Rescue the green garden!

Away from the gravel deserts

A lot of house owners view a stone garden as a fast, practical solution. And yet the care of this stone desert in particular can develop into a Sisyphean task within only a few years – if the stones turn green, or if weeds grow through the non-woven material and crushed stone of your gravel garden. After that, it becomes harder to keep the stone garden looking attractive. Due to leaf, dust or seed deposits, a fertile soil for unpopular wild weeds forms between the stones.
And front or back gardens which are filled up with stones heat up in the sunshine, store this heat and then radiate it again – just when you are actually hoping to cool down. Such sealed surfaces can only absorb a certain amount of rainwater, meaning that it is no longer available for evaporation. They offer neither food nor refuge for birds and insects such as bees and butterflies. This is because they are usually lacking in flowering plants which bear pollen and nectar.
Plants on facades, roofs and balconies as well as in gardens make city habitats more bearable. This is not only due to their lovely appearance. With extensive roof greening, the heat input is reduced in comparison to a gravel roof by 30 to 60 percent. This in turn helps to reduce heat accumulation in towns and cities.

Why planted gardens are important

Today, every square metre in cities and municipalities is considered a part of the green infrastructure. Planted surfaces absorb water and store it. This helps to relieve the pressure on sewer systems during torrential rainfall. The planted areas do not heat up so quickly, and can even cool the air through evaporation via their leaves. They provide shadow for the ground and reduce its water evaporation.
The plants bind particulate matter, clean the air and produce oxygen. They can even absorb sound. Above all, however, they provide a habitat and food for birds and insects.

Which plants are suitable for front gardens?

Front gardens should look attractive all year round, and should of course also be easy to care for. They are frequently designed to harmonise with the facade and surroundings, acting as a business card or signboard for a house.
One front garden variant which takes little effort to care for would be a combination of woody plants and shrubs. The rock pear, for example, is undemanding, but remains an interesting plant in all seasons. In spring, it produces numerous white, star-shaped flowers, and in summer berry-like, edible fruits. They are reminiscent of blueberries. And birds love them. In autumn, the leaves turn a bright orange-red.
Winter-hardy plants will appear again in spring with little effort required from you. Shrubs such as lavender, sage, scabious or astrantia are perennials and easy to care for.
In particular evergreen plants or grasses such as the Japanese mountain grass or feather grass are particularly suitable for the simple planting of a front garden. These don’t just retain their leaves, but also bring colour and movement into front gardens during the winter.
You can find lots of tips for a vibrant front garden under Gardena Garden Planner.