Summer Bounty from Your Private Garden: Getting Even More Enjoyment from Your Custom Dream Home’s Property
This summer’s wet and unpredictable weather, particularly in July, has been nothing short of a godsend for lawn health and bountiful gardens throughout Southeastern Wisconsin. With temperatures staying warm, even hot, and humidity levels elevated, the frequent showers and cloud cover have protected plants and foliage from mid summer drought and scorching. Our properties have never looked better, with full lush foliage that almost seem tropical, and newly landscaped properties and plantings have been granted a solid foundation from which to grow.
This summer’s wet and fertile conditions are not unusual for Southeastern Wisconsin, nor are the high humidity levels. This time of year is the apex for outdoor entertaining and activity, the time when all the hard work on your showcase luxury property is seen and appreciated, but mostly enjoyed by the homeowner. Gardens are a vital component to any showcase property, an extension of the personal touch that goes into any custom-built home.
Gardens take on endless forms and definitions, from zen to flower or vegetable. Their purpose or utility is as distinct as the owner, and how they are enjoyed may be purposefully vague, with a different function for each different person who finds pleasure in it. Just as there is no right combination of elements to a garden, nor is there any right way to enjoy it. Some may love actively working their own garden, while others prefer to have professional maintenance; however, the more one is involved, the more personal the imprint on its creation and evolution.
As with any carefully planned dream home, the garden should be a unique reflection of its owner. Some basic considerations when embarking on a new garden project or reimaging a current one:
Purpose: Is the garden sheer decoration or will it be a working space as well? Will it be counted on as a food source or yield cuttings for the home? Is it meant to be enjoyed from afar or interactively?
Colors: definitely a personal choice, and the endless variety of shades and hues contribute greatly to the garden’s aesthetic. Color choice can be expressive, emotional and impactful, from formal vs. whimsical, bold vs. soft.
Varietals: this overwhelming field will narrow if purpose and colors are addressed first. Consider maintenance, climate, sun exposure and symbiosis with other varietals.
Elements: Aside from the plantings and considering purpose, decorative elements will support and evoke the setting, from sculptures, water and earth elements.
Layout: particularly important for an interactive garden, imagine the flow through the space, entrances and paths, how and where to place plants for viewing or access, where sculptures or seating would best accentuate or provide refuge.
Positioning: what areas of the property would be enhanced by the garden and in what part of property would the garden thrive? It can balance out areas that lack vitality, add color where needed and become a further attractor for desired focal points.
Viewpoint: is the garden a destination on the property, a private sanctuary, or is it intended to be admired from indoors, by neighbors, from the lake?
A healthy, abundant garden symbolizes regeneration and good health and adds positive life force to the property and home. Every year presents new opportunities for evolution, adding new plants, changing colors or composition, adding elements and reimagining its design. Your garden presents yet another opportunity for bringing life and beauty from your property’s bounty inside your custom dream home.