If you are planning a new garden and are considering how to design it, remember it is always wise to begin with the end in mind! What kind of garden do you want to have when it is completed? Are you hoping to achieve a minimalist look in which each plant has plenty of space and invites attention? Do you prefer a fuller look with more crowding, more color, and an overall effect of abundance? In the former scenario, you’ll tend to choose unique, stand alone plants with lots of individual character. If the latter description fits you better, you’ll select more upright plants that blend well with others, to create a pleasing variety of sizes and colors. Of course, many choose the middle road, and eclectic mix of plants that suit their fancy while co-existing very nicely together. Follow these basic steps and you’ll achieve a garden you enjoy caring for and you simply love to be around.
Gardening Tips: How to Start your Garden Design
First, put your garden design on paper, for like with many things, success begins on the drawing board. Use graph paper and sketch out what you want your garden to look like, using one or two squares per foot of garden space. Draw in natural elements such as existing trees and man-made elements like patios or walk ways. Consider what types of plants you desire in each section, whether perennials, annuals, flowering shrubs, or perhaps ground cover or herbs.
Secondly, balance two things, color and size. Make sure that colors that are growing next to one another complement each other, rather than clashing with one another. Secondly, keep size issues in perspective. A large, spreading bush might completely overshadow a small perennial with delicate blossoms if grown next door to each other. Therefore, choose plants the will work well side by side. In this discussion, we’ll also remind you that it is important to know when the flowers you choose to use bloom. Daisies and others bloom for months. That makes them an awesome garden choice. Others bloom for only a week or two. Be sure to select flowers for each section of the garden that bloom at different times, so you won’t end up with any bare spots as spring turns to summer and then autumn.
The third basic step is to evaluate your soil and improve it if needed. A soil testing kit is an essential part of good gardening. It will allow you to determine the pH balance – the potential Hydrogen balance – of the soil, which determines whether the soil is too alkaline, too acidic, or just right. Most plants grow well in the middle of the spectrum, but knowing the exact makeup of your soil will allow you to add acidity or lower it for plants that do better with one or the other.
Next, choose a theme for your garden. Victorian English gardens will employ different plants than a Japanese garden. Low moisture areas will have more succulents than rainy, moist climates. Know your tastes, your climate, and the amount of time you have to devote to the garden, and you’ll discover a style that is right. Keep in mind this basic principle: when a garden has one or two primary angles from which it can be viewed, keep taller, bushier plants to the back. When the garden can be viewed from 3 or more angles, keep the taller plants to the middle, working your way toward the edges with successively shorter plants.
The final step is to get out into the yard and dig some dirt! Put your plans into practice and use our other guides to give you easy to follow directions every step of the way! You’ll end up with a garden you look forward to visiting and working in every day.
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