<p>It may be convenient to throw away unwanted things. But hanging on to some of them might come in handy in ways we don’t imagine. Think artistic terrace garden, says K Jayaram<br /><br /></p>.<p>Having a garden just does not mean planting or potting few trees and plants. The most important factor to make a garden look fascinating is the alignment, selection and placement of all items within the limited available space. The word ‘art’ can certainly find a place in the heart of your garden to draw attention to every object, whether it is natural or created. This can be achieved even with waste materials, which can make your garden lively.<br /><br />Since the city of Bengaluru is urbanising rapidly, green patches are struggling to find some space on land. Hence, people are opting for terrace gardens, be it in an apartment or an independent house. I have created a small terrace garden with a motive to honour the value of art by using waste materials.<br />Here go a few pointers from my experience in terrace gardening to help youcreate an artistic green patch at home:<br />Pergolas & gazebos<br />These are generally made of wood or granite stone. But to install it on a terrace may not only be a load-bearing factor, but expensive, too.<br /><br />So, you can try experimenting with the concept by using waste materials like slotted angles (which I used for the structural frame), PVC pipes to look like pillars, plastic tubs, duct openings, broken furniture tops, cement containers and the like to make the centre dome. Small clay bells bought from potters can be hung on all sides. The entire structure can be painted in a single colour, complimented by the right lighting system.<br />Choice of pots<br />Selection of pots or containers plays a crucial role in enhancing the look of the garden. Pots can be painted, preferably in red or terracotta-like colours, which will have an illusory effect, thus making the plants look fresh.<br /><br />The other alignment is to use two pots, similar or different-sized, with one kept upside down and placed on a waste tyre. Have the entire piece painted, preferably in white or light grey colour. Stick some old diyas in the middle and paint it to match the colour of the flower, if it is a flowering plant. This is just one of the many artistic ways to design your garden.<br />Fountains & flowers<br />Flat cement tubs measuring three inches in diameter and eight inches in height can be placed strategically over old car tyres to form the first layer. Then, a smaller-sized pot can be kept upside down for allowing any designed urn made of terracotta to rest over it. <br /><br />Repeat the same method with smaller dimensions to form two more layers and have it painted completely in white. This will create the shape of a fountain, which will also attract the birds. This arrangement can be easily dismantled and become portable.<br /><br />If you have plants, which have totally dried in your garden, you can still make use of them. There are artificial leaves available in the market, which can be plugged to the edges of the branches or it can be twisted to the branches.<br /><br />This will certainly blend well if placed along with the natural ones to look more realistic.<br />How about making a flower basket? Construct a rectangular frame measuring 24x8x8 inches by using waste wooden strips and cover all the sides horizontally, leaving a small gap between the two strips. Put some artificial roses or any other flowers across the basket, which can be placed, either under a pergola or in a shaded area. This will not require watering or maintenance and can become the centre of attraction in your garden.<br /><br />Plant some ideas<br />Plants like the variegated Dianella can be transformed to bear the shape of a sunflower with a diameter of 30 inches, but in green colour.<br />To create this art, take a flat plastic tub (18X6 inches) and punch a few holes at the bottom for water drainage. Repeat the same method by using a smaller tub and place it inside the bigger tub. Fill both the tubs with soil and plant the bulbs of the Dianella grass around the edges of the inner tube.<br /><br />Place a plate with little soil and rest over it for enabling the leaves to lay flat by its weight along the circumference. Select a proper spot on the ground to give it a stunning look.<br /><br />Artistic bins & more<br />Give dustbins a makeover. Take waste plastic tubes of one inch diameter andfasten both the ends by using tube connectors to form a ring. Bring all the tubes to the centre of the bin like ribs and paint the entire bin a rust-brown colour.You can stick some old diyas available in a leaf form and paint it green. Your waste bin will give an ornamental look and can be used as a pedestal for keeping small flowering plants or shrubs. It can also be used for storing manure and soil.<br /><br />Take a few waste plastic tubes of half inch and cut it into lengths of two inches and make a bunch out of it. Insert a cable or thick wire inside the tube for allowing the tube to bend to the required shape. Pierce few tennis balls at the edges of the tube and place the bunch in any designed pot holder to give an artistic look.When we are told to create wealth from waste, why not create ‘art out of waste’ for your own beautiful terrace garden at home?<br />Once you get your hands dirty with all that soil and colour, there’s no looking back. It’s a green pact for life.</p>
