Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Planning for changing needs

By Jane Courtney

The demands of a single family can vary enormously over a number of years. Where they are likely to be in the same home for sonic time it is important that the garden plan is flexible enough to reflect these changing needs. A young couple might use the garden mainly for sunbathing or entertaining and would want a simple layout which is easy to look after.

The topsoil is the essential layer for plant growth. Its texture and composition generally depend upon the parent rock from which it has very gradually been formed, by the interaction of water, climate and vegetation. Weathering agents such as frost, rain and sun break the rock down over thousands of years to form the basic mineral structure of the soil. Plants grow on the rock debris and myriads of microorganisms work on the dead roots and fallen leaves to decay them, producing the essential organic constituent of the topsoil, known as humus.

As children leave home the garden area should become quieter and parents should have more time to spend in it. They may concentrate more on the plants themselves, possibly with special interests developing such as roses or a greenhouse. However, what can be looked after with ease at fifty becomes something of a chore at seventy.

When an elaborate layout becomes complicated for eventual maintenance will be necessary to reduce the need intensive gardening, preferably in a which retains the original effect.

In the family life cycle of a garden use can grow and expand and then sl reduce its scope again. The demands may vary from, at one extreme, provide a tranquil retreat after a noisy day wor in town to creating the need for phys exercise in otherwise sedentary lives.

Between topsoil and parent bed rock there may be many layers of stone and gravel, but the layer immediately beneath the topsoil is generally the subsoil. Its depth varies according to the hardness of the underlying rock and the amount of erosion it has suffered. The colour and texture of subsoil are usually different from those of the topsoil because it is in a transitional stage, without humus or organic material. For this reason, it is not a growing medium.

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