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

15. Think about the style you want

The two main types of garden design style are formal and informal. Within these two lie many specific styles, such as English country garden, Japanese garden, Native meadow, annual beds, knot gardens, and so on. Formal gardens tend to use a lot of straight lines. Beds are carefully planned, with use of things like pruned hedges, and tightly controlled plantings. Informal gardens tend to use curved lines. Plantings are more loosely designed, and more natural looking. Although there is nothing wrong with mixing styles, it is usually wise to stick to either a formal or informal look in your plan. An exception might be that areas that are out of sight of each other can be of different styles. For instance, you might like a formal style for the public, front yard, and an informal style for the private, back yard. Choosing styles in your yard is similar to choosing decorating styles in your home. You might have an eclectic mix of furniture from room to room, but you are unlikely to want one room to be in a strictly Victorian style, another in country antiques, and yet another in 60's funk. Some consistency is usually preferable. Then again, if its what you really like, who's to argue?

The style of your house, or even of your neighbourhood, ought to be kept in mind in choosing a style for your garden. A Victorian style house would look odd with an oriental garden around it. A formal Colonial style house calls out for a formal garden. There is also the personality of your yard to consider, the individual characteristics that make it what it is - the roll of the land, the view in the distance, the coziness of being nestled between buildings. If you can get a sense of your property, you can work with it to bring out its best features, rather then trying to mold it into something it just isn't.

16. Keep in mind some general design guidelines

There are some elements of design that are helpful to know in any kind of style. While these are not carved in stone rules, they are good rules-of-thumb, especially if you have a small yard.

Limit the numbers of materials used in the "hard" elements, that is in paving, fencing and decking, edging, lighting, etc. If you use more than one kind of paving material, such as brick, concrete and flagstone, match colours where you can so they look more alike.
Repeat patterns or shapes in the design. If you plan a rectangular planting bed in one area, consider making all beds various rectangular shapes. If you have a curved patio, make the step out from the house curved or semi-circular as well, and have planting beds or paths echo the same curves. You get the idea.
Think in three dimensions. Make your deck or patio more interesting by using changes in elevation. Put planters on walls or fences to add interest. Place trees or vines to guide the eyes upwards, and make your space feel larger.
Use lighting to highlight certain features or plants, to light pathways, and to add mood and interest to the garden at night. Its a good idea to think about lighting ahead of time, because your design will have to allow for the conduits, or outlets, needed to get power from your house to the light fixtures.
As with the "hard" elements, its good to have some repetition in planting materials as well. Using the same edging plants, or ground covers, or shrubs, in strategic spots throughout the garden helps to hold things together, and can make a smaller yard seem larger. Too much variety without some kind of cohesive elements will make the yard and garden look busy and cluttered.
Make sure pathways lead somewhere, even if its just to a lovely plant. By making paths through the garden wander a little, you can create a sense of mystery, because not everything will be visible from each point along the path. On the other hand, don't put in a lot of curves in a path for no reason. If a path curves, it should be curving around something, like a plant, or shrub, or garden ornament, bench, or light post. Where space allows, make paths a good 4 feet wide, to allow 2 people to walk side-by-side. Otherwise, you and your visitors will have to play follow-the-leader as you stroll.
Make a focal point in the garden. A focal point can be anything that attracts the eye, whether its a rose bush, a pond or fountain, a statue, an interesting tree, or a group of colourful pots. Have other features in the garden arranged to lead the eye to the focal point, rather than compete with it. In a larger yard, you might make more than one focal point, as long as they are far enough apart that they don't compete for attention.
Use colour to enhance your plans. A colour wheel such as the ones artists use can help you plan colour combinations. Cool colours, like blue, tend look further away then what they really are, and warm colours, like orange, look closer, so these can be used make your space seem bigger or smaller, or to invite viewing from close up or from a distance. Lighter colours, like white or pink, are more visible in the evening, so if you mainly enjoy your garden then it makes sense to use plants that you will be able to see in dimmer light.
Use different textures in plants to create more interest in your garden. Different sizes and shapes of leaves and flowers create different textures.

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