GROUND COVERS

A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form is known as a residential garden. Western gardens are almost universally based around plants. Zoos, which display wild animals in simulated natural habitats, were formerly called zoological gardens. Some traditional types of eastern gardens, such as Zen gardens, use plants sparsely or not at all. Food-producing gardens are distinguished from farms by their smaller scale, more labor-intensive methods, and their purpose.Gardening is the activity of growing and maintaining the garden. This work is done by an amateur or professional gardener. A gardener might also work in a non-garden setting, such as a park, a roadside embankment, or other public space. Landscape architecture is a related professional activity with landscape architects tending to specialise in design for public and corporate clients.Gardening is the art and craft of growing plants with a goal of creating a beautiful environment. It also generally includes such landscaping activites as building and creating the physical plant (Rock gardens, layout, design, ponds, etc.)

Elements of a garden

The elements of a garden consist of natural conditions and materials, as well as man-made elements:
Natural conditions and materials:Soil, Rocks, Light conditions, Wind, Precipitation, Air quality, Pollution Proximity to oce(salinity), Plant materials. Man-made elements:Terrace, patio, deck, Paths, Lighting, Raised beds, Outdoor art/sculpture, such as Gazebos Pool, water garden, or other water elements

Uses for the garden space

A garden can have many purposes— aesthetic, functional, and recreational. Uses for the garden space are:Cooperation with nature, Plant cultivation, Observance of nature, Bird- and insect-watching, Reflection on the changing seasons, Relaxation, Fresh herbs and vegetables for cooking, etc.

Types of gardens

Gardens may feature a particular plant or plant type:Cactus garden, Fernery, Flower garden, Herb garden, Lawn Orangery Orchard Rose garden, Vegetable garden, White garden, Winter garden, Wildflower garden, etc.
Gardens may function in a particular manner:Botanical garden,Forest garden, Raised bed gardening, Residential garden, Roof garden, Zoological garden, etc.

Other outdoor spaces that are similar to gardens include:

A landscape is an outdoor space of a larger scale, natural or designed, usually unenclosed and considered from a distance.
A park is a planned outdoor space, usually enclosed ('imparked') and of a larger size. Public parks are for public use.
An arboretum is a planned outdoor space, usually large, for the display and study of trees.
A farm or orchard is for the production of food stuff.
A botanical garden is a type of garden where plants are grown both for scientific purposes and for the enjoyment and education of visitors.
A zoological garden, or zoo for short, is a place where wild animals are cared for and exhibited to the public.

Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including but not limited to:
1.Living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly referred to as Gardening efforts in the gestalt, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal of creating a beautiful environment within the landscape.
2. Natural elements such as landforms, terrain shape and elevation, or bodies of water;
3. Human elements such as structures, buildings, fences or other material objects created and/or installed by humans; and
4. Abstract elements such as the weather and lighting conditions.