Spring should be just around the corner, so its time to think of the 'outside' and what needs to be done and in a hurry!

Now is the time to take stock of your garden and make some bold decisions, as to any changes or additions to the general layout or specific areas.

Labour intensive gardens by their very nature are a costly upkeep, and in the scheme of things may not necessarily be aesthetically appealing.

Labour intensive gardens tend to create more labour intensity, whereas, a design including good plant selection, weed free lawn and an accommodating hard landscape can offer a lower cost input for a more desirous end product.

Scale and perspective play a major part in creating a well balanced garden; lawns usually cover a large part of a property therefore having a weed free lawn ? or relatively free from weed ? is the ideal forum for displaying the rest of the garden.

A poor lawn can detract from the most floriferous garden simply by the mass of lawn area in comparison to the plant beds; this is especially the case when lawns are of a mixed nature.

Such mixed lawns present a quilted effect when mown, as summer grasses require different heights of cut for them to be at their best.

Now is a good time to make strides in tackling lawn problems, from weed control to re-establishing a single type of grass; however consider what type of lawn you need and the function of the type of grass.

Common Bermuda grass is fine in sunny areas, but will develop a 'thin' sward if kept in the shade or during cool winter months, drought can also become a problem especially in shallow soils; it will tolerate foot traffic if verticut on a yearly basis.

St. Augustine and its variety Floratem which is chinch bug resistant should be cut at a minimum height of three inches if it is to give of its best, it does not however take well to 'heavy' foot traffic when cut at this height.

Mowing to low will encourage weed infestation, and an untidy appearance. Both the above grasses are cut with a rotary mower, whereas, Zoysia is best cut with a reel mower to keep a tight low cut and sward.

Zoysia is a hardy grass but is labour intensive, if left unattended or cut with a reel machine it develops a heavy thatch, which is difficult to control unless the lawn is literally scalped.

Plants in general do not need the constant 'hacking' that seems an ongoing exercise in Bermuda.

By creating planting beds with a mix of tall/small shrubs, ground covers, cacti and succulents, bulbous plants and those of a similar nature will if planted correctly create a palette of flowerings for a major part of the season whilst developing a cover over the soil to reduce weed growth and thus a reduced labour need.

Plantings are oft planted to close together which results in the constant 'hacking syndrome'; when fewer plants are used at the correct planting distances between plants they will grow more naturally and 'fill in' and meld with their neighbours in a more natural manner.

Cacti and succulents are in my opinion under-used in our landscape, many offer interesting architectural outlines in the landscape and they have a good colour range of foliage.

Bulbous and similar plants can be used either as filler or seasonal material such as daffodils or freesia or as part of an ongoing display such as day lily and agapanthus.

Having visited many of the larger plant nurseries in the last week or so, it is pleasing to note the inventory they stock comprises numerous new varieties, which are certainly worthy of ones consideration.

Some of the nurseries sell plants in a size of pot called pdqs, they have a wide variety of plants in this size which means one can purchase several of each type and try them in various parts of the garden to see how they acclimate.

By using leaf colour and or shape, flowering habit and seed or fruit production it is easy to create interest for an extended period in most gardens.

New species/varieties are also to be found in larger pots, usually one and two gallon size; ornamental grasses being the 'flavour of the season' with several species and some interesting varieties catching the eye.

Grasses do usually die down in the fall so be careful as to their location and association with other plants.

Herbs, flowers, and leaves with a fragrance should be placed in areas where such fragrances can be identified freely especially when wafted on the breeze of a summer evening!

Plant beds and lawns are but two of the components that make a landscape, with hard landscaping being an important feature in itself and when used successfully becomes the lynch pin that brings the lawns and plant beds to a single entity.

I will discuss the relationship of soft and hard landscaping in next months column.