Landscape design for beginners article by Rupa kumari

Planning and designing of your outdoor Space

start your plan:

Draw a bird's-eye view of your property, noting the placement of all the man-made features (called hardscape) such as buildings, fences, driveways, stonewalls, etc. Boulders, trees, and large shrubs combine with your hardscape to form the "bones" of your landscape.

Using graph paper helps, but you don't have to agonize over exact measurements, a sketch that is roughly in proportion will be fine.

Make sure to include the location of your well, septic system, or any buried utility lines. Orient your lot on the compass and note where your sunny and shady spots are.

Make a wishlist:

Once you know what you've already got, you can move on to making a list of what you'd like to have. How do you want your garden to look? Start with a few general goals. For example:

Do you want privacy for a patio area?

Do you want to screen an ugly view?

Is your top priority curb appeal/resale-value or a more private (patio) display?

If you already have flower beds, note the successful plants and fill in the blank spots with the colors, heights, foliage, and bloom time you will need to get the desired look. This will help guide you when you are plant shopping. If you know that your garden lacks color after July 4th, you can limit your choices to later blossoming plants instead of buying more spring bloomers.

be sure to make the most of what you've got already. don't try to change a dry, rocky spot into a vegetable garden. instead, use it for a rock garden planted with sedums and hen and chicks, which can thrive in the tough condition.

Use containers to accent difficult areas, too. They're a great way to express your design skills on a small scale and can be changed seasonally, if so desired.

Look around your neighborhood. Plants come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. What gardens do you like? Which plant colors, shapes, textures, and sizes speak to you?

Choose your style:

Your garden should complement your home's architectural style. Gardening is just like decorating the inside of your house, but instead of fabrics, paint, and furniture, you will be using color, texture, shape, size, and placement of plants to create a mood.

Formal:

Straight lines; symmetry; and elegant focal points like statues and fountains, manicured lawns, and pruned hedges define this style. Color is secondary to structure and the mood is refined and serene.

Informal:

This style is a balance between the formal and natural styles. It involves lots of curves and colors, lush growth, asymmetry, and natural-shaped trees and shrubs. The mood is comfortable and relaxing.

Natural:

This style imitates nature, is low-maintenance, and should blend in with the surroundings, which could be anything from a wildflower meadow to a bog. The mood can reflect untamed chaos or just energetic, natural abundance.

Assessing your needs:

If you have young children or grandchildren, you'll need areas where they can play. Same for pets. Look to incorporate "bulletproof" plants that can take some abuse, like low-growing sedum or ground phlox, which can both take some trampling.

Think about your enter path:

Do you want a welcoming front garden that directs visitors to your door? Use straight lines and hardscaped paths to lead visitors where you want them to go.

Don't be discouraged by a small garden space:

There are tricks you can use to make small plots seem larger, such as lining up paths, gates, and trees to create sight lines that allow the view to flow from one area into another. Also consider that having many small groupings of different colored flowers can make a space seem cluttered, whereas grouping similar colors and textures together can really open up a small space. 

Create your own gate way space:

Use larger shrubs and ornamental grasses to cordon off an area for rest and relaxation, like this secluded bench. Here, you can watch over the garden and enjoy the fruits of your labor.