Garden Design Where to Start

I mentioned in a previous post that I would tackle some basic garden design principles after Christmas so this is my start and if you are serious, you will want to refer back to the following list as you plan. I will number the posts to make it easy.

Some of my previous posts will help you with answers. I will include them on my design page in the Header on the blog.

Let’s be honest. Few of us can afford to bring in a consultant to design our garden and then execute the plan within a reasonable budget. How many of us do that for our homes, I wonder. Certainly some do but the majority of us inherit a garden with the house we buy or rent and most of us are ‘do it yourself gardeners’ . That does not mean you cannot have a wonderful garden in this harsh climate.

If you are in the mood to take a long look at your garden with the prospect of making it suit you more, winter is a great time to get started on renovation project plans for the summer or for planning a new garden on a blank canvas. Asking yourself a few basic questions will help enormously.  What follows is your , ‘Design Brief.’ I would give this to clients before attempting a design for them. In this case you are the designer so completing this for yourself will help immensely.

As a new gardener myself years ago I tended to rush into things without considering many of the answers to these questions. I have lived in my house and garden for a long time and there are mistakes I made that would take too much time effort and cooperation to fix now! Somehow over the years we have adapted and modified the mistakes but truth be told gardens evolve and change on their own anyway. What we planted forty years ago now shades a good part of what was once a productive vegetable garden for example. We must adapt. Planning for the future however is a large part of designing a garden from the start or for renovating an established garden. If you plant, what will potentially become a large tree, for example, it needs to be planned for.

These are questions to ask yourself before you start your garden design or redesign. It helps to make notes for yourself and to ask other family members about their opinions and observations.

What is the best thing about your garden? The genius loci. 

Where are the best views from your garden to the outside of your garden in Winter and Summer?

Which window do you look out of most every day?

What aspect does the part of the garden you wish to work on, have? North, South, East, West, facing?

Is the garden fenced?

Do you know what type of soil you have?

What is your biggest wish for your garden?

What is your gardening experience?

What is your gardening experience in this climate?

What have been your gardening successes and failures (because we ALL have them!)?

Are you able to name any particular gardens or style of gardens that you admire?

Do you print or save pictures of garden scenes you like? If not try doing that and keeping them in an inspiration folder.

The kind of plants you love are:

Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, Annuals, Vegetables

Why do you want to design your garden?

• To make it easier to maintain?
• To make it more food productive?
• To make it more attractive?
• To give it curb appeal?
• To relax in?
• To garden in?
• To expand your collection of plants?

What style of décor do you have in your house?

Maximalist, Minimalist, Vintage, Modern, Ultra-Modern, Cluttered, Uncluttered, Eclectic

Do you prefer straight ordered lines or curving sinuous patterns?

Do you want a no or low maintenance garden?

Do leaves and dropping fruit annoy you?

Are you prepared to compost?

How much time are you prepared to give your garden each week in spring, summer and fall?

Are you physically able to do heavy tasks?