for more of a challenge. These lilies require a bit more attention. To keep them around for several years, you will need to bring them inside during the winter. Otherwise, they will die in the winter’s cold. To store your tropical lilies, you simply remove them from your garden pond and place them inside plastic bags. Place them inside your garage or garden shed. In the spring, put them back into your pond and fertilize just as you would with hardy lilies.

Tropical lilies enhance the garden pond with colorful blooms that reach above the surface of the water. For them to successfully bloom, however, the water needs to be consistently over 70 degrees. If your zone is colder then this, landscapers can help you choose a heating system. Care must be taken with a heating system, however, to prevent algae from forming.

Over the years, the pond filled with blooming lilies throughout the warm months will bring a special joy to those who are fortunate enough to enjoy this special garden.