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The Sentosa Butterfly Park is located at the Mount Imbiah area of Sentosa. This is quite near to the cable car station as well as the bus station. This garden is a host to as many as 1500 colorful butterflies belonging to more than 50 diverse species. While sauntering through this unruffled orangery, you explore the world of nature’s most beautiful and rare insects of the Insect Kingdom. This conservatory has been built for those magnificent small creatures that were getting extinct due to the massive urban expansion.

The Insect Revolution display in the garden will enlighten you on the evolution of these insects right from the time when they started appearing on Earth. The signature feature of the Insect garden is the presence of sets of insect fossils. These fossils have been dated millions of years ago.

The butterfly park has a cave that stretches to an area of seventy meters. This is first of its kind in the world and is a home to a large number of insects living in their biological environment. As you walk through the cave you can just stand and glance at the creation of life while watching the Live Pupae house. Or don’t get scared when you encounter a huge, 160 mm, Dynates Hercules beetle. If you happen to wear colorful clothes while strolling in the garden, be prepared to be followed by butterflies who will mistake you for a flower. Apart from these there is a plethora of other kind of insects like spiders, scorpions, beetles and bugs – all being unique. Fireflies will welcome you as you visit the dark interiors of the cave. These insects give a bright spark from within the body, which will illuminate your pathway.

The stage shows related to the insects should not be missed. Over here you will come to know the ways of managing the giant scorpions along with other insects. If you are the watchful kind, then try to spot the stick insects that are camouflaged in a way that even the most alert will get tricked, in the Stick Insect Safari.

The Butterfly Garden is filled with a menagerie of tiny and colorful insects. A walk through it will delight the children and the grown-ups alike.

Whenever you visit Singapore, ensure you reserve you Singapore hotel accommodation prior to arrival. The Millennium hotels in Singapore are a great choice and you can select from several locations, depending on where you’ll be visiting the most

Creating a wildlife garden allows you take part in your larger surrounding environment. Often gardens are completely shut out from the natural landscape around it and aren’t welcoming to birds and other wildlife. Adding a few well placed and well chosen shrubs or trees can make all the difference when trying to attract birds to your garden.

Map out and observe your surroundings to see what natural habitats are close by. Are there any ponds, rivers, or streams? Are parks, golf courses or nature reserves nearby? Remember, your garden is part of the larger environment. Knowing what the local ecosystems are will better enable you to plan your garden.

In order to attract birds, gardens must supply them with food, water, shelter and nesting areas. Provide for different bird species by making available a variety of seed and berry producing trees and shrubs, such as Washington hawthorn, mountain ash, cherry and viburnum. Flowers such as hollyhock, nasturtium, and sunflower produce seed which attract birds as well. Indigenous plants, those which grow naturally in a specific area, are very effective at attracting local bird species. Try to incorporate some of these into your garden.

Also, be sure to provide food throughout the year. For example, in the spring have a few different berry producing shrubs available, such as blueberries and raspberries. In the summer, perennials provide seed and in the fall trees such as dogwood and serviceberry bear fruit which birds will seek out. Birds which over winter in your area will need sustenance provided by winterberry and other fruit bearing shrubs.

Different birds need different foods and different environments in which to live. Robins, for example, eat at ground level where they forage for insects and worms while many other birds prefer to be off the ground a bit in the midst of a perennials garden where they eat the seeds of the flowers. Some birds, like grosbeaks, prefer the height of shrubs and others still, such as the woodpecker, prefer to be in the canopy of taller trees where their able to find insects in the tree’s bark.

Plants, while providing food, also supply birds with shelter. Evergreens and other dense shrubs provide nesting areas and protection from cold winter winds and create shade in the heat of the summer. While it may be impossible to incorporate all these habitats into your garden, plan at least a couple. The more habitats you can provide the more birds will flock to your garden.

