The Basics of Garden Design

The preliminary steps to thinking about a garden before setting about designing one.

Waterwise Rose & Perennial Garden
Item # 99508 		Waterwise Rose & Perennial Garden

each $142.75
  • Topic: Gardening for Beginners
  • Author: Cindy Bellinger
  • Keywords: planning, slopes, hardscape, winds, site, Garden Design: Part I— Garden Design: Part I— Garden Design, gardens
  • Date: January 2003

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Yes, it’s that time of year again. The holidays are over and even though the cold spells are still yet to come, gardening season is not that far away. It’s the perfect time to begin planning. Now, if your garden is already perfectly arranged and exquisitely planted, you’re one of the lucky ones. For the rest of us there’s always that shady corner, that spot near the wall, that long patch of weeds that been so easy to ignore that really needs some attention.

Over the next few weeks we’ll cover the basics of garden design and touch on the various kinds of gardens that anyone can begin planning. Next week we’ll look at the scented garden, then gardening for birds, gardening for butterflies and finally making a Feng Shui garden. This first piece will discuss the basics of garden design.

It may seem obvious, but the first thing to do is decide what you mean by “garden.” Is it for growing vegetables or flowers, herbs or grasses?

“The designed yard can have different kinds of gardens in it,” says Katherine O’Brien, the director of the Landscape Consulting Program at Santa Fe Greenhouses. “You just need to decide how the space will be used. What are your interests? Do you want a pretty entrance?”

If you’re starting from scratch, which probably means starting with open, barren ground, consider your lifestyle. What spaces do you want? Areas can include a kids play area, a dog exercise area, patio dining, screening for wind, privacy from neighbors. After determining what your outdoor needs are, next comes the site analysis.

Note the existing elements such as slopes that might need some erosion control. Determine the hardscaping, the walls and walkways if some already exist.

Also consider the direction of the site. Where is north and south? Which way does the wind blow? Figure out what the soil is, how the area drains and how you plan to water the site. Next locate the shady spots, the sunny spots then take an inventory of existing plants.

“Some of our native plants you might want to leave and incorporate them into your garden,” Katherine says.

She goes on to say that once you have the overall, or schematic plan, then you can work on the details of the garden. “If you have a favorite plant that you absolutely want, then work on the design so you can put it in,” she says. “If you need to create a microclimate, now is the time to plan for it.”

If your garden is well thought out in advance, it will be easier to fill in the specifics later. “I’ve seen some gardens where people wanted certain plants after the fact, and just crammed them in wherever they could,” Katherine says. “If you want a nice perennial garden, ask what plants go together and how much space they’ll need. Remember they will grow.”

If you’re planning a big garden or even a little spot near the front door, there are all kinds of elements to think about. But planning in advance will make all the difference.