Gardening with Energy Consciousness

Two new books are providing a fresh look into what modern gardening really is. In an few words, it is based on ecological ethos instead of a particular look or feel. The first book is by Tim Richardson and is entitled “Avant Gardeners: 50 Visionaries of the Contemporary Landscape.” The gardens shown in this tome show a wide range of styles using materials that one would not expect in their garden. From the World Trade Center in Osaka, Japan to the Herbert Dreiseitl’s German parks, these are ideas that are truly outside of the box. There are plenty of gardens back home in the US as well, many of which follow practices that are ecologically friendly with systems that harvest water and blur into the surrounding wild growth.

The other book is by Zahid Sardar and is entitled “New Garden Design: Inspiring Private Paradises.” This book is full of vivid color photos that truly take you to the gardens. Designs features designs from established landscapers as well as up and coming talent. These books tend to raise questions about modern gardens that they do not answer quite well. What is a modern garden, and what are its elements? Do they tend to be minimal and ecofriendly? Are there curves and natural shapes or sharp corners? Are they consisting of only local plants, or do they have an international offering?

Ask other gardeners, experts in plants, designers, and you will receive a variety of responses. There are those that say it is irrelevant, some that will ignore you, and some that will pour out with opinions. But there is one response that truly gets to the heart of the matter when it comes to gardening. The fact is that garden is a verb, not a noun, and it is in the act of gardening that truly modern ideas come into play. These include ecological considerations, as well as a sense of getting the most out of a garden with the least amount of work.

Gardens should be designed so that they are not labor intensive, and that they do not consume as much resources. What this initially means is that the plants chosen should thrive in your environment, and you should employ systems that sustain the garden. Rain water collection systems that will take a heavy nights rain and spread it out over a week or two. Choosing plants that add to the soil what other plants need to survive. Keeping the size of the garden within you manageability, and making sure that your garden is sustainable.

What it boils down to is that the modern revolution in gardening is towards sustainability and self sufficiency so that you minimize fertilizer and resource usage and the amount of work that you need to put into your garden. What theme could be more modern than sustainable actions and resource savings? It takes knowledge, focus, and determination to get there.

Originally posted 2009-03-04 13:49:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • gardenCountry Garden Landscaping Gardening and landscape is really an element of design and art, especially when you are creating a country garden. Most people do want their country garden to look great both to you and to anyone else who visits. Once you are certain that a country garden is what you want......
  • garden1Make Landscape Changes to Your Country Garden Although fall and winter are upon us, and most gardeners think having a garden is now out of season, it is an excellent time to make landscape changes to your country garden. During this time, the plants and weeds have begun dying and thanks to the occasional fall rain, the......
  • gardenPractical Country Garden Landscaping Tips When you're planning your country garden landscaping, of course you'll want to think about your favorite flowers and shrubs and how they'll look together here, or combined over there. The big fun and joy in country garden landscaping is how creative you can be. You can choose one color theme......
  • cobblestoneCountry Garden Landscape Materials and Construction The purpose of a country garden is to create tranquil enjoyment of the aromatic beauty that nature has to offer, but this does not mean that your garden should not be functional. There are a number of ways that you can turn a beautiful and luscious garden into a functional......
  • rocksCute Country Landscaping Ideas If you are designing a country garden landscape, you are probably already aware of the fact that there are an endless myriad of different things that you can do to turn your landscaping endeavor into something that is truly unique. There are all kinds of different elements in your landscaping......
Online Stores
art form budget bulbs chicken platters chickens container garden containers country gardens design elements design inspiration different ways elements Flowers flowers and shrubs gardeners garden furniture garden landscape garden landscape design garden landscapes garden landscaping garden space garden spaces garden style herbs landscape design landscape designs landscaping design landscaping ideas living space magazines money myriad organic garden outdoor space patios plants rock gardens statuary straight lines stunning country tastes trees walkway water features weeds