You have space and want to transform it into a garden but don’t know where to start or how to run the basics. Well, worry not because this article has got you covered. Designing and establishing your own personal garden space may seem a little bit tedious, but it sure is fun and a relaxing task. With the help of this basic article, you will be able to create something beautiful that you are proud of and can boast about in front of your friends!
Remember the best garden is the one that makes an individual cheerful, happy, and relaxed.
Tips to keep in mind
The very first thing you should do is to make up your mind that you will do this task with all your might and potential. Having a garden of your own is one of the most rewarding things. You can have an unlimited supply of colorful flowers everyday, freshly picked vegetables, a place to enjoy and relax, boosting your property value, and the list goes on and on.
Before we dive into the main article, here are some tips that you have to keep in mind:
– Decide what sort of gardening space you want, whether it is for kids or visitors, a flower garden, a vegetable garden, or both.
– Learn about your local climate, geography, and zone before you start any operation.
– Set the budget for the garden design beforehand.
– Visit public gardens or look into magazines, catalogs, books, Pinterest, internet, etc for inspiration. You can pick a theme too.
– Grab a measuring tape and take accurate dimensions and measurements of the available gardening space that needs to be designed.
– Choose and decide on what kind of garden look will you be content and relaxed.
– Add some boundaries to it, if the garden is wide open. (Keep in mind that a “garden” means an enclosed space).
– Remember some jobs are only to be handled by professionals, for example like related to electricity and gas pipelines.
– Take out a pencil and a drawing pad and start work on a rough layout or sketch.
Now, let’s get cracking!
Lawn space
Once again, if there is no boundary around the space, you can add one because the garden’s root meaning is “enclosure.” According to Behavioral psychology studies, a person feels more secure within enclosures and boundaries. Alongside security comes a feeling of relaxation. For this purpose, you can use fences, trellis, bushy plants, trees, etc.
Designing
A garden is incomplete without a proper lawn space, and whether it is small or large, a lawn is always a high maintenance nuisance. Still, no other surface is quite so resilient, so comfortable for lounging, so yielding and forgiving for play. If you are low on budget, consider reducing your lawn space by installing Boulders, outcroppings, terraces, patios, etc. or pushing the beds into the lawn area.
Straight rectangular lawn spaces may be too ordinary. Why not break the lawn into several distinct parts by incorporating circular zigzag, triangular shapes into the layout.
Choosing the turf
There is no need to lie, installing a lawn can be very expensive. Be careful in choosing a turf variety that grows well in your zone. Turfgrass requires six or more hours of direct sunshine per day. Installing turf in the shade of trees and walls is useless and will only increase the cost. You can plant shade-tolerant varieties, though. You can use sod, seed, or artificial turf.
Cheap alternatives
A beautiful lawn doesn’t always mean turf grasses. With turf grasses comes high maintenance. You need to mow regularly, water (or installing costly sprinklers), pesticides, fertilize your lawn. There are other alternatives that most of us consider weed. Weed is a point of view. Native grasses, clover (nitrogen fixer), thyme, chamomile, etc. are the best alternatives to overly priced useless turf.
Seating Area
One cannot enjoy outdoor space without proper seating. Deciding the type of seating and where to place is another important factor in garden design. Seating draws visitors to the garden.
Boundaries and sizing
You can set boundaries for placing the seating while keeping the number of people of your household and friends in mind alongside garden space. These boundaries can be softened using plants, planting beds, ornaments, etc. Then you can decide the type of flooring for the seating. Flooring includes stone, pavers, brick, gravel, concrete, or only nothing but grass.
Adopt folding furniture or bench seating for small area gardens. For larger spaces, go for full-on seating sets, day beds, hammocks, on-trend hanging chairs, swing seats, sun loungers, etc.
Seating Types
When complemented with the right patio furniture, even small spaces will beckon you outside. Choosing the best patio furniture for your outdoor space is very important. Pick easy to care patio furniture, so there is no need for upkeep. Most cedar, teak, metal, and all-weather wicker pieces remain unfazed by the weather, prefer something luxurious alongside with being durable.
Alternatives
Furniture is not the only answer to seating. You can add rugs, wooden benches, flagstones, benches made from cement and bricks.
Sometimes seating serves no purpose other than aesthetic appeal. Pick the color of seating that goes well with your garden.
Footpath
Footpath and pavement are another important factor in garden design. Weave the pavements and pathways into your garden.
Footpath Types
The color and style of your clearing and how it is laid can give a solid plan course to the whole garden. For example, dim or white stone laid in an irregular pattern will lay the right foundation for the French nation look. Dark or silver clearing sorted out in a customary structure will shape the ideal background to a smooth, sleek and present-day scheme, while golden stone orchestrated in a blended pattern creates the English country feel.