Along with food, birds require water for both drinking and bathing. If there aren’t any natural water sources near your garden, be sure to place a birdbath or water dish in the area. Keep the water fresh by filling it daily. In the winter when the water freezes knock out the ice and replace with fresh water. Most home and garden stores that stock birdbaths sell small water heaters which will prevent freezing. If you are considering using one of these consult an electrician to help with the installation. If their aren’t any natural water systems in your area, consider planning a water garden, just remember bird prefer shallow water to deep water. Waterfalls and bubbling fountains will attract a number of birds since most species are drawn to the sound of running water.

If you’re contemplating using a bird feeder, maintain it and be sure to keep it stocked as birds often come to depend on these feeders, especially during the lean, harsh months of winter. Since birds are attracted to a variety of different foods, supply them with seeds, berries, fats, breads and nuts. Avoid salty foods. Using a birdhouse for your seed provides shelter as well as a place for food.

Creating a garden which attracts birds has positive effect on the environment; you’re providing a new habitat for birds and well as beneficial insects and other wildlife. While birds will thrive and will benefit the most from your efforts, you’re also providing years of enjoyment for both yourself and visitors to your garden.

BeiHai Park, in central beijingclose to the Forbidden City, is one of the oldest and most authentically preserved imperial gardens in China.

BeiHai Park has a history of over 1,000 years. BeiHai Park has existed throughout the Liao, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.

White Dagoba

On top of the Jade Flowery Islet, the White Dagoba was built in 1651 on the former site of the Palace in the Moon where Kublai Khan received Marco Polo. At the suggestion of a famous Tibetan lama, Emperor Shunzhi, the first emperor of the Qing Dynasty agreed to build such a Tibetan dagoba to show his belief in Buddhism and his desire for the unification among various Chinese ethnic groups. The White Dagoba was destroyed in an earthquake and reconstructed twice. Now, resting on a huge stone base, it stands 35.9 meters (about 118 feet) high and is capped by two bronze umbrella-like canopies, with 14 bronze bells hanging around them. Inside, the dagoba holds the Buddhist Scriptures, the monk’s mantle and alms bowl and two pieces of Sarira. Since the White Dagoba is the highest point in Beihai Park, it served as a vantage point with a beautiful view of the whole park.

In front of the White Dagoba is the White Dagoba Temple. There are several other buildings and halls you could visit if you have enough time. These include Zhengjue Hall, the Bell and Drum Towers, the Stone Tablets of ‘Qiongdao Chunyin’ (means the beautiful scenery of the Jade Flowery Islet in spring; inscribed by Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty) etc, all scattered on the slope of the Qionghua Islet.

Five-Dragon Pavilions

To the southwest of the Nine-Dragon Screen lies the Five-Dragon Pavilions – five connected pavilions with spires and pointed upswept eaves. From a distance, they appear together like a huge dragon. Built first in 1602 and repaired several times in Qing Dynasty, these five pavilions, half over the water, stand on the north bank of the lake opposite the Jade Flowery Islet. There are many exquisite carvings and paintings on the girders and pillars of the pavilions which make the Five-Dragon Pavilions a delightful place for the royal members in ancient China to relax and appreciate the natural beauty.

You can stand in the Five-Dragon Pavilions to see the Jade Flowery Islet with the gleaming White Dagoba standing in the exuberance of trees, flowers and various other plants. There are also many other worthwhile places to visit around the Five-Dragon Pavilions including the Heavenly King Hall, Chengguan Hall and the Temple of Little Western Skies, a famous Buddhist architecture.

Quiet Heart (Jingxin) Studio

After visiting the Eastern Shore Area, stepping westward, you will be at the Northern Shore Area. Lying to the east of this area, the Quiet Heart Studio is the most famous independent garden within Beihai Park. It was initially built in Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644) and enlarged in Qing Dynasty. Inside the studio, there are many magnificent palaces, halls, pavilions, towers, corridors and artificial hills, numerous odd-shaped porous rocks and stones, all artistically arranged. During Qing Dynasty, some of the royal members used to rest or study here.

While visiting these famous and interesting places in Beihai Park, you could have a meal and rest in Fangshan Restaurant located at the northern shore of the lake. This restaurant was started in 1925 by a cook who formerly worked in the Qing court, so the food there is said to be of delicious imperial flavor.

