10 Tips for Planning Your Perfect Garden

If you’re passionate about gardening and you dream of having an outdoor space that’s unique and personal, thorough planning is the only way to make this a reality.

That’s easier said than done, of course, so to set you on your way, here are some important tips to help you with the early stages of achieving your garden ambitions.

Consider what you’ve got to work with

First of all, you need to get to grips with the benefits and limitations of the garden itself. Look into the direction it faces, calculate how much sunlight different areas are exposed to, think about the climate, and explore the space that’s available.

The size of your garden might be the main element that influences all of the other choices you make. Even small spaces can be transformed by plants, of course, but if you don’t have a lot of room to work with, you need to be more discerning in your plans.

Establish a budget

The next aspect you need to get right is the budget because you don’t want to go all out with your designs, only to realize that you can’t afford to see them through.

Also, remember that there are ways to make savings and still reach your goal of creating the perfect garden. For example, growing flowers from seeds rather than buying plants that are already moderately mature is cost-effective, even if it means more time and effort is needed on your part.

Think about how the space will be used

People enjoy their gardens in different ways, and your own preferred uses must be weighed up as you plan.

For example, if you want to host a garden party then you want to ensure there’s enough room for guests to mill and mingle. Going too far with beds and borders might eat into much-needed lawn space.

The same goes for if you’ve got children. It’s about finding a balance between what looks good, what’s practical for your needs, and what’s sustainable.

Make accurate measurements

While gardening isn’t as prescriptive as household DIY when it comes to measuring accurately, it’s still wise to be rigorous in plotting out each part of your design. If not, you could find that the blueprint which looked so good on paper doesn’t translate well to the real world.

Use specialist garden design software

Speaking of blueprints, you don’t need to do everything using old-fashioned methods, because modern design software makes it a breeze to put together great-looking gardens.

For example, with the help of a Hortisketch garden planner, even enthusiastic gardening amateurs can make something that looks professional and is also straightforward to implement.

Think about verticality

Gardens look better when there are lots of different layers, so choose plants that are of varying heights to add splendor and drama to the overarching aesthetic.

When planting up borders, placing taller plants towards the rear and smaller plants close to the front is a no-brainer. Also consider working in climbing plants, so long as they are near a structure to which they can attach themselves. All of this can augment the texture and visual appeal of the space.

Aim for consistency

While it’s ok for gardening professionals to get crazy with their garden design combos, for the average home gardener it’s safer to stick with a particular style, at least in the short term as you’re finding your feet.

Whether you decide to go with a very regimented arrangement of beds and planting, with the intention of maintaining it meticulously to keep everything in order, or you choose a more sprawling and informal approach that’s more akin to cottage gardens of old, being consistent is better than the scatter-gun alternative.

Explore color options

It’s not just the design of the garden that has to hang together well, but also the colors that make it up. You don’t need to be as rigid in this regard, but it’s still worth working out whether certain blooms will complement one another, or whether they’ll clash.

Etch out boundaries before you start digging

Remember that you don’t need to commit to a garden design as soon as you’re happy with it on paper, and in fact, it’s better to take your time and see if it works in practice by marking the main features on the ground and taking a step back.

You can do this using string or twine, a garden hose, or anything else that you’ve got to hand. Also remember to lay out pathways and other items you plan to add, not just beds and borders.

Pick plants that are fit for the location

Unless you’ve got lots of time to spare and an inexhaustible gardening budget, you should select plants that will survive and thrive in your region, as well as in the part of the garden you plan to position them in.

Plants that are native to the area, rather than species from further afield, fit the bill in this regard, and will also be more ecologically sound and sustainable as a result.

Wrapping up

No one can tell you what your perfect garden should look like, but careful planning will help you realize what works and what doesn’t.