Beginners Gardening Guide #2 : Steps for Designing Your First Garden

Designing a garden is not something only a master gardener with decades of experience can accomplish. Granted, your early efforts at garden design probably won’t end up looking like the Kensington Palace Gardens in London, or the National Gardens in Athens, but with some thoughtful planning, you’ll be pleased with, and proud of, the results. You, and all you invite into your garden sanctuary, will take pleasure among the blooms!

First, understand that a fine garden needs a sense of balance and flow in the size of the plants. This requires knowing how tall and wide each type of flowering plant will get. Use the knowledge to place plants alongside others of similar size and proportion. One popular plan is to start at the edges of your garden with the tallest, most robust plants, and gradually work toward the center with plants that are increasingly small or short. Conclude in the middle with an area filled with flowering ground cover, perhaps featuring some statuary, an in-ground bird bath, or a small pond featuring water lilies.

The opposite idea is to start at the edges with shorter plants, and work toward a climactic finish in the middle, highlighted by an arbor or a trellis covered with climbing, flowering plants and vines. A variation of these themes is to use an undulating flow that gradually rises or falls toward the middle. Some gardeners enjoy a circular design, especially if the garden is typically viewed from many different directions. Smaller plants, bushes and flowers form the outer circle, with each inner concentric circle featuring larger, more robust plants, again, reaching its apex in the center with a trellis, or perhaps some statuary.

Secondly, balance color throughout your elevation changes. Make sure that flowers planted next to one another will combine in an eye-pleasing way, a subtle yellow next to a vibrant blue, a bright red, alongside a deep purple. Avoid planting colors that clash next to each other.

Next, if you plan to plant trees or large bushes, make sure that they will not rob full-sun loving perennials of their desired rays. Place shade giving trees or bushes where you will want a perfect spot to sit, out of the sun, and enjoy the views and fragrances, and the buzz of hungry bees, in years to come. Place flowers and plants that appreciate full or partial shade near these obliging bigger cousins. Bushes and trees also serve as privacy features for your garden, or are perfect for blocking views you do not find enjoyable, perhaps of a neighbor’s untidy back yard.

Designing the perfect garden is a process, and veteran gardeners assure beginners that there is much joy in the journey along the way. When you have gotten your hands dirty in the pursuit, chosen each plant with care, nurtured your blooms, and prepared your garden beds for a winter’s rest, all the while anticipating the coming spring, your garden might not look perfect to everyone, but it will be perfect for you!

A-Z Beginners Gardening Guides

• Beginners Gardening Guide #1 : How To Start Your Garden
• Beginners Gardening Guide #2 : Steps for Designing Your First Garden
• Beginners Gardening Guide #3 : Choosing the Right Tools for your First Garden
• Beginners Gardening Guide #4 : How to Keep Pests Out of Your Garden
• Beginners Gardening Guide #5 : A Beginner’s Guide to Planting Flowers and Trees
• Beginners Gardening Guide #6 :How to Choose What to Plant
• Beginners Gardening Guide #7 : First Steps in Vegetable Gardening
• Beginners Gardening Guide #8 : Maintaining Your Garden
• Beginners Gardening Guide #9 : Lawn Care for Beginners
• Beginners Gardening Guide #10: Blossoms for Every Season
• Beginners Gardening Guide #11 : Your Garden During the Fall
• Beginners Gardening Guide #12: What Steps to take as Winter Approaches
• Beginners Gardening Guide #13: Preparing for a Great Spring Start