Besides these places of interest in Beihai Park, there are plenty of exhibitions to see. These include the yearly exhibition of water lilies and other water plants in the Botanical Garden, the exhibition of peonies, and varied picture shows, making Beihai Park not only the center of history and culture in Beijing, but also the center of ecological and natural beauty. Now, an ancient but modern Beihai Park welcomes you from all over the world.

Address: 1 Wenjinjie, north-western corner of Forbidden City, Beijing

Tickets: CNY 10

Hours: 6:30am to 8:30pm

Bus Route:

From the South Gate: 101,103,109,812,814,846

From the North Gate: 107,111,118,701,823

From the East Gate: 5

In the modern times throughout the world, gardening is a pleasant hobby, a favorite way to express a skill and a form of art itself. The benefits that individuals and communities gain from gardening have been widely known and advocated.

Certainly, though, it didn’t start a few years ago. Let’s take a trip back in the earliest times as we trot the entire globe to discover the evolution of gardening.

Traces of interest in gardening can be found way back in the 1500 B.C., where ornamental gardens were found in tomb paintings in Egypt. The Egyptians fondness in lotus ponds, acacias and palms were prominent in the paintings. The Egyptian royalty is seen as among the most instrumental civilizations that contributed to the development of the concept of garden, essentially of garden design and actualization.

The world’s famed gardens were creations as early as in the Ancient East such as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the paradise gardens in Persia and the Assyrian hunting- enclosed orchards. The gardening influence of Persia sailed itself toward the 350 B.C., post-Alexander era in Greece, where gardens were created in the Academy of Athens. Alexandria, Rome and Pompeii were also prominent garden builders and developers. The most affluent Romans created colossal gardens. The remnants of these enormous gardens, such as the ruins of Hadrian’s Villa, have become reminiscent of the era that remains to be part of our present world.

The 4th century advancements of gardens were evident, such as in the Moorish Spain and Byzantium gardens. On the other side of the world, a separate tradition in gardening arose in China, which was later passed on to the Japanese, who urbanized gardening into aristocratic landscapes in miniature sizes, surrounded by ponds. From these, the Zen temple gardens in Japan came about.

Meanwhile, 13th-century Europe gave rise to the Italian villa gardens. Parterres in France were seen around the end of the 16th century. The Dutch, who provided an offshoot of the French garden style, were advocated with more flower bulbs, water, topiary and trees in tubs, and topiary, as evident in the Westbury Court.

In the 18th, England’s landscape gardens stirred new perspectives. Some garden historians look at the 18th century as a significant turnaround from the prevailing “formality” in the Renaissance Period to a “natural” perspective. Art patron Lord Burlington is credited as a key mover of the more natural style in England. Other famed peddlers of this perspective include William Kent who designed and integrated heavily calculated, elaborate vistas to statues, temples and ornaments in various English parklands.

Cottage-inspired gardening was prominent in the 19th century, known mostly for its romantic creativity. Flower gardens were dominant for homes during the 20th century.

Thereafter, gardening progressed into city development and planning. Looking around will tell you that gardens are commonly incorporated in city structures and town landscapes.

Gardens around you, great or small, formal or informal, private or public, echo their creators’ passion for growing greens or for beautiful landscaping and ornament purposes, or simply to mirror their artistic side.

So go ahead, explore gardening. Looking at how gardening evolved, the ways and styles to it are infinite!

Spring is here, summer’s on its way and it’s time to enjoy the fruits of other people’s labour. Yes, garden show season is almost upon us and there’s a lot to see.

Garden shows in the UK come in all styles and sizes, so you’ll be able to pick one that appeals to you. Whether you want to go to a big show and pick up some tips and bargains or to a small private viewing, there’ll be something for you.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) puts on regular shows throughout the summer, most famously the Chelsea Flower Show at the end of May, in central London. Here you’ll find show gardens laid out in a huge variety of styles – Mediterranean, woodland, cottage gardens, water gardens, secret gardens, contemporary designs and gardens designed by celebrity gardeners.

