Get Gardening

There are many schools of thought concerning garden design and although it’s good to consider them, the best result comes from finding what appeals to your sense of style. An all-white garden can be harmonious and pretty, but it’s not for everyone. Remember that you will be living with your garden for some time.

• Visit gardens and peruse books and magazines to see what appeals. Then play with the photographs and images that you’ve found to see which combinations you like the most.
• Analyze your site carefully before starting your design.
• Choose plants based first on whether they will thrive in the conditions that your garden offers (light, soil, moisture, and climate).
• Start with a site map (see our Getting Started section on mapping).
• Give preference to larger groupings (five, seven, or more) of each perennial rather than individual plants.
• Combine plants that have similar environmental needs.
• Consider all angles from which the garden will be viewed: entrances, windows, gates, etc.
• Identify problem areas such as steep slopes, lack of privacy, and ugly structures and make the solution part of your design.
• Play with plant placement while they are still in their pots before making the final decisions.
• Place the largest plants first.

Remember that design is a continuing process. Don’t expect to get it all right the first time. And have fun with it.