Having a garden can be a rewarding hobby, but many would-be gardeners get stuck at the very first step ñ deciding on the overall design of the garden. This step is, in fact, quite important as it can be the difference between having a garden that is pleasing to look at and one that looks like a mish mash of unrelated flowers and plants.
Garden design is something that should be considered before you even purchase your first plant. Here are some tips for basic garden design:
Map Out Your Area
The first thing you need to do is map out the area of your yard that you will be using for your garden. Is it a sunny spot or shady? Does it have well drained soil or is it kind of wet? You will need to take these details into consideration as they will dictate the plants that you should plant. Always be sure to purchase plants that will grow best under the conditions that you have in the area set aside for your garden, otherwise getting your plants to thrive will be a hard struggle.
Once you have decided where you want your garden to be, you need to figure out how many plants you want to have. You donít want to crowd the area too much, but you also want to be sure it looks full and lush. The best way to do this is to literally rope off the area and place cut outs or other items in the areas where you might put your plants. This way you can keep moving them and adding and subtracting until you get the look you are going for. Once you do, youíll know just how many plants to buy!
Consider The Flower Height
When it comes to buying the actual flowers, you want to take height into consideration. In fact, you want to have flowers of all different heights, but you need to place them strategically in the garden. Be sure to plant some tall flowers at the back near your fence or the wall of your house (If you garden is out in the open with no wall or fence at the back, put the tall flowers in the very middle). Then you will want some medium height flowers for the middle areas and, finally some short flowers for the very edges.
Consider The Bloom Time
Annuals usually bloom all season, but if you are adding some perennials to your garden, you want to pay attention to their bloom times so that you can buy different kinds of perennials and bulbs that bloom at different times. That will you will always have color in the garden. Youíll want to look for early spring, late spring, early summer and late summer blooming plants and plant them next to each other. The goal is to have one plant getting ready to bloom as the blooms are leaving the one that bloomed earlier in the season.
Use Contrast And Color
You want to plan for different colors, different heights and different textures in your plants. Along with flowers, include some shrubs and ornamental grasses that will add interest to the garden. Planting just one type of plant is boring, but if you combine different types you will find that your garden has variety and interest.
Finally, donít feel like you have to fill the garden up all in the first week. You can plant your garden gradually so that it fills out over the season or even over a couple of years. They key is to have a good garden plan to start with and youíll find that your gardening endeavors are much more satisfying and beautiful.