Wrapping up our series on hard landscaping, we study the role arches and pottery play in home gardens. We must not ignore the value of the arch and the elegance of pottery in the home garden. Green Thumbs speaks to Deputy Provincial Director of Agriculture Office Ratmalana, District Agriculture Instructor K. N. K. Jayathilake on the instantaneous effect arches and pottery has on a visitor.
An arch welcomes the visitor into the Garden. Imagine walking through an Arch adorned with splendid colourful and fragrant flowers in clusters, almost like a crown. You feel welcome and even before you enter the garden you feel exuberant and you feel so positive. You feel an energy because the arch is alive! The flowers are alive! There is that naturalness because you feel refreshed, you feel welcomed by something alive! That is the power of an arch. It gives one the feeling that he or she is valued and wanted. There may be many arches in addition to the one that greets you before you enter the garden.
“An Arch welcomes the person into your home. It is the portal not only to your home but to your heart as well. However it needs to be in proportion to the pathways. The height and width of the Arch is important. The Arch can be rounded or square. They can be concrete arches, iron or wooden,” said Jayathilake.
We know that nighttime has a certain effect on the garden that is not there in the day time. The moonlight falling on the Arch covered in blossoms is just magical. If you plan on having a couple of arches in your garden, these creepers with their flowers will make the garden look stunning - making it look like gemstones on a crown fit for a king. Bathed in moonlight, it looks like Cinderella’s ball.
“Creepers with flowers look very beautiful on the Arch. The creepers must be carefully selected as the colours of the flowers need to be in sync with the surroundings. They need to be perennial creepers lasting for more than two years. The flowers should blossom for a long period of time,” stated Jayathilake.
The creepers can also be vegetable creepers. Here they serve a dual purpose. They add to the beauty of the surroundings and also provide food for the household. It too has an effect on the guest entering the garden because it is pleasing to the eye and appealing to the palate. Here we can use three or four flower and vegetable creepers as different varieties reach maturity at different stages.
“Here pruning these creepers is very important. Maintenance is important and we need to use good fertilizer. Some examples for vegetable creepers are Snake Gourd, Bitter Gourd and Spinach. The Arches can have different patterns making them even more attractive with the blossoms,” said Jayathilake.
Pottery in the Garden is another feature of elegance and refinement. Pottery is one of the oldest human inventions, originating before the Neolithic period and has been used in gardens in many societies. The pottery is decorated in many ways, and painting itself has been used since early prehistoric times. The potter’s wheel was invented in Mesopotamia sometime between 6,000 and 4,000 BC.
Ancient Egyptian Art was depicted in their pottery such as the “Eye of Horus Ceramic Vase Gold and Blue”. Art and spirituality were deeply entwined in ancient Egypt and is depicted in their pottery.
Of course when it comes to pots in your garden some pots are there for attractiveness with various designs on them (as mentioned above) while other pots in the garden are there to grow flowers and vegetables.
“Garden Pots enhance the beauty of the Home Garden. Pots can come in different shapes and placing it in the right place in the home garden is important. Its height and width needs to be suitable to the place it is placed in. These pots can be made in clay and concrete. Some pots are used as empty pots (for the appearance) and some are used for growing plants. When it comes to growing flowers, fruits and vegetables these can be done in pots. Fruits would be Orange, Lime and Cherry, while Capsicum, Brinjals and Cabbage can be used as vegetables,” added Jayathilake.
According to reliable sources there are an amazing selection of garden pots available these days. Everything from classical terracotta, through to modern glazed urns in different shapes, sizes and colors. These pots placed in places of sunshine and shade contribute to the attractiveness of the garden with their various designs. They can add that level of sophistication to the garden. In the night time why not place the pots near a lantern or near an archway or perhaps along a pathway. The effect is very enchanting and more so if there are patterns on the pots which conveys that feeling of ghostliness! Pots can really do wonders for your garden.
“We know that rain and passing of time can diminish the appearance of your pots. Terracotta pots are durable, inexpensive and available in a range of sizes. Painting turns plain pots into eye-catching containers, add colour to your home and garden. Very well maintained pots with flower plants with vibrant colours make your garden a pleasure to be in,” said Jayathilake.
Outdoor furniture can also be placed near an archway. What a pleasure to sit down and read a book under an archway with beautiful flowers? The fragrance of the flowers permeating the air! The blossoms adding a soothing effect, sometimes falling to the ground creating a very beautiful scene.
Arches are especially important for weddings with the bride and bridegroom exchanging their wedding vows under the arch if the wedding is in a house or private residence. The special day is even more special because of the flowers that represent the beauty of the occasion. Indeed it would be correct to say that these arches can melt hearts.
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