Property Plus
Coimbatore
Changing trends in greening your home
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Landscaping is slowly gaining importance, says Tanita Abraham
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— Photo: M. Periasamy
GREEN AMBIANCE: A mix of plants and accessories are used to decorate the garden.
Even as the city grows in brick and mortar space, providing room for more commercial activities, industrial ventures and residential facilities, green patches continue to be in demand. Landscaping is something that is slowly gaining importance. Till recent times it was an integral part of design and structure for big companies and organisations. As Maya Ganesan, a landscape architect, points out it was mostly the large-scale institutions that went in for elaborate designing. The availability of financial resources made it easier for them to spend on pools and fountains.
However, trends are changing with the times and now a lot of individual houses are also going for landscaping and trying to have a small garden or lawn in the front yard.
Most houses that have a decent front space also want something fancy and different for their houses, adds Ms. Ganesan. However, those interested in going in for a landscaping for their house should take into considering factors such as budget and availability of resources to maintain.
Latha Devi, another landscape architect, says most budget houses do not go in for elaborate planning or design. “They seem to be interested in having a lawn which is green and they want their garden with shrubs and plants.” And, this requirement is met by the developers themselves or any gardener. The plants and flowers are all bought from the local nurseries. Nurseries too have people who can be consulted while doing a garden.
Landscaping not only involves gardening or potting plants. It is a process, where with good design and observational skill, an earmarked area is modified and blended with the elements of nature and construction. And this is where the landscape architect comes into play.
They help in designing and planning the desired plot. They work closely with the clients, trying to understand what they really want and what their choices and tastes are. Based on what they gather from the clients, the architects and their team make a plan of the landscape and decide the nitty-gritty that will enhance the beauty of the area. The landscape architect looks at all elements that can be used for the client, based on the location and budget.
The most interesting element used while landscaping is water bodies. Structures such as ponds, pools, aquariums and fountains are very popular. The other elements often used are paving, cascades, kiosks, pergolas (a passageway entwined with vines) and rock structures.
Mostly, companies and institutions that have lots of space usually use these elements. The landscape architect not only designs these structures but also gets them made and puts it on location. Usually the architects maintain the area for up to three months after the project is completed, after which it is the responsibility of the client to maintain the area.
One of the new trends for houses that have less space is terrace garden. Green roof, as they are sometimes called, have both psychological and environmental benefits. The plants and materials used also are specific so that it is easy to maintain, such as plastic pots instead of clay and terracotta, according to information available online.
For those of you who live in buildings and apartments and are keen on doing their own gardening, there are many books published that give you the right methods and techniques of going about gardening if you’re new to it. Also, for people who are tech-savvy, there are hundreds of websites that offer step-by-step help in gardening and landscaping.
Qualified persons who also have professional experience in the field write these online guides and book.
Make sure to select only those plants that will suit one’s garden. Maintenance is another important factor that those interested in should focus on.
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Property Plus
Coimbatore
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