Green gardening!

Thankfully times have changed. 

"There is a fast evolving sensitivity to how we live. With Al Gore's Oscar-winning documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth' reaching a larger audience, the interest in green living and eco-gardening has catapulted to greater heights", says Melanie Robinson, director of Decorex SA.

Green therapy
The serenity and wholesomeness of nature inspires our way of life, both inside the home and out. Gardens have become a complete source of comfort, a sanctuary for the entire family to enjoy and experience.

After a hard day there is nothing better than relaxing on the veranda, soaking up the calming effects of a night garden. Candlelight and perfumed plants create a soothing mood. Gardens can be aroma therapy zones providing an extra dimension for our senses. This surprise element also adds a hint of the exotic, especially when teamed with accessories such as comfy furniture, hurricane lanterns, richly patterned throws and plump cushions. Plants such as Jasmine, Murrya Exotica, Yesterday Today and Tomorrow, Datura (moon flower) and heliotrope exude wonderfully heady scents. Herbs also scent the air with their delicate aromas.

Skipping the light fantastic
From the soft and natural glow of candlelight, to the energy efficient glimmer of solar lamps, lighting in all its myriad forms is essential for creating a welcoming and cosy outdoor living area. Wrought iron candle chandeliers can be hung from trees or above patio tables. Create a whimsical wonderland by threading fairy lights through the branches of shrubs and trees or continue the exotic Out of Africa/ Moroccan Nights theme with storm lanterns.

Grow your own
The veggie garden is no longer relegated to the back garden. These days green fingers are planting brinjals and broccoli in amongst roses and rhododendrons. An organic garden is a happy one, so ditch those insecticides and let the earthworms and ladybugs work their biodynamic magic instead.

Inside out
Gardens and homes are now one unit. The veranda has become the 'casual lounge' and the outdoors is now in. Indoors have leapt outside with accessories being used on the veranda or in the gazebo. The seamless integration of home and garden allow for a greater freedom and flow while making the most of your entertainment areas. Day flows effortlessly into night and instead of retreating indoors after sunset, enjoy a host of nocturnal pleasures outside.

South Africans are blessed with a wonderful climate for outdoor living, why not make the most of it? Hammocks, 'Arabian Nights' tented boudoirs, loungers and scatter cushions lure the family away from the television screen on to the patio and into a more interactive, natural environment.

Down-size
Space has become an expensive commodity. Making the most of the confines of your veranda, courtyard or balcony may be challenging, but you'd be amazed how much 'roomier' they'll appear using a variety of clever tricks and optical illusions. Just as you would make a room inside appear larger, use big accessories such as statues placed against a wall at the end of your courtyard for the same effect. Narrowing a path slightly towards the end makes it appear longer. Lawns can be neatly edged with cobblestones creating a cared for and more defined look.

There's no need for vast acres of flowerbeds. 'Pot-scaping' can completely transform a small space. Stand-alone pots can be planted with a multitude of colourful annuals, perennials, dwarf trees and shrubs, creating eye-catching islands of interest. Vertical gardening is a must for small spaces. Use climbers, vines, trellises and window boxes to guide the eye upwards. It's easier to go green than people think:

• Start requesting from builders and architects for products with 'green' credentials. For swimming pools go beyond chlorine and saline with E-Clear pools (www.ecleartechnologies.com).

• In certain areas, alien Gum tree wood can be used on decking in place of Balau and teak. And when you build or renovate watch where builders dump their rubble, especially concrete. It can ruin the possibility of a thriving garden. Try and reclaim what builders demolish as much as possible and recycle it as land fill or in contouring banks when landscaping.

• If nothing else ask first before any materials are used and be a savvy and ecologically-minded consumer.