Garden design and planning for a bountiful summer
We have been talking a lot about winter lately, this is because the seasons directly dictate the state of the garden. But what about garden design? While there are many colourful bulb varieties that expel the dreariness of the cold months, winter is also a time for us to (partially) retreat. While we enjoy the warmth of the indoors, we can still keep growing and improving our gardens from the comfort of a soft chair by creating a garden design plan. It’s time to learn how to plan a garden properly!
How to make your own garden design
Whether you are a seasoned gardener looking for new ideas or enjoying your very first year in your own home, a garden design will give you clear direction and focused goals when spring arrives. By the time summer dawns, the garden will awaken beautifully, bathing your home in luminous colours, alive with the buzzing of bees and happy chirps from the birds.
Start your garden design with a map
You need to see what you are working with before you start making big plans. Google Earth should provide you with a good visual of your home from an aerial view (simply type your address into Google with the words “street view”). Alternatively, if you are more comfortable with an informal hand-drawn map, that’s great too. On your map you need to be aware and mark out the following:- Areas that are in full sun, part shade, full shade.
- Areas that affected by strong winds
- Specific places children like to play
- The location of the best soil
- Mark out the areas people typically use to walk from one point to another, ie routes.
- Mark out water sources and elevated points. Plants that require well-draining condition would be planted higher than plants that enjoy lots of moisture.
Select your garden design
Spend some time looking at styles you love. Some people love neatly-trimmed and manicured gardens. Others love a wild and indigenous riot in the backyard. Then you get cultural options, Japanese gardens are serene and calming while English country gardens burst with beautiful roses. This stage of your planning is perfect for winter, you can spend hours browsing gardening magazines, looking at blogs on the internet, and watching garden shows on TV.
Your ideas marry the garden design
It’s time to put it all together. It’s also important to keep your budget in mind while you keep to ideas that are realistic, based on the map you have drawn. If you live in a naturally arid region, a garden designed to look like a rainforest will be difficult and expensive to achieve. Sketch your ideas onto the map, keeping it vague. There’s no need to be specific about the plants you want, at least not at this stage. Try to get an idea of the look you want in each area of your garden design. Draw the shapes, sizes, and locations of the beds you want to build. Perhaps you would like to include a few statues or ornaments? Decide if you want to incorporate pathways, fishponds, or perhaps a garden bench? A trellis to add aesthetic appeal to a bland wall, and pot plants to decorate pillars and patios. Your garden design doesn’t have to be implemented in any specific time frame. You can dream in stages. Sketch it all out now and implement it as you have time and budget to do so.
Practical consideration in your garden desig
This is the point at which you will acquire your garden accessories and choose your plants. There are a number of factors to consider first before you buy all your flowers and plants:- Location - your plants need to be compatible with the amount of sunlight the chosen area receives.
- Compatibility - If there are already plants in that region, ensure they will grow well together.
- Ease of care - how high maintenance are the flowers you have selected? Do they need to easily accessed daily, or can they be further away in the garden? Do they require regular watering?
- Length and size - how tall will they grow (this ties in with aesthetics) and how far will they bush out?
Choose your borders and extras
Some people love a bed surrounded by natural rocks, others prefer the neatness of paving. Add more thought to your garden design and think of ways you can make it unique. A water feature adds a zen element with the calming sound of trickling water, while a duck pond will add a lively burst of noise and joy. Make it your own!
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