They are all there to impress and inspire, with gardeners on hand to explain the philosophy and practicalities behind each design. Chelsea also has countless displays by nurseries specialising in certain types of plants and there are stalls selling any number of garden gadgets, outdoor furniture and tools.

RHS shows are not just confined to London. There are also displays in Cardiff, Malvern and Tatton Park in Cheshire. All the RHS shows are set in several acres and are big, showy affairs that need to be booked well in advance as tickets sell out quickly. If you need ideas for your garden makeover, they are great places to see all sorts of plants laid out in a garden design rather than in rows in a garden centre. You’ll be able to see what settings suit them and what plants make good bedfellows. There are also demonstrations and workshops, so you can hone your green fingered skills.

If you’d prefer to see something more intimate and local then look out for the National Garden Scheme charity garden openings. Private gardens are open to the public just for a day or two each year, many belonging to home owners. Gardens come under very close scrutiny before they are allowed to be part of the scheme, so what you see will be at the pinnacle of garden design and upkeep. The great thing is the gardens are local to your area (so with similar conditions to your patch) and on a domestic scale, so you can get a real idea of what a bit of imagination and hard graft can achieve.

The National Garden Scheme began in 1927 and raises money for charities which help those who need nursing care. 30 million pounds has been raised so far – from modest entrance fees and money raised from tea, cake and plant sales which the private garden owners organise.

If you want to see gardens on a grand scale but without the commercial side of the big flower shows then head for a National Trust or English Heritage garden. These are beautifully maintained and vary from formal gardens attached to stately homes, to woodland, meadows, even coastal land. Many are romantic spots that have inspired painters and novelists over the years and are a great way to escape the daily grind of modern life. Of course summer is a wonderful time to visit these places, but most are open throughout the year so you can go back and see how things change each season.

Visiting beautifully designed and maintained gardens, whether on a grand scale or small and personal is always a treat. And what better way to get some great ideas for your own little piece of Eden. Whether you want to create tranquillity or something with some wow-factor, somewhere someone will have achieved something similar and will spur you on to do the same.

Before planting new ranking assess both your wishes and the unfilled conditions of your position. Trees, like all patch plants, have precise light and soil requirements which can persuade its fitness. Trees also have limited legroom requirements. Some plants widen broad and must a lot of plot, such as the beech, while others, such as the birch, grow tall and narrow. Unlike other patch plants, however, grass tend to be enduring skin in the landscape so apposite position is dangerous.

Assess your plot’s wishes. Does your patch basic shade or blush? How much cosmos do you have? Trees command a lot of area as they mature. Trees that are 10′ at the nursery can certainly attain 20′ in a material of being and may range 50′ or more at ripeness. Improperly located grass and shrubs are an usual muddle among gardeners. Trees planted to close to a house or patch course may require common pruning, ensuing in gawkily shaped plants. In many instances, transplanting becomes needed resulting in more work than originally planned.

If you want to design a shady setting in the backyard, body out how much shade you want. Trees such as the thornless honey locust and the stream birch afford stippled shade and construct comfortable outdoor gathering places. For creating deeper shade, large leaves with dense foliage such as the beech and maple are practical.

Deciduous grass, those which freed their leaves in the plummet, start shade in the summer but allocate sunlight through in the frost. These leaves are effectual when worn to increas energy efficiency. Planting to shade a house from the summer sum, plants have a cooling achieve, in the chill, grass lacking their leaves allow the sun to reheat the home.

Trees can complete as amazing central points in the landscape. In a tackle, a darling maple can park solitary in the landscape a have a stunning effect. Large foliage with interesting form and year-rotund pastime are right as a main peak or a specimen bury. Trees can also be valuable when worn to casing views, patch art and vistas.

Flowering ornamental leaves, such as the flowering crabapple, crimson and magnolia, give stunning blooms in the skip. These ornamental trees are generally minor so they can be used in any amount patch and earlier to structures.