Width
Ensure your pathways are wide enough for comfortable passage. No one appreciates just barely squeezing through thin spaces, inside or out. Primary lanes ought to be wide enough for two individuals to walk next to each other, no less than 5 feet. For secondary path ways where individuals walk single file, the width ought to be 3 feet (90 cm). Remember that the taller the plantings or structures that flank your walkway, the more extensive and wider the pavement should be.
Security
Please make sure that a footpath gives secure footing. Avoid using slick and smooth surfaces or unsteady pavers that wobble. paving materials like polished granite or smooth outdoor tile may not offer enough firm footing during rainy and snowy season. You can simply use unsifted gravel. The unsifted rock contains different size aggregates, which become immovably when compact and give a secure footing.
Flower Beds
Here we are to the most essential part of any garden design. What is a garden without flowers and flower beds? An empty flower bed is like an untouched canvas waiting for you to paint (plant) it with unlimited colors according to your preference and choice. A task that is full of joy and thrill. Having this kind of opportunity alleviates the mood.
You can place flower beds along walls, under a tree, in the center of the lawn, around a garden feature.
Placement
Now that you can easily make a rough layout of your garden’s lawn space, seating area, footpath (pavement), all that is left is to add flower beds to this layout. To prepare a bed, you have to remove any old plant material, including grass. If you want to create lines and neatness in your design, then you can add edging or border to the beds, such as pavers, flagstones, bricks, ground cover foliage, etc. A raised flower bed is always better.
Preparation
To prepare a bed first, what you can do is to pulverize it and then rake away rocks and debris. Break up the large soil clods. Enriching the bed is very important, and for this, you can use compost, fertilizer, and organic matter.
Choosing plants
Now comes the fun part. You will want to choose plants and varieties that adapt well to your climate and zones. Keep the sun exposure in mind too. Shape your garden in a way that it is always full of color all year round. You don’t want to create a garden that’s bare in autumn and winter. To achieve this, you have to go for the varieties that are bloom all year round, grow in winter, or simply provide a winter structure. Pick bright colored blooms. Despite all the commotion, choose plants that you love the most because this garden we are making is all about you.
Some species don’t grow well together while some like grouping. When planting, it’s better to give your plants room to grow. Try to stick to just six or seven different types and arrange them in repeated patterns for a coordinated and harmonious effect.
Here we have chosen some bright and dazzling plants for you to pick:
| Ground Cover & Grasses | Flowering Plants |
| Canadian anemone | Hydrangeas |
| Creeping thyme | Lavender |
| Alyssum | Asters |
| Candytuft | Daffodils |
| Feather reed | Hyacinths |
| Rush grass | Delphiniums |
| Fountain grass | Peonies |
| Ravena grass | Roses |
| Dwarf pampas | Sunflowers |
| Little bluestem | Phlox |
| Maiden grass | Cone flowers |
| Switch grass | Daylilies |
| Blue oat grass | Hellebore |
| Blue fescue | Black-eyed Susan |
| Japanese forest grass | Cosmos |
| Purple fountain grass | Blazing star |
| Liriope | Geraniums |
| Zebra grass | Irises |
| Daisies | |
| Yarrow |
| Vines and Lianas | Shrubs and Trees |
| Bougainvillea | Arborvitae |
| Star jasmine | Azaleas |
| Grape vine | Pussy willow |
| Honeysuckle | Crape Myrtle |
| Sweet pea | Common Lilacs |
| Clematis | Cotoneaster |
| Trumpet vine | Hibiscus |
| Flame lily | Oakleaf |
| Morning glory | Dogwoods |
| Angels trumpet | Weigela |
| Climbing roses | Rhododendron |
| Wisteria | Fire thorn |
| Boston ivy | Yews |
| Hardy kiwi vine | Eastern Redbud |
| Emerald Gaiety | Kanzan Cherry |
| Winter jasmine | Golden shower |
| Mandeville | Forsythia |
| Virginia creeper | Weeping willow |
| Passion flower | Magnolias |
| Akebia | Hawthorn |
Incorporating Hardscape
You can add elements like pergolas, trellises, arbors, vases, water fountains, flowery cart wagons, artistic structures, screens, mirrors, statues, stone boulders, wooden logs, etc. The list and the choices are endless.
The time spent in planning, designing, and preparing will be repaid many times over once you’re done with designing your garden. You’ll have a proper place to relax and reduce stress and anxiety.
Happy gardening!
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