How do I make a garden plan? Do I really have to?

12. Look at other gardens and yards

This can be a lot of fun. Plan some outings. Visit your local botanical gardens, public gardens, and model gardens. Go on those garden tours in which people open up their yards to the public. Check out what your friends, family, and neighbours are doing. Borrow some books from the library to see what styles are available. Look at magazines as well. Watch some of the gardening shows on tv. Check out pictures on gardening web sites. Make note of what you like, what you don't. Start a file of ideas. The more you are exposed to, the more you will arrive at an idea of what you like the best. Remember that, although there are different styles of gardens, the most important thing is what you like. You can make up your own style if you want to. If you like it, then its great!

13. Make a general sketch of your yard

This is the first step in planning the actual layout of your yard. At this stage, be very general, marking out large areas for general purposes. Think in terms of "rooms". Just as the rooms inside are each dedicated to a specific purpose, so are the "rooms" in your outdoor space. Mark areas for such general categories as public space (front yard visible from street), recreation (lawn, swings, pool), circulation (driveways, walkways), utility (storage, compost, perhaps vegetable gardens), private space (entertaining, relaxing). Look back to the notes you made in step 2 to help you decide where to locate each area. Can you hide the utility area from view of the private space (and do you want to)? Is there enough sun where you want to locate the vegetable garden.

14. Go through your wish list again

Compare how much space you have available for each category of space, with the number of items on your list for that category. Now is the time to begin to eliminate some items. Consider your budget (short and long term), as some of the items on your list might be eliminated due to cost. If something is too expensive now, but you hope to afford it in the future, keep it in your plan. Many plans take several years to complete.

Some areas might be made to do double duty, such as being used for both recreation and private space. The lawn might be used for your kids to play on, and then used for entertaining by moving a folding table and chairs onto it. Maybe you don't mind growing your vegetables in the front yard (public space), where it is more sunny. If you don't have room for both a herb garden and perennial bed, consider combining the two. Many herbs are very attractive. Make maximum use of your space.

..next..

How do I make a garden plan? Do I really have to?
Get to know your site
Think about the future
What do you want to do in your yard?
What kind of gardening do you want to do?
Don't forget storage and utility requirements
What about driveways, walkways, and paths?
Think about privacy and security issues
Make a wish list
Categorize your list
Prioritize your list
Look at other gardens and yards
Make a general sketch of your yard
Go through your wish list again
Think about the style you want
Keep in mind some general design guidelines
Start drawing a plan
Get to work
Further Reading (web links) and References

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