As an accent in the minor patch, ornamental trees can grant the garden with some shade and add appeal to the landscape. For example, the dogwood begins the flavor with flashy plants and red fruit. After the dogwood’s vivid collapse foliage spray to the ground its bark which flakes with age becomes exposed providing the garden with curiosity through the coldness. A more exotic option would be the Japanese maple. Its salient, sculptural form and red foliage make the Japanese maple a year-cycle joy. The birch hierarchy’s pleasing form is a year-circular star but is most noticeable in the frost after it sheds its brilliant autumn foliage.

All deciduous trees change paint in the drop; some, however, are beloved more than others for their autumn foliage. The honey maple, red maple, tupelo and sumac all have brilliant fall tint.

Don’t overlook skin such as a factory’s form, colorful berries and interesting bark. It is these skin which was loved through the winter months. Berry producing plants also provide animals with food. Both the birch and aforementioned Japanese maple, have exquisite forms and are year-around features.

Choosing the appropriate hierarchy for your garden requires some forecast. Trees can be fractious to transplant so planting the right tree in the right spot is judicious. With some original forecast, trees which are appropriately located and planted, can last a period with little or no maintenance.

There is practically no end to the kind of garden accessories one can use to decorate a garden. A perfect garden is always an asset not only considering the resale value of your house but also spiritual value as well.

If you want to turn your garden into a paradise of your own then your problem ends here, because the market has almost any garden accessories you need to make your garden look spunky. A perfect garden is not just about aesthetics but should also make practical sense as well.
An ideal way to decorate a garden is pretty much similar to interior decoration. First and foremost hide the ugly features and highlight the spaces if limited to appear larger.

Garden furniture-
While one visualizes his/her perfect garden, after having a long stroll one obviously wishes to have a place to rest in the garden. Beautifully carved Adirondack chairs, benches and tables are available in cedar pine, birches, teak for that typical country feel and for more contemporary looks one can go for wrought iron or steel versions too.

For that quiet afternoon slumber how about a cozy relaxing hammock under the tree to share those moments of peace in the arms of nature.

Fountains and birdbaths-
The tinkling sound of water is always soothing and good for ears. To create an impression of park in your garden you have a wide range of choices in fountains and birdbaths.
Spectacular water fountains are available in form of table top or wall hangings sculpted in terracotta, resin, granite, bamboo, and brass, copper according to your taste, space and budget.

Rain chains-
Rain chains are an artistic and functional way to collect rain water in a cup or a receptacle, a traditional Japanese way to store water for house hold usage. Beautiful copper rain chains in loops, cups or tiny flower shapes are a visual treat when water drops down the chains and is music to our ears.

Garden Gongs-
A garden gong is a unique garden accessory which not only creates voyeuristic appeal but also has a great utility value.
It could be hung onto the tree branches to on the patio or verandah and used as a door bell.

They are also said to create positive energies in and around the house, so carry a great spiritual value as well.

Garden lights-
Garden lighting is an essential element of any garden used as means of safety and also to highlight some essential features such as leaves, flowers or a particular corner of the garden. Garden lightings are available in traditional and contemporary designs. Available in different materials copper, aluminum, resins, glass, wood and steel garden lights could be hung to a tree, on the porch or patio. They are available be in form of lampposts or lanterns depending on space and aesthetic sense. Whichever garden accessory you choose the point is to enhance the beauty of your house and to create more face value in all the space that we have.

Garden Small ?

Size does matter, most of us have a smaller garden than we would like and small garden blues aren’t nice.

Gardens of the small variety make it hard to grow all the plants we would like, or indeed for most of us we buy the plant then find out after a few years that it takes over the garden and has to come out.

And small garden design issues lead us to little choice in all areas  of gardening, from what plants, materials, lawns and patio furniture to have.

A small garden at the front of the property often lads people to pave or tarmac it over as car parking space.

If your gardens small there are many solutions so don’t worry, for instance boundaries become more of an important feature. Fences, trellises and walls make great areas for climbing plants.

Box hedges can be used to create form and direct the eye, this will work with larger flowers and pathways, try designing a central circular feature to add width.

