Designing a garden is a work of art even if you think your aren't creative. It is not difficult to plan your very own garden if you follow a few recommended tips. Gardens actually reflect our personalities in many different ways and that will come across as your garden evolves. You are always in control of your garden spot so have fun with it and experiment.
1. Find a space that will showcase your garden and will also enhance the unity of your entire landscape. Use a garden hose, a rope or something similar to outline where, what shape and how big you want your garden to be. Then step back and visualize how and if that "fits." Experiment with different sizes, shapes and places. Now decide if you are going to border it with field stones, landscaping stone, landscaping timbers, etc. With this option, you can have a raised or mounded garden spot. If you decide not to border, you can still have a mound like effect.
2. Start digging--this is by far the most fun part! Install the border if yo
u are having a raised bed.
3. Decide what kind of plants and bushes you want. If you are like most amateur gardeners, you may not know the names of plants and bushes yet, but you know what they look like. Go take a look around at others' gardens. Ask questions about plants. Go to your local nursery and browse. Ask some more questions. You are looking for different color schemes and different sizes as far as height and width. It's very important to know how much the plants spread, because some plants can be very invasive and take over your garden. Also, it's best not to fill up your garden spot as that will begin happening as the plants/bushes mature. It is really a matter of taste as how much to put in the garden.
4. Prepare the soil for planting by mixing compost with good topsoil. If you want to control weeds, using landscape fabric is very helpful (although you'll still have some weeds come up).
Note: you can put the
fabric down now or after you plant. Next, place your plants while still in pots in the spots you think they look best, rearranging if need be.You are now ready to plant. The majority of plants you purchase from a nursery/garden store will have instructions. Once you dig the hole at the recommended depth, it's a good idea to add a fertilizer like bone meal to the empty hole and run some water, letting it soak in. Place the plant (without the pot, of course) in the hole. While holding it straight, start filling the hole with some dirt, pushing the dirt firmly down around the plant so there are no air pockets. Once the plant is in the ground, step carefully around the plant to press the soil in. Immediately, water each plant/bush thoroughly.
5. If you're using one, place your border around the garden plot and then mulch to cover the entire area as that helps keep the moisture in and the weeds controlled. Don't be stingy with the mulch! You want at least 3-5 inches.
Now, step back and admire your almost completed masterpiece! A touch of
garden decor enhances the garden spot. A well placed sundial, figurine/statue, suncatcher, birdbath, lighting, even rocks or boulders can be used to add that extra touch that unites the landscape design.
Once you have become comfortable with these tips, you will be able to modify. Gardens are a work in progress and can be rearranged, made bigger or smaller, added to, subtracted from. Though the basics are fairly well universal, your garden is your unique creation. Enjoy it!
