Top 10 Ways to Design a Beautiful and Functional Home Garden Space

Pretend for a minute that you step out into your backyard and find yourself in a beautiful French potager. The air smells of herbs, and the rows of green veggies in front of you are begging to be picked. It may sound like a quaint dream that only someone on a large homestead in the South of France could experience. But believe it or not, you can grow your own garden like this in any U.S. city, almost all year long, if you use a little imagination and tools like home garden by Gardyn.

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1. Embrace Vertical Gardening
   

Vertical gardening has been a game changer for those who want to take food gardening to a new level, especially in an urban environment. With vertical gardening, instead of growing your garden outward, you grow it upwards. 

This not only saves space, but it can also create a stunning display in your home garden. Try introducing vertical planters or trellises to grow beans or cucumbers.

A vertical display of gardens can be a great conversation and entertainment piece. Additionally, you can easily access the plants for harvesting without the need to bend or squat as much.

     2. Incorporate Raised Beds

There are all kinds of benefits to using raised beds. Plant roots are kept out of standing water, soil is accessible for planting and weeding, and pests are kept at bay. 

Raised bed gardens are ideal for soil control and creating a warm environment for soil to thaw and warm up in the spring and cool slowly in the fall.

Think of raised beds as a stylish way to section off your garden with dedicated zones for veggie types. The raised bed above could be reserved for root vegetables, and then you could use another for herbs and a third for leafy greens. 

This can make your garden more stylized and purposeful looking. It can also help you max out your space because it is best for your individual vegetable type.

   3. Mix Edibles with Ornamentals

Adding edibles to ornamental gardens or ornamentals to a raised bed garden helps to attract the good bugs and pollinators. Imagine vibrant marigold plants in the same bed as leafy lettuce or nasturtium weaving its way through a tomato plant. 

Your garden will be more enjoyable and functional too. Add some colorful foliage to enhance your compound and it becomes more functional than before.

But do include plants that will do more for your garden than any wildlife that comes along will do to sabotage it. For example, planting marigolds close to your tomatoes prevents nematodes and aphids.

   4. Use High-Quality Soil

A garden is only as good as the ground it stands on. To support the plants you need to grow, you need to invest in good quality fertile soil. Good soil begets good plants, which leads to a good harvest and fewer pest and disease problems.

Now, brown gold soil will grow big fat veggies with gentle care. Further, adding organic matter that encourages compost and aged manure will improve your soil, help the roots to grow by providing air pocket spaces and retain moisture since it's the source of nutrients needed to grow new plants. Regular soil tests can help you determine what you will need to do.

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   5. Optimize Sunlight

You'll want to be totally aware of the sunlight available for your new plants. Most vegetables will need at least six hours of full sun a day. Picture the spot for the garden and the wonderful sunshine hitting the space of your dreams.

To maximize your sunlight, consider your site and how you'll plant taller plants to the north of shorter plants so tall things won't shade what's below and cause the smaller plants to lack sunlight.

Try to use light and reflective surfaces to help amplify the light available to your plants. Light colored walls or reflective surfaces can help in smaller areas.

   6. Integrate Smart Gardening Systems

There's no doubt that we are in the era of smart home gardening. The Gardyn Home Kit 4.0, for example, is one AI technology specifically designed to take care of the planting in your place so that creating a garden becomes easy and simple. 

This kit's smart technology can even help create the perfect climate using fully adjusted light and customized watering to give nutrients and assistance throughout the season.

With this, the garden can now do it itself. If you have a smart system, you'll be able to monitor your plants' soil moisture, temperature, sunlight, and other variables. Through the Gardyn app, you can offer your garden what it needs. All you need to do is kick up and relax.

   7. Create a Relaxing Seating Area

A garden should also be a space of peace and happiness. Incorporate a little seating area where you can sit and read some of your favorite books that explain more about how and why your plants are going to grow the way you imagine.

An outdoor rug, pillows, and lights can all make this little space of yours even more comfortable. Be sure to place your garden somewhere you can enjoy it.

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   8. Plan for Year-Round Gardening

You can have fresh produce all year long with the right techniques. Use cold frames or greenhouses to expand your season. Picture going through your garden during the winter and picking fresh salads and herbs.

Year-round gardening means you always have an abundance of home-grown fruits and vegetables. This makes it more convenient and sustainable. 

Select cold-hardy vegetables and use row covers or cloches to protect plants during the first frosts. Practice succession planting so that you can always have something to harvest.

   9. Use Companion Planting

Companion planting is the idea of certain plants growing well together. Some plants when growing next to others will be better off and can keep off pests. 

Like when basil is planted next to the tomato plant, it makes the tomato plant taste better and also helps keep protect it from pests. If your plants are placed properly, where they can support other sprouts, your entire garden's health will improve.

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This is not only essential for creating an awesome crop of produce but for the functionality of everything combined. One plant can provide protection, shade, and nutrients to the plant next to them.

Some plants, such as fennel or dill, will draw in good bugs and keep the bad ones away. By knowing this information, your garden will thrive better and not have as many diseases. You can also maximize space to ensure that you make the best use of your home garden and get the crops that you really want.

   10. Incorporate Water Features

Adding a water feature with a fountain or a small pond will make your garden look even more beautiful. The sound of water is very calming and the water source will attract good entities such as pollinators and birds.

With the rise of vertical farming and technology, there are so many other ways that gardening gets even better in providing more natural goodness straight from home. The Gardyn Home Kit 4.0 will do the magic of keeping your garden working at its best. Being a smart planter, it allows less work at planting, leaving you to just monitor and reap the rewards.

The garden within a home is more than just something to look at; it's a space for you to relax and be at peace. With the right planning, vision, and tools, you'll be walking through your garden in no time.

The garden within a home is more than just something to look at; it's a space for you to relax and be at peace. With the right planning, vision, and tools, you'll be walking through your garden in no time.

Header Photo Credit: cottonbro studio https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-black-jacket-sitting-on-brown-wooden-seat-4505166/