No matter how much you spend on the construction of the house, it is incomplete unless tastefully decorated with velvety turf and quality plants. In the houses or flats you do it yourself and in the societies, the onus is on the management. See any housing ad, and the first thing to lure the customers is the `beautifully landscaped environs'.

When once you have done efforts to plan your garden well, why not compete with others to find out as to where your garden stands out in comparison with others in the city. Third week of February to the second week of March is the time when all flower shows-cum-competitions are held in this region. There is a category of competition in the home gardens, terrace gardens included. Make up your mind and we will tell you what judges look for and how your garden can have an edge. There is a category for whole of the society premises too.

Do not think that your garden is too small to compete. There are various categories of gardens depending upon the size. In big houses, it is mostly seen that garden is decorated within the boundary of the house but no care is given to entrance and adjoining berm outside. Remember, the first impression is the last one. The entry to house should be inviting. Good planners put some welcome trees at the entrance but even a few high palm specimens also give a good look. Although one cannot create permanent structures on the outside berms for the fear of getting them uprooted by service providers yet one can create some good features with marbles, pebbles, white stones or even ground cover plants. Inside the garden, corners are normally neglected or else the area behind the shrubs is never tended. It cannot escape the eyes of judges.