The Work of your Heart: Your Garden

There is great satisfaction in creating your own garden plan - the pleasure derived from the relaxation or fun in the garden, as well as the satisfaction that comes from a job well done. effort to be spent in planning and executing a unique design for you will add to the enjoyment of your garden provides for years to come.

As you begin to create a garden space that is unique to you? Here are ten simple steps that will help you to move effortlessly through the process.

1st Determine why you want to garden.
How do you use it? Who would enjoy in the garden? Keep in mind that you May not be the only inhabitant, so that the contribution of all family members about how your outdoor space will be used.

2nd Do something dreamed.
Now you know why you want to garden and how you intend to use it, let your imagination play with all possible features in your special space. little dreaming will expose those attributes that will put your personal stamp on the garden.

Also decide whether formal or informal garden. Formal gardens are highly structured, divided by a strong central axis and cross axis. Informal gardens have a natural look with strong, flowing curves.

3rd Make a list of "must haves".
What items are essential? Listing your needs at the front ensures that the final plan will be missing something important. Need a retaining wall? privacy fence? way to the garage? More parking spaces? Do children need a place to play? What about pets?

Walk around your property and note what is important. Your final design should balance the dream has a "must haves" to create a satisfying and functional.

4th Assess what you already have.
To get where you are going, it helps to know your starting point. Is your room big or small? Is the site flat or sloping? What is climate? What kind of soil do you have? How much water is available and from what sources? What are the prevailing opinion?

5th Approximate budget.
Once you know what you want and what you need, it is time to consider what you're willing to spend. This figure is the dollar will affect what features you include in the final plan of the garden - trees, plants, hardscape materials and architectural elements such as arbors, fountains, ponds and benches.

Remember that your "budget" consists of two elements: time and money. In terms of time, no garden should be completed by a certain date or you can create it over time? (Speed ​​costs!) Also, how much time you're ready for the budget to maintain your dream garden? Can you spare a few hours a week or you are lucky enough to afford a caretaker?

As you develop and improve your plan, May you need to balance time and money costs. Be flexible. You May have to spend more time if you can not spend more money, and vice versa.

6th Identify your garden focal point.
Every garden should be an attractive place that causes you to stop for a moment. When you select the focus, you are choosing the direction you want to appear when visitors enter your garden. Does your list of "wants "to include a waterfall or fountain? arbor retreat? Flowering apple? If so, you're well on your way to identifying a focal point - or points - for your garden.

7th Make a rough design.
Take all the information you have gathered and incorporated it into a workable design that balances the "wants" with "must haves". Your goal is to create a space that is both satisfying and functional.

Buy a graph paper pad containing 8 or 10 squares per inch, and let each square equal one foot. (In other words, every inch of the paper will equate to 8 or 10 feet on your property.) Create a basic map to your house and property lines drawn to scale.

You will also need tracing paper, markers, tape measure, ruler, pencil and a good eraser. Lay tracing paper over your basic scale maps. Then refer back to the list of "must haves" and "wants" such as sketches of different areas of your garden. Show approximate location of focal points, areas of activity ("room") and roads. Use as many sheets as necessary tracing paper until you find the look that pleases you and meets the objective that you identified in step 1

8th Select your plants and hardscape.
colors and materials that you choose will create the character of your garden, adding interest, movement and visual appeal. Would you like to harmonious colors and high contrast? Warm tones and cool shades? Bold colors and soft hues? Mixing different colors and materials and textures will give your garden a strong sense of space.

Plants form an important part of your garden. Besides the plants, hardscape materials contribute to the diversity and texture - wood arbors, brick borders, gravel paths, bronze statuary, and wrought iron benches.

As