A garden, however small or large it may be, brings a breath of fresh air to the home and surroundings. It helps to add a dash of colour to an otherwise dull ambience. Maintaining a garden well requires persistent effort and a fair amount of personal interest.

Keeping a well maintained garden is rather simple, provided you bear in mind and implement the following points:

• Select an area / piece of land that has a symmetrical shape and is easily accessible from your home.

• The garden should have good fencing to ensure protection from stray animals, intruders etc.

• Procure plants that are hardy and do not require too much of attention. For instance Croton,Monsteria,Palms, Money plant,Bougainvillea, Thuja, besides a variety of cactii and lillies can flourish without much fuss.

• A bed of grass is absolutely essential for any garden. Visit a reputed nursery or consult a seasoned gardener (maali) for planting a good variety of grass.

• Carefully weed out all the wild /unwanted plants, whenever you see them. If weeds are allowed to spread, they will damage your precious plants.

• Add compost / homemade manure to your garden soil on a regular basis.

• Plant some fruit trees which grow rapidly and easily withstand vagaries of weather. Some plants suggested are papaya, guava, lemon, grapefruit and pomegranate.

• In case you are planning to have a bed of flowers select commonly available ones like poppy, sunflower, garden nasturtium, zinnia, phlox, aster, dahlia, larkspur, petunia, chrysanthemum etc.

• Exotic flowering plants like roses and tube roses need special care. Acquire these only if you are well- equipped and confident about looking after them well.

• If you wish to have a kitchen garden try planting easily growing and high yielding plants --garlic, ginger, chillies, carrots, turnips, coriander, lady's finger, onions, radishes, brinjals, mint and lots more..they will help to cut down on your food expenses.

• Make sure to trim the bushes and shrubs in your garden when the growth becomes wild. A garden with neat well-trimmed plants is aesthetically appealing.

• If the plants in your garden get afflicted by insects, use a suitable insecticide in a professional way and not just casually.

• Ferns are popular and much sought after garden plants. But they need careful handling and tending. So be very attentive to their needs.

• Make sure to mow your lawn regularly. Unkempt lawns create a bad impression.

• If you have enough space and adequate resources, put in a small fountain, statuettes or a couple of bid baths. These will add to the charm of your garden. The latest trend these days is to have theme gardens - Japanese being the most favourite. To this effect colourful and exotic plants are imported-at fancy prices of course!. In fact there is a flourishing market selling all kinds of artifacts to decorate your garden with.