Planning Your Garden or Landscape

When creating a garden, there are a number of factors to consider, such as the growing conditions of the land like climate, light exposure and the condition of your soil. You also need to think about what style of garden you want. Do you want a vegetable garden or a flower garden? Would you like the garden to be formal or informal?

The best gardens develop and evolve over time. No matter what size garden you're creating, you'll want to start by evaluating your site and develop an overall plan, taking in to consideration the style you are after and the conditions you have to work with.

Evaluating the Site
It's important to spend some time getting to know your site before planning your garden. Does your site have any special features or assets such as a beautiful view, a striking tree or a natural stream? If you're lucky enough to have one of these natural assets, they're great features from which to build your plan around. Study the shape of your property and how the house sits on the site. This will help you determine the framework for your landscape as well as define traffic flow in the form of pathways and patios. Also, take note of the levels of sun and shade in your garden during different times of the day; this will be important when making plant selections.

Knowing your Climate Zone and Growing Conditions
If you want to start a new garden with an expectation of reasonable success, you should know your climate zone and growing conditions in order to make smart plant selections.

Climate zones or plant hardiness zones are used as a guideline to determine the hardiness and survivability of plants in various geographic regions. When shopping for plants check the label for which zones they can grow in.

There are two different measurements for climate zones, one created by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the other by Sunset Magazine:

• USDA Climate Zone Map
  This map divides North America into zones based on winter low temperatures only and shows where plants may survive those temperatures.
• The Sunset Climate Zone Map
  This map takes into consideration the length of growing season, timing and amount of rainfall, winter lows, summer highs, wind, and humidity of each zone, showing where plants will thrive year round.

Knowing your growing conditions will also help you in planning a successful garden. This includes the composition of your soil and the amount of sun and wind exposure.

Soil Condition
Soil is made up of combination of organic and inorganic materials in a delicate balance. A "good soil" is one that's nutrient rich, has good texture and can sustain the growth of a wide range of plants. It's a good idea to test your soil and understand it's characteristics before planting. You can get do-it-yourself soil testing kits at your local garden center. The good news is if results show your soil lacks nutrients, it can easily be improved by amending it with the nutrients and materials it lacks.

Light Exposure
Sunlight is one of the key ingredients for plant growth. Most gardens have a combination of both sun and shade and the amounts of each will vary throughout the day. Although most plants need at least some sunlight to grow, there are many unique plants that thrive in shade and many that can tolerate either shade or sun. When selecting plants check the label for their preferred exposure.

Wind Exposure
Wind is another factor that should be considered when planning your garden because it tends to dry out both the soil and the plants. It can also break branches, flatten flowers and even impair pollination. If wind is an issue in your garden, create a windbreak to protect your plants. A windbreak slows the flow of air down by forcing the wind to pass through a filter. Windbreaks can be a line of hedges, a barrier of branches or bamboo, or a wood or mesh fence - but it must be permeable to work, not solid.

Garden Styles

There are many garden styles, but most fall into two broad categories – formal and informal.

• Informal Style
  Informal gardens are unrestrained and look less planned. There are few straight lines, instead, paths and flower beds tend to curve and meander throughout the garden. There's more of an eclectic mix of plants and flowers that often spill over edges and climb over fences.

• Formal Style
  Formal gardens rely on straight lines and geometric shapes. Symmetry, perspective and pattern also play key roles. Plantings are well planned, orderly and meticulously pruned.

• Cottage Style
  Cottage style has an informal feel with flower beds and plantings appearing casual and unplanned. Pathways are less formal and typically unpaved, instead being formed from gravel or stepping stones.

• Tropical Style
  Tropical gardens feature exotic flowers, vines and plants with large leaves. Often there is a water feature such as a waterfall or pond. The lush foliage gradually builds in height towards the back of the garden.

• Japanese Style
  Japanese gardens use simple, clean lines as well as rocks, water and plants to create a sense of peace, harmony and tranquility. These gardens are usually asymmetrical in layout with winding paths drawing you into nature. Other elements used include bridges, pagodas and lanterns.

• Contemporary Style
  Contemporary or modern style gardens feature clean lines and bold patterns. The focus is on visual impact and organizing space. Mass plantings and the use of abstract specimens are common practice.

• Native Style
  Sometimes called a xeriscape, a native garden is very natural in style and features plants native to the area. Because the plants are native to the area they thrive with minimal care and water.

Web Resources

• Garden Design Basics from Gardeners.com
  Like interior design and architecture, garden design has some basic design principles that should be considered such as style, scale, flow, rhythm and balance. This article discusses these basic principles and how to incorporate them into your garden design.
• Landscape Site Analysis from Landscape-Design-Site.com
  If you're planning your own garden, one of the most important steps is to analyze your site. Here is an article on landscape site analysis to get you started.
• Is Soild Testing Worth It? from Fine Gardening
  According to Fine Gardening, it is. The condition of your soil has a lot do with how successful your garden will grow and a soil test will tell you what you need to know. This article will guide you in getting your soil tested including how to collect a proper sample and where to find soil testing laboratories.
• Explore Design Styles from Monrovia
  There are many garden styles from cottage to modern. To help you determine your style check out Monrovia’s design inspiration gallery. There are photo galleries for cottage, contemporary, tropical, zen, eco-friendly and classic style gardens along with descriptions, features and plant recommendations for each.
• Designing a Vegetable Garden from How Stuff Works
  There is nothing more rewarding than harvesting, cooking and consuming vegetables that you have grown yourself. Anyone can plant their own vegetable garden – all you need is a plot of earth, some sun and a little know how. Check out this article from HowStuffWorks.com. You will find tips on planning your vegetable garden and how to arrange your vegetables as well as advice on crop rotation to keep your vegetable garden prolific year after year.
• Spring Beauty Garden Plans from BHG
  Planning a garden and looking for ideas? Better Homes and Gardens offers free garden plans for all types and sizes of gardens. Each plan has detailed layouts and planting guides that are available to download and some even have a photo of what the real thing will look like after it’s been planted. You will have to complete a brief, one-time registration in order to download the plans but guess what – that’s free too! 16 fabulous plans to choose from.