Until a few decades ago, the garden was simply regarded as an external area almost unrelated to the dynamics of the house, while it is becoming more and more important nowadays. The emergency due to the Covid pandemic has obliged us to stay at home for long periods, and the lucky owners of an outdoor space have had the possibility to fully live their gardens and enjoy precious relaxing moments in magical corners.
Creating an outdoor space that allows you to live in the open air - even in a city - is perfect for the psychophysical health of human being. The garden can be designed in different ways: as a living area, an area intended for sports activities, it can have simple or complex features, it can be similar to French parterre or arranged according to the structure of Italian gardens. Everything can be achieved with a touch of creativity, but the most important and vital aspect to consider is the greenery.
Furthermore, a garden needs privacy, to allow people to carry out their activity in a quiet and confidential environment. This may be achieved by included some fences or more contemporary steel structures; or hedges and trees if you wish to keep the environment as natural as possible. According to needs and personal tastes, evergreen essences or alternatively deciduous species can be chosen, which change colour at the season change and offer pleasant blooming: this will result in a more natural and less formal and geometric garden, unless you prefer the ancient style of the typical Italian structure for the arrangement of greenery.
Beyond the aesthetic impact, the design of a garden must also consider numerous technical aspects and each corner must be carefully studied, based on different factors: sun exposure, shelter from wind, irrigation, saltiness (if near the sea). A detailed design will allow you to choose the best flowers, trees, and ornamental shrubs, which will make your garden unique and astonishing.
Sun exposure is a primary element because it allows you to choose the right plant species for your garden, as well as to plan alternative solutions to create more comfortable environments for your plants. For example, if there is not any area protected from direct sun rays, you may create it through an arrangement of plants that are more resistant to sun.
An example of arboreal, shrub and floral arrangements.
Greenery may also be combined to natural materials such as stones; thanks to their various colours, stones can be used to create small walls or different functional divisions. They may also be used to embellish secret corners of your gardens or to create free or structured arrangements of vegetation, such as geometric checkerboard shapes, parterre with terraced or potted arrangements. Sensory and olfactory paths can be created with natural materials and greenery; you can play with the contrasts of the deciduous species that changes according to the seasons, or you can give an exotic aspect to your garden, with a blaze of colours and floral essences.
Sunlight is the first thing to think of, but what about evening and night?
Night lighting is essential in a garden because it can create chromatic contrasts resulting in suggestive scenarios and in a sense of security, giving a greater depth to the garden. Whether the light is warm or cold is a personal choice, but by placing it in strategic points, for example behind flower beds or where more valuable vegetations are planted or at the entrance to your garden, it will give that final touch to leave everyone speechless.