QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE DESIGNING YOUR GARDEN
Are you looking to revamp your existing garden space or put in a completely new garden? Whether you want to DIY the work or hire out the design, installation, and/or maintenance, here are a few questions to ask yourself to make sure you’re thinking about the whole picture before diving into a new garden project.
What do I want to DO in my yard or garden? This should be one of the biggest determining factors in how you space plan. Do you need a seating area - how large or small? Do you need lawn space for people or pets to play in? Do you want to create a wildlife oasis so you can watch the birds from the windows all day? All of these questions should be considered before planning how large a patio should be, where the garden beds should be placed, or any other space planning decisions.
Not sure how to answer this? Make a full list of things you want to do outdoors. A few choices are: dining space, lounging space, fire pit, lawn space, shed, pool, vegetable garden, large tree with a swing, playset for kids, reading hammock, or paths for exploring. Take a look at any of those on Pinterest or Google Images and see what you like the look of in terms of size, placement, or overall design.
What conditions am I working with? Sun/shade locations, wet spots, slopes, deer presence, trees with large surface roots, views you want to enhance, etc. These are the main questions included in any site analysis and are key to knowing your space. The easiest way to fail when designing your own garden is to skip this step and then plant the wrong plant in the wrong place. It’s a waste of time and money so don’t skimp on this analysis!
Not sure how to do this? Walk around and look at your yard on a sunny day in the spring or summer. Where does the sun rise and set? Which sides of the house are in the shade and at what points in the day? Another time to get outside and poke around is after a rainstorm - where are the especially soggy areas, and where are the drier areas? Then, on any type of day, go around your house and look outside from the windows and take note of what you want to see more or less of.
Then, take your list of desired spaces from question 1 and try to map out where they could go given the site conditions you learned from question 2. A vegetable garden needs full sun. A playset probably shouldn’t be placed in a spot that always floods. Try to match up each space with its ideal conditions.
How much maintenance do I want to do? There is no such thing as a no-maintenance yard or garden, so you just have to ask yourself: which type of maintenance do you prefer? Mowing a lawn and weeding a garden bed are both maintenance tasks but one might sound a bit more appealing to you than the other. Only create the amount of bed or lawn space that you want to maintain, but know that nothing is permanent. Beds can be turned into lawns and vice versa at any time, so set yourself up for what you’d like to do now, but know it can be changed in the future if needed.
Now, onto the more design-y bits…
How full do I want my garden to be? There is a scale of pretty empty (think traditional landscaping at a car dealership - just a few evergreens and LOT of mulch) to full, full, full (think cottage garden). Where do you fall on this scale? How much mulch do you want to see? How much breathing room do you want between plants?
Pinterest and Google Images are your friends here, again. So is taking a walk around your favorite neighborhood and snapping a few photos of gardens you like. What appeals to you? There is no wrong answer but knowing the answer will help you (or your designer) know how much to plant.
What colors do I like? Think of both bloom colors and foliage colors. To help narrow down bloom colors, you might want to pick either hot or cool colors. Hot colors are bright and bring “heat” to a space - reds, oranges, and bright yellows. Cool colors visually “cool a space down” - purples, blues, soft yellows. Does one of these color schemes sound more appealing to you than the other? When it comes to foliage color, the 4 main color categories are green, blue, red, and yellow/chartreuse. Do any of these not appeal to you?
No wrong answers here, either. Liking “all colors” is also an acceptable option. I just recommend you put a little thought into it so you don’t show up at the garden center and feel completely overwhelmed.
If you’ve answered all of those questions and you’re feeling confident, motivated, and inspired - get going! If it’s winter and you can’t plant yet, I recommend sketching out a rough overhead view of what you want your garden to look like. Then, once spring comes along you’ll be ready to rock/ You can start small with just one area and work out from there or rip out everything and dive right into the deep end.
If you are feeling overwhelmed or don’t know where to begin - I recommend seeking advice from a garden or landscape designer. They’ll be able to help you put your vision together in a cohesive way and you might feel more confident moving forward with the help of a professional. If you’re in the Pittsburgh area, I’d love to help you. If you’re not, I recommend searching for a “garden designer” or “landscape designer” in your area. If you are looking to manipulate your land significantly (pool, large retaining wall, etc.) then finding a “landscape architect” might be a good idea.