Raised features are good to add dimension, raised bed around a seating area or in the middle can give a sense of being submerged in the garden. Raising the garden in steps facing your window is a good idea as it brings depths. You can plant the steps up to form a bank of flowers which will grab the attention.

A tip for small garden design when thinking about planting is to only use three main colours in you scheme.

Besides green! think of three of your favorite colours plant them in waves in your raised beds and you will have a display to be proud of.

Try using your cubic space, with trellis planting tubs and hanging baskets, an arch over a gate is another opportunity in a small garden to gain growing space.

Build in features to your garden such as a wall with a BBQ built in and the use of planters and pots will be of benefit.

Create illusions with hidden areas and opened fencing, it’s best to keep the lawn to a minimum or not have one at all. Think about gravel areas, water features and what you most want. This is usually a seating and or dining area.

Build a plan up around this central point, use a software package, or you can do it the old fashioned way with some graph paper and a pencil.

Most small gardens have high walls or fences around, it is a good idea to take a note 3 times a day if possible what the micro climate is like. What I mean is how much Sun does the small area of your garden get ? When does it have the Sun for and how long it is in shade or Sun, are parts of the garden exposed to the Sun, wind or frost.

Plants and a Small Garden

Firstly lets look at plants for walls, here are a few suggestions;

Plants for a North and East Facing Wall

Actinidia, Akebia, Celastus, Fallopia, Hedera, Hydrangrea, Jasminum, Pyracantha.

Plants for South and West Facing Walls

Abutilon, Aristolochia, Campsis, Celastrus, Clematis, Hedera, Passiflora, Wisteria.

Above are great for walls, large plants and small garden? yes we can as Mr. Obhama says, but be warned regular pruning required!

General Plants Suitable for Small Gardens

A lot of Conifers are low growing, these include, Aurea nana, Rheingold and Filifera Aurea and blue star.

Evergreen shrubs, well for a small garden your spoilt for choice, Hebes are popular espescially variegated varieties. Hydrangers and Cotoneasters too.

Water Features

Water features and small garden areas work well, adding a feature and ambiance to small gardens with the sound of water flowing, they don’t have to be ponds see below for some ideas.

Patio Furniture Ideas

Storage is the key, the above set is ideal as is the one below.

Stowaway patio furniture works well in a small garden as it “stows” down to a small areas easily stored in a shed or even in the house.

Finally if you can’t build in seating feature the try a fold away bench like below, it work well in small gardens and can again be folded away and put in a cupboard in the house.

Let us Know 

Do you have any questions? let us know by email, perhaps you have idea and small garden tips and advice you would like to share? let us know and we will publish you and link to your website.

This small garden feature is updated regularly by the patio furniture website Peak Garden Centres 

A parterre garden is a type of formal garden created by 16th Century French nursery designer Claude Mollet. Mollet based his design on the square boundaries and elaborate interior patterns of English knot gardens. However, he conceived of the parterre garden as fulfilling a different purpose for French landscapes. Instead of being viewed by people who were passing by them on the ground, Mollet wanted his gardens to be viewed from the high vantage points of open windows, balconies, and palisades. He therefore divided the single square into four squares, with gravel paths that intersect in the middle. He also changed the vegetation contents from an emphasis on herbs and small flowering plants to larger growth that could be better seen from high places.

Mollet selected clipped box to use in forming the boundaries of the parterre garden. He relied heavily on other shrub species as well to provide variation in structure and color. The English, of course, objected to this. Herbalist and poet Gervase Markham wrote that box had a “naughty smell” and should not be used in a garden. Markham had missed the point. Mollet’s intention was to create a visual experience for the Elite to quietly enjoy from the opulence and comfort of their balconies and open windows. It was far more important to see the garden as a unity than it was to smell individual flowers and herbs at close range. This was the main reason that shrubs became predominant in parterre gardens, because when different species are planted together, the variations of green can be stunningly beautiful.

