“A change is as good as a rest” so the saying goes and the inspiration for this list came from a trip to Paris to see the sights and sample the wine. On the way Tanya from the Lovely Greens website used her camera to record these twenty-five design ideas. They include building homes for wildlife, classy window boxes, vegetable arbors, big splashes of single color and training troublemakers. And there are twenty more to inspire you.

Last week my boyfriend Josh and I went to Paris to celebrate our birthdays. He?s a big fan of food and wine (who am I kidding, who isn?t?) and I?m a garden geek so we managed to make sure that we saw both these sides of the city. In fact one complimented the other since it was the calorie overload of French cheese that powered our walks through the green spaces of one of the most romantic places in the world.

My three favourite areas for gardening inspiration turned out to be the Jardin des Plantes, the main botanical garden of France, the Jardin du Luxembourg, the most popular park in the city, and the strangely beautiful P?re Lachaise cemetery. Each was completely different but each held gardening ideas that I think all of us can be inspired by.?This list of twenty-five images and observations can be used to help design gardens of all sizes while showcasing?the diversity of garden design in this beautiful city.

1. Build beautiful homes for Wildlife

Insect hotels can be?made?using bamboo canes, old pieces of wood, drilled logs, bricks, and anything else you?ve ever noticed bugs and bees hiding in. By encouraging wildlife in your garden, you?ll get their added help in pollination and natural pest-control.

2. Classy ?Make-up? for buildings

No matter how beautiful a building may be on its own, a splash of colour can accentuate its best features. Here the red and green from geraniums adds life to romantic architecture.

Go to the next page for more great design ideas.
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