Creating Outdoor Sanctuaries

Many garden enthusiasts will say that their garden is a sanctuary from the world. What they usually mean is that they will use their garden to help them escape from the problems that they maybe facing. Instead of using a hastily thrown together garden as a sanctuary, why not create one? Creating outdoor sanctuaries can be a fairly easy thing to do if you know what to look for. Here are a few simple guidelines that you can use help create a wonderful sanctuary of your own.

• Budget. With any major landscaping project, one of the things that need to be addressed is that of your budget. While it would be nice to be able to have a beautifully crafted sanctuary, it is impossible to do so without spending at least some money. Go over your finances to figure out exactly how much money you have available for your project.
• Location. Part of the draw to an outdoor sanctuary is its location. A sanctuary is usually meant to be a peaceful place, and yours should be no different. Look around your yard and see if you can find the most peaceful, and tranquil spot. When you do, make a note of it, and the layout of the immediate area. Think about what you can do to enhance the natural beauty that is already there. After all, if you can use what is already there, then you will not need to spend as much money later on.
• Focal point. Every outdoor sanctuary should have some kind of a focal point. This could be a lighting scheme, some furniture, or a water feature. In fact, it could even be a combination of these items as well. Try a few experiments, draw out our ideas, and see what you like best. Remember, the idea of a sanctuary is to promote a feeling of peace and tranquility. Do not use something that will detract from that feeling.
• Choose attractors. A great way to help create that feeling of tranquility in your outdoor sanctuary is to have butterflies, humming birds, and other wildlife in your garden. The easiest way to ensure that you have some of these is to plant flowers, and add some bird feeders that are designed to attract these types of creatures. Be careful though, since some attractors may also draw things like hornets and bees. Your local nursery should have information about what type of plants work best for the creatures that you want in your garden.
• Choose easy to maintain plants. Considering that your sanctuary should be a place where you relax, it only makes sense that you wouldn't want to do a lot of work in it. This means that you should choose plants that are easy to maintain. The perfect solution would be to have a garden sanctuary that requires absolutely no work on your part, but that is not really feasible. Rather, decide on plants that will require little or no effort on your part to maintain. In addition, make sure that you choose outdoor furniture or accessories that will require as little work as possible as well.