How to Create an Old Fashioned Garden

Relaxing in a garden and admiring your beautiful flowers is an excellent way to begin or end a day. One attractive garden design is an old fashioned garden.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. For starters your old fashioned garden must contain flowers that have long been a regular feature of a garden. You can discover the types of flowers that fit this criteria by searching heirloom plants and seeds on the internet. Or you can browse through garden books that have gardens from the past in them. One book I would suggest is Tasha Tudor's Garden by Toyah Martin.

2. Personally, I believe the best way to discover the appropriate flowers for an old fashioned garden is to go directly to the source of one who knows. Most gardeners will gladly share their knowledge and most often a cutting or seeds from some of their plants and flowers. Look for an elderly gardener and take advantage of their wisdom.

3. Flowers such as Hollyhocks, peonies, petunias, sweet peas, roses , and irises are appropriate for an old fashioned garden.

4. Put vintage garden items in your garden. Estate sales, auctions, or antique stores are your best sources for items such as old garden tools, a washtub to convert into a planter, wire flower baskets, antique sundials, or cast iron benches. If space allows, a wooden swing is a good addition to an old fashioned garden. Enamel ware pots can be used as planters in your garden. Weather worn garden statues look great in an old fashioned garden.

5. Roses are very appropriate for this type of garden. If possible, include a wooden trellis or arbor in your garden for an old fashion variety of rose to grow on.

[4dogday]

on 6/8/2009 Great article on creating an old fashioned garden. It lifts my spirits just to look at flowers.