5 ways to upgrade and diversify your garden

Adorn with vibrant foliage

Ornamental foliage plants can bring in just as much colour to your garden as flowering annuals. Coleuses, triostars and fittonias help add striking combinations of pinks, greens, and white. For those who prefer warmer tones, crotons are the ideal go-to. You can also opt for foliage plants such as calatheas which boast interesting patterns if vibrant borders feel too intense for you. Calatheas possess eye catching vein patterns which resemble paintings.

Let climbers in

Supplementing blooming shrubs with flowering climbers will add a fairylike essence to your garden. Rustic garden arches, trellis screens and obelisk towers are some of the many charming structures which you can support flowering climbers with. Flower bearing vines which are suitable for the Bangladeshi climate include purple wreaths, trumpet vines, glory lilies, coral vines and morning glories. Substituting flowering shrubs with creepers can also help free up space in your garden, allowing it to appear less confined.

Everyday festivity

Flood lights and fluorescent spike lights have a tendency to mar the ambience of gardens even though they are efficient for security purposes. Adding supplemental decorative lights can be aesthetically transformative if the night time ambience of your garden feels dull. To blend in a burst of festivity, experiment with miniature lanterns and warm festoon lights. If you want something more minimal and modern, anthracite wall lights are a good option.

Birds, bees, and biodiversity

The absence of birds, bees, and tiny critters, along with the animation they bring may lead to a garden feeling barren, regardless of how healthy the greenery may be. To make your garden more inviting to these species, levelling up the diversity of native plants can go a long way as it helps create a natural ecosystem. 

Flowering plants and fruit bearing ferns can provide birds with some of the essentials for their dietary needs. Expanding the diversity of plants also attracts the insects which birds love to feast on. Adding vines and bushy shrubs will help you forge temporary rest stops for visiting birds by creating protective covers. When birds find your garden accommodating, it will not be long till they make themselves at home. Adding bird baths and feeders are also a sure-fire way to attract birds and liven up your garden.

Drape your garden with serenity

Tranquillity and what it entails is different for everyone. It is important to tap into what makes you feel serene when you upgrade your garden. For some, it might be visual stimuli such as the flow of water within miniature fountains or the sight of bamboos with their inherently calming aura.

Your definition of calm may also be a purely physical experience, equated with bodily comfort. If that is the case for you, try ensuring that your garden accommodates this. Whether it is with hammock seats or rattan day beds, there are numerous ways to tweak your garden to make it perfect for unwinding after stressful days.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Location: Brac Nursery