Isle Landscapers Limited

Every good garden has a focus on soft landscaping. Most gardens will already be composed of some soft landscaping elements and features. But being aware of the range of options available may open  your eyes to the possibilities within your own garden.

The elements included in the soft landscaping field include:

Soft landscaping can transform a dull and lifeless garden into your little piece of paradise. Lets take a look at the subject matters in soft landscaping.

Garden Design

The distinction between a garden, a bush and forest lies in the design. This is what separates the abundance of trees and garden plants. The gardens are made be beautiful and add to the beauty of the environment. A designed garden can attract the admiration of visitors for many years.  But a wonderfully pleasant garden is the result of careful planned gardens.

The whole process of garden design should be absolutely fully functional. Gardens must be designed in accordance with the owner of the garden. Do not support one type of plant, just because it's your favourite.  It might spoil the whole garden design. Garden space, good sunlight and effortless cleaning should be considered carefully. 

This could be the fountain, all the way wooden pathway or a bouquet of bright flowers in contrast with the surroundings environment. Sometimes, walls, trellis or hedges are used as dividers. Low walls have minimal maintenance, but are somehow expensive to build.

The trellis is more economical and more flexible, it is time consuming for maintenance. Low hedge in the garden provide a very natural look. This requires regular pruning to keep it clean. The choice of spending in garden design depends on the time and space available.

Different styles of garden design are Asian style, formal, informal style, gravel, water garden, or a modern style.

Hedges

These are part of our landscape as well as part of our gardens. Hedge give us privacy, to mark out borders, to keep animals in or out, and to give habitats for wildlife.

Most times we want them to frame a view, cover an eyesore or form a backdrop to our outside view. They may also form windbreaks, reduce noise or keep out undesired intruders. For all these purposes it is worth planting the right varieties for your conditions or use. 

Also, you will get to explore so many possibilities to make your home look more attractive and lively. This will attract lots of possible buyers when you are interested in selling your property.

Once you decide on the main purpose for your hedge, then you can decide what the best way to plant it is and what plants will be the best. 

You have to decide how much maintenance you want to put into the hedge and how often you will want to have to trim and tend it. If your hedge is to act as a barrier and boundary, then you will need to think about how quickly you want it to grow. 

If the hedge is to be placed dividing you and your neighbour, you will need to ensure that they are in agreement with it. You do not want a boundary argument further down the line which will cause tension between you both.

Herbaceous Border

The term herbaceous border means a collection of plants, normally perennials. These are arranged closely together to create a spectacle of colour and shape in a border normally arranged either side of a lawn. 

The design principles used in creating a herbaceous border are fairly simple.  But they are often labour intensive to upkeep. This requires  the plants to be uprooted and divided every few years to maintain a tidy appearance and prevent some plants from taking over. However, the results of a well-kept border are well worth the effort.

Shrubs

If you want a green landscape but don't have a lot of time to spend caring for it, shrubs are a good choice. Accurately selected shrubs are easy to care for and can give year-round interest.

Just like in other forms of gardening, choosing shrubs for the landscape means paying attention. You need to think about the conditions the shrub will be planted in and knowing what you want from the planting. 

If you have never had your soil examined, a soil test is recommended before you spend a lot of money on landscaping. You will also need to look at the area to see what type of soil you have (sandy, organic or clay) and what type of light each area receives.

Shrubs are found to be 6 meters tall, but they could differ in size. 10 to 20 cm small shrubs are known as sub-shrubs. These miniature shrubs can sometimes have non-seasonal growth. These  can manage to survive in winter too, something that normal shrubs usually cannot do.

Trees

The perfect tree chosen for your garden acts as the focal point that brings it all together. It will be something that brings non-stop joy and beauty.

Garden trees are especially important for this reason. You will need to choose a tree that compliments the garden. Things to consider will include the shape, the type of blossoms and the colour of the leaves in autumn.

Not to be forgotten is the size. Be sure that there is room enough for the tree to grow. Of course, it can be pruned, but even then the growth patterns should be something you are aware of. Before you buy any tree, check to see what height it grows to.

Planting Design

Planting design is the art of composting plants to form a design. This is normally an aspect of garden design. This includes landform design water features, paving design, and the design of horizontal and vertical structures. Planting design is an art that needs a professional knowledgeable in horticulture.  It also requires creativity with nature's palette.

Sustainable planting is not just about the right plant, right place it means minimal input in the long run. This means getting the right balance between plants. You can also choose plants that look good for the longest period as well as for their longevity and sturdiness. This does require an excellent knowledge of plants. 

Potting Mix

Potting mix is a means in which to grow plants, herbs and vegetables in a pot or other durable container. The potting used for starting seeds should be very light, they have a great ability to retain water and air and to be free from the disease and weed seeds.

Potting mixes containing soil can be mixed with peat, humus, compost and / or fertiliser additives intended as organic fertilisers. 

The need for weed free growing and reduction of disease encourages use of soilless, shuttering or potting mixes.  These are mainly made of natural materials, such as peat, compost and manure increase of perlite, vermiculite, peat and organic. Soil based mixes provide good soil water retention and provide additional nutrients. Usually preferred clay for the soil-based media. 

The mix is made with high quality compost usually provide adequate phosphate, potash and trace. But in some situations, a mix will be supplemented  by adding bone meal, sul-po-mag ,rock phosphate, kelp meal, greensand algae and other recommended organic fertilisers.