Many home landscape designs evolve helter-skelter. A plant is planted somewhere in the garden simply because there is room for it there at the time. But as any landscape designer will tell you, it is best to start from scratch, draw a plan for the entire garden and with the help of the local nursery, ensure you reap the rewards of your garden for years to come by making the right choices.

But having a garden can be considered a luxury in Bermuda as many people find themselves living in either apartments or condominiums with virtually no outdoor space to call their own.

The Royal Gazette approached local landscape designers at Ground Effects with a challenge: Help us turn any space into a green space.

Owner Heather Henderson and landscape designer Heather Young came up with some basic rules of thumb.

Ms Young believes most landscapes pose some kind of challenge, be it a rocky spot, a slope, or a place heavily shaded or with too much sun. “It’s important to know what to plant where, which is why planning your garden is so crucial,” she points out.

For sunny areas, Ms Young suggests planting one of the following:

Aloe species, snow bush, purple heart, periwinkle, croton, trailing African daisy, dwarf date palm, portulaca, coleus, Spanish moss (which can also hang from the taller specimens) and seasonal plants including herbs such as parsley and thyme or annuals, including marigolds, petunias and salvias.

“As for shady areas, try ferns, spider lily, philodendron selloam or spathiphyllum species,” she says.

If, like most Bermudians, your garden is confined to potted plants on patios, verandas, balconies and entranceways, Ms Henderson suggests the following plant species: Begonia, bougainvillaea species, Bermuda olivewood, creeping ivy, jade plant, amaryllis, orchids or roses.

“When it comes to hanging baskets try floss flower, begonia, spider plants, creeping ivy, glove amaranth, busy lizzie, trailing African daisy, petunia or rose-moss,” she suggests. “Plants for verandas and balconies that will be grown in containers, need to be carefully selected depending on whether the location is exposed or sheltered, sunny or shady. The use of evergreens will work all year round.”

Ms Henderson points out the importance of adequate drainage by making small holes in the bottom of pots and placing pebbles or shards of pottery over these to prevent soil leakage.

While clay pots are attractive on patios, they are also more porous than plastic and dry out more quickly, requiring frequent watering.

“New clay containers should be immersed in water for 24 hours and allowed to dry prior to first being used as this will prevent the pots from drying out once planting has taken place,” Ms Young adds.

As for lawns, just because everyone else does it, does not mean it will work with the space you have. Ms Young suggests settling for interlocking brick: “Having a two-foot piece of grass growing around your pool for example might look good, but it’s impractical and high maintenance. Interlock is low-maintenance and will also work better with smaller gardens, or spaces found in apartment complexes.”

This is where potted plants come into play and Ms Young suggests adding a water or rock feature to create a quiet, peaceful and relaxing atmosphere.

“Nothing brings a garden to life as effectively as water and a well-designed water feature can transform an ordinary space into an extraordinary one,” she says.

But she warns the importance of doing research, seeking professional advice and checking out building regulations when considering the addition of a water feature to any garden.

“Equally important is the need to plan for a healthy water system, designed for the needs of whatever is to occupy the water feature, be it fish or plants or a combination of both.”

One client, she chuckles, is quite happy to have toads living in her “pond”, but on a serious note, she warns that water does provide an ideal breeding place for mosquitoes and great care must be taken to keep the water free of their larvae.

Which brings us to the question of dealing with pesky weeds and bugs that seem intent on destroying what every gardener spends hours creating.

Ms Young is quick to share one tip - pouring your used dishwater over your bougainvillaea to keep slugs away.

Another tip is placing broken egg shells around the base of plants, another tactic rumoured to keep slugs at bay, while planting mint around doorways stops ants from making your home theirs.

“The key is prevention! Like any problem in the garden, deal with weeds and insects before they take over,” she concedes.

For more information on landscaping ideas visit www.groundeffects.bm or visit them at their new location on Pitt’s Bay Road.