Garden planning

Garden planning Garden planning should come before you actually plant anything new. Having a well-thought out design for your outdoor space requires planning before you start. The first thing to do is to make a map of your property and to draw in existing structures and trees. For optimal results, use graph paper and measure carefully to create properly scaled representation of your yard. If you are computer savvy and you happen to have a map of your yard, you may want to consider using the computer.

There are several things to consider adding to your garden. Once you have the existing structures drawn in on your map, then you can consider what you would like to add to enhance the exterior of your home. Some examples of these additions could be:

• Flowers can be sprinkled throughout your property with the use of planters and flowerbeds. A flower garden is also an enjoyable way to decorate. If you choose to put in a flower garden, be sure to carefully plan where you plant what flowers; for example, putting the tallest flowers in the back, some mid-height blooms in the center and the shortest ones in the front of the garden is often a suggested method. Also, do not think just how how tall your plants are, but when they will bloom. To keep color in your garden all summer long, spread out your flowers that bloom only in the early spring, and mix them with flower that bloom mid to late summer.
• Paths will make finding the front door, garden, gazebo or playhouse simple. Way finding is very important in both interior and exterior design.
• Shade trees are great features for your yard. If you don’t already have some, consider adding them. A shady spot makes a yard so much more hospitable in warm weather.
• Utility areas such as compost piles and bins should be placed carefully so that they don’t distract from the beautiful focal point (or points) of your garden.
• Terraces or rock walls add visual texturing and bring the element of layering into your yard.

• Vegetable gardens also require a lot of planning. Vegetables grow best with a lot of sunlight. You can outline your garden with grapevines, shrubs or garden decorative elements.

Overall, planning your garden will help you to avoid that “thrown together” look that many homeowners end up with in their yards where the garden appears to be haphazard and unorganized. If you have ever seen an immaculate yard and garden, you can be sure that there was sufficient planning that went into the design and layout of the landscaping. Good garden planning equates to a well-organized area where the plants have optimal sunlight for their growth requirements and where the plants complement one another instead of overshadowing each other.

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