Parterre gardens reached the zenith of their form under the reign of Louis XIII at the Palace of Versailles. King Louis’s head gardener, Jacques Boyceau, defined the best elements of the parterre gardens as follows:

• Borders that are made from several shrubs of different shades of green.
• Shrubs should be clipped in such a way as to create compartments and pathways within the general space.
• Passements, or embroidery patterns, should be formed out of shrub elements
• The use of repeating geometry (known as Arabesque) is often appropriate, along with selective use of animal forms in places.
• Distorted forms and interlacing patterns should be clearly visible and proportional to the whole.

Parterre gardens fell out of style after the French Revolution. The new, favored form then became the 18th Century English naturalist garden. However, in the 20th Century, parterre gardens experienced a resurgence in popularity. While they still remain true to the same aesthetic intentions of Boyceau and Mollet, the use of four perfect squares is not typical except on very large, private estates that have the acreage to support them.

Instead, the typical Houston parterre garden is often one of many elements found throughout the landscape. It can be planted with either linear or contoured geometry to compliment the aesthetic of exterior architecture and outdoor forms. This was done in a project we did some time back for a West Houston couple who loved all things French. We sculpted a parterre garden around a paved area that was designed in the shape of a horseshoe. Originally used for parking a boat, this area was later covered with gravel and used to mount a statue. The surrounding greenery created a backdrop for this piece that looked both organic and elegant at once.

Typically, landscaping companies such as ours use a combination of boxwoods and holly trees when designing parterre gardens. Boxwoods create excellent garden boundaries, and hollies add vertical dimension. This simple combination is often very useful in a yard that has lacks a fence. When planted along the property line, it creates a superb and highly aesthetic natural boundary between two residences.

Like a wedding cake, the cost of flowers for a wedding can be one of the biggest expenses faced.  Fortunately, it is possible to get wedding flowers on a budget.

One of the first considerations the bridal couple must decide is just exactly what sort of expense is realistic for the bridal bouquet and the boutonniere.  Depending on the style and the composition of the bouquet, they could run as high as several hundred dollars.  A good portion of this expense is the choice of flowers that may not necessarily be in season, especially on a local or regional basis.  If it is possible to get the specific flowers you desire, chances are they will have to be specially ordered, and will, of course, be far more expensive than usual.

Another source of budget wedding flowers is to check local farmers markets or wholesalers to see what might be available or leftover when florists failed to pick them up.  Because these places dislike keeping flowers around for any length of time, it is possible to pick up some good bargains a day or so prior to the wedding.  With careful storage, the flowers can last sufficiently to be useful for the wedding reception.  This option is especially useful if you know someone who has talent in flower arranging and could put together the floral arrangements used at the reception and/or the actual bridal bouquet.

Another option to consider is to plan the ceremony and reception at an outdoor location which naturally has flowers as a part of the surroundings. There are several parks and other venues like a local botanical garden that will fit the bill in this instance.  An additional benefit to this arrangement is that there are some of these locations which do not charge for their use.  This way, the only flowers you would actually need to buy would be those in the bridal bouquet and possibly some boutonnières for the groom and his groomsmen.  Bags of rose petals can be found for a relatively inexpensive cost at many florists for the flower girl to sprinkle along the path the bride will take to the altar.  Be sure to inquire ahead of time about the park’s regulations regarding needing to pickup the flower petals since you might find yourself responsible for making sure they are cleaned up before you leave the site.

Rather than buying real flowers, you might want to consider substituting well-made silk flowers instead.  As a rule, they tend to be less expensive, and it is possible to preserve the wedding bouquet in a glassed-in container or cabinet on display indefinitely.  Additional wedding flowers can be purchased and added to make simple bouquets or centerpieces to decorate the tables in the reception hall.

Lastly, if you’re having a wedding at an unusual time of the year, like in the winter, you might want to consider decorating with something like boughs of evergreen or holly instead of traditional wedding flowers.  Even potted poinsettia plants can be used effectively to provide decoration.  If you’re considering a themed wedding, you may not even have to worry about flowers at all.  A little research for this event can prove to be a money saver in the long run.

To your beautiful wedding!