<p>It may be convenient to throw away unwanted things. But hanging on to some of them might come in handy in ways we don’t imagine. Think artistic terrace garden, says K Jayaram<br /><br /></p>.<p>Having a garden just does not mean planting or potting few trees and plants. The most important factor to make a garden look fascinating is the alignment, selection and placement of all items within the limited available space. The word ‘art’ can certainly find a place in the heart of your garden to draw attention to every object, whether it is natural or created. This can be achieved even with waste materials, which can make your garden lively.<br /><br />Since the city of Bengaluru is urbanising rapidly, green patches are struggling to find some space on land. Hence, people are opting for terrace gardens, be it in an apartment or an independent house. I have created a small terrace garden with a motive to honour the value of art by using waste materials.<br />Here go a few pointers from my experience in terrace gardening to help youcreate an artistic green patch at home:<br />Pergolas & gazebos<br />These are generally made of wood or granite stone. But to install it on a terrace may not only be a load-bearing factor, but expensive, too.<br /><br />So, you can try experimenting with the concept by using waste materials like slotted angles (which I used for the structural frame), PVC pipes to look like pillars, plastic tubs, duct openings, broken furniture tops, cement containers and the like to make the centre dome. Small clay bells bought from potters can be hung on all sides. The entire structure can be painted in a single colour, complimented by the right lighting system.<br />Choice of pots<br />Selection of pots or containers plays a crucial role in enhancing the look of the garden. Pots can be painted, preferably in red or terracotta-like colours, which will have an illusory effect, thus making the plants look fresh.<br /><br />The other alignment is to use two pots, similar or different-sized, with one kept upside down and placed on a waste tyre. Have the entire piece painted, preferably in white or light grey colour. Stick some old diyas in the middle and paint it to match the colour of the flower, if it is a flowering plant. This is just one of the many artistic ways to design your garden.<br />Fountains & flowers<br />Flat cement tubs measuring three inches in diameter and eight inches in height can be placed strategically over old car tyres to form the first layer. Then, a smaller-sized pot can be kept upside down for allowing any designed urn made of terracotta to rest over it. <br /><br />Repeat the same method with smaller dimensions to form two more layers and have it painted completely in white. This will create the shape of a fountain, which will also attract the birds. This arrangement can be easily dismantled and become portable.<br /><br />If you have plants, which have totally dried in your garden, you can still make use of them. There are artificial leaves available in the market, which can be plugged to the edges of the branches or it can be twisted to the branches.<br /><br />This will certainly blend well if placed along with the natural ones to look more realistic.<br />How about making a flower basket? Construct a rectangular frame measuring 24x8x8 inches by using waste wooden strips and cover all the sides horizontally, leaving a small gap between the two strips. Put some artificial roses or any other flowers across the basket, which can be placed, either under a pergola or in a shaded area. This will not require watering or maintenance and can become the centre of attraction in your garden.<br /><br />Plant some ideas<br />Plants like the variegated Dianella can be transformed to bear the shape of a sunflower with a diameter of 30 inches, but in green colour.<br />To create this art, take a flat plastic tub (18X6 inches) and punch a few holes at the bottom for water drainage. Repeat the same method by using a smaller tub and place it inside the bigger tub. Fill both the tubs with soil and plant the bulbs of the Dianella grass around the edges of the inner tube.<br /><br />Place a plate with little soil and rest over it for enabling the leaves to lay flat by its weight along the circumference. Select a proper spot on the ground to give it a stunning look.<br /><br />Artistic bins & more<br />Give dustbins a makeover. Take waste plastic tubes of one inch diameter andfasten both the ends by using tube connectors to form a ring. Bring all the tubes to the centre of the bin like ribs and paint the entire bin a rust-brown colour.You can stick some old diyas available in a leaf form and paint it green. Your waste bin will give an ornamental look and can be used as a pedestal for keeping small flowering plants or shrubs. It can also be used for storing manure and soil.<br /><br />Take a few waste plastic tubes of half inch and cut it into lengths of two inches and make a bunch out of it. Insert a cable or thick wire inside the tube for allowing the tube to bend to the required shape. Pierce few tennis balls at the edges of the tube and place the bunch in any designed pot holder to give an artistic look.When we are told to create wealth from waste, why not create ‘art out of waste’ for your own beautiful terrace garden at home?<br />Once you get your hands dirty with all that soil and colour, there’s no looking back. It’s a green pact for life.</p>
