Cris
Planning the Perfect Garden
It is hugely satisfying to plan out your perfect garden — the satisfaction derived from relaxing or entertaining in the garden as well as the satisfaction that comes from a job well done. The effort that you expend in planning and executing a design unique to you will add to the enjoyment your garden provides for years to come.
How do you begin to create a perfect garden space that is unique to you? Here are ten simple steps that will help you move effortlessly through the process.
1. Identify Why You Want a Garden.
How will you use it? Who else will enjoy the garden? Remember that it is not just for you, so get input from all family members on how your outdoor space will be used. Are you going to use it for food production, or a relaxation space or both?
Our garden is for food production, but you need a break every now and then. I did incorporate a bench under the apple tree to relax while working in the garden.
2. It’s OK To Dream a Little
Now that you know why you want a garden and how you intend to use it, let your imagination run with all the possible features in your special space. A little daydreaming and internet searching will uncover those attributes that will put your personal imprint on the garden.
Also decide whether you want a formal or an informal garden. Formal gardens are highly structured, divided by a strong central axis and cross axes. These are the types you see in Europe around those famous castles.
Informal gardens have a more natural look with strong, flowing curves. What I envision when I think of Permaculture is an informal garden. Things flow and grow well together for both beauty and functionality.
3. Make a List of Necessities
What items are essential? Listing your needs up front ensures that your final plan won’t be missing anything important. Do you need a retaining wall? A privacy fence? A path to the garage? More parking space? Do children need a place to play? What about pets?
Walk around your property and make note of everything that is essential. Your final design should be a balance of dream features and those features you can’t live without to create a satisfying and functional space. It should suit your needs and desires at the same time.
4. Evaluate Your Starting Point
To get where you are going, it helps to know your starting point. Is your space large or small? Is the site flat or sloping? What is the climate? What type of soil do you have? How much water is available and from what sources? What are the predominate views?
Work with what you already have when deciding what can be done with the space. We have a large concrete pad in the middle of the yard. Rather than remove it, we built a pergola over it to make it a functional space. Grapes grow up the pergola to give shade for hanging out in the hammocks.
5. Make a Budget
Once you know what you want and what you need, it’s time to consider how much you are willing to spend. This dollar figure will influence what features you include in the final garden plan — trees, plants, hardscape materials and architectural elements. It’s sometime better to start small and add as you go.
Remember that your budget incorporates two elements: money and TIME. In terms of time, does the garden need to be finished by a certain date or can you create it over time? It will cost a small fortune to do it all right away. Also, how much time are you willing to budget to maintain your dream garden? Can you spare several hours a week or are you lucky enough to afford a caretaker?
As you develop and refine your plan, you may need to balance time and cash costs. Be flexible. You may need to spend more time if you can’t spend more money and vice versa. We save cash by using pallets to create items for the garden, this takes time to break them apart to get usable boards.
6. Identify Focal Points for Your Garden
Every garden needs an eye-catching spot that causes you to pause a moment. When you choose a focal point, you are choosing the direction you want visitors to look when they enter your garden. Did your list of wants include a waterfall or fountain? An arbor retreat? A blossoming apple tree? If so, you are well on your way to identifying a focal point — or points — for your garden.
Ours is of course the awesome greenhouse. Then the raised beds that match with trellises, so you feel like you stepped into another world when you enter the garden. It really did turn out to be a great retreat.
7. Create a Rough Design.
Take all the information that you’ve gathered and incorporate it into a workable design that balances the desires with the necessities. Your goal is to create a space that is both satisfying and functional. Get some graph paper and draw out a map that is to scale and accurate. This will tell you exactly where to plant that tree or place those raised beds.
Make sure to get everything into this plan. You may find that the space won’t work for all of your wishes and have to re-plan a few things as you go. It is best to figure this out before spending the money on supplies.
8. Choose Your Plants and Design Theme
The colors and materials that you choose will create the character of your garden, adding interest, movement, and visual appeal. Do you want harmonious colors or strong contrast? Warm hues or cool tones? Bold colors or soft hues? Mixing different colors and materials and textures will give your garden a strong sense of space.
Plants comprise a significant part of your garden. In addition to plants, hardscape materials contribute variety and texture — wood arbors, brick borders, gravel paths, bronze statuary, and wrought-iron benches. These additions can really transform the space into the perfect garden.
As you review your preliminary layout, consider the best material for each of the hardscape elements. Keep in mind that each element needs to fit with and compliment the whole. For example, a terrace constructed of the same material as the house unifies while railroad ties around a formal garden create discord.
Keep your theme uniform throughout to tie it all together. Our theme used ranch fence posts to build the pergola and build the fence to keep the deer out of the garden. To add an extra touch, we used the same posts on the corners of the greenhouse and made some really nice Texas light poles for some flair.
9. Make a Scale Drawing
Thus far, you have created a basic map of property lines and your house as well as an overlay sheet that shows focal points, rooms, and pathways. You also have a list of the trees, shrubs, and vegetable plants for each area of your garden. Now you need to create a scale drawing that shows EXACTLY where each feature will go. You will use this blueprint to lay the walkways, set the arbors and trellises, and plant the trees, shrubs, vegetables and flowers.
It is important that you have enough information to help you create in reality the garden that you just designed on paper. As long as your scale drawing or blueprint is in sufficient scale to accomplish that purpose, you will be successful. This final draft plan will also allow you to get a closer estimate of costs for your project.
10. Execute Your Perfect Garden Design.
Before you begin actual construction of the garden, check all local building codes and regulations to make sure that you will be complying. Structures such as decks, patios and retaining walls may require a permit from the local city government. Once all permits are in place, you can start to lay out the garden.
With your scale drawing as a blueprint, use a tape measure to position all structures, walkways, and plants. Be sure to measure accurately so each element in your design fits its assigned space. Remember the rule of thumb: measure twice, cut once. You don’t want to make costly mistakes in the middle of a project.
If designing a garden space sounds a bit intimidating, don’t panic. Just follow these steps one by one and let a space unfold that feels right to you. You CAN do it. After all, a successful garden is just another room of your house, which you’ve already successfully decorated! Then you get to truly enjoy what you created.