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A natural stone path and surrounding flower bed transform a wishing well into a tranquil garden retreat.
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Wishing wells date back to Romano-British and Celtic mythology, although many mysteries still surround this ritual. In modern society, countless people, whether superstitious or just plain hapless, offer coins down to the depths of their wishing wells in hopes of granting a wish in return. You can bring this ancient tradition to your home garden by using an ornamental wishing well to decorate it and perhaps bring a little happiness to your garden. Without the deep pit of working wells, you can use the inside of the wishing well and the surrounding garden space as inspiration for your landscaping.
Create a flower bed surrounding the wishing well, following the shape of the wishing well to form the design. For example, you can surround a round wishing well with a round flower bed; Add a square flower bed around a square wishing well. If you want to add some geometric variety to your design, use different shapes, e.g. B. a square flower bed around a round wishing well.
Plant short flowers and ground covers in the flower bed surrounding the wishing well. Although you can plant taller plants, choosing shorter plants will ensure that the wishing well is clearly visible and the plants are merely highlighting it.
If you want to add taller plants, plant them a few feet away from the wishing well to emphasize the height without obscuring the wishing well.
Plant climbing plants around the wishing well and train the vines to grow up the wishing well. Choose flowering vines like morning glory (Ipomoea spp.) and star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) or non-flowering vines like Aralia ivy (Fatshedera lizei) and creeping fig (Ficus pumila).
Create a butterfly garden around the wishing well and choose larval plants to feed the caterpillars and nectar plants to feed the butterflies. Nectar plants include the butterfly bush (Buddleia globosa), the California horse chestnut (Aesculus californica), the lantana (Lantana spp.) and verbena (Verbena spp.). Larval plants include asters (Aster spp.), California mockavine (Aristolochia californica), snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus), and passionflower (Passiflora spp.). Many other plants also attract butterflies, with many serving as both larval and nectar plants.
Border the flower bed with river rock, brick, or polyvinyl edging to delineate the flower bed and separate the wishing well from the lawn. Choose a border material that matches the wishing well.
Place a potted plant in the wishing well bucket. You can buy a hanging basket and remove the hanger. You can also use the fountain itself as a large raised bed planter.
Install a stone path leading to the wishing well so you can access the well without damaging the lawn. You can lay flat flagstones for a simple stepping stone path or excavate the area to install a formal cobblestone walkway. Place a garden bench next to the wishing well, which will serve both as a decoration and as a place to relax and enjoy the wishing well. This step is best for large wishing wells rather than the small ornamental fountains commonly sold at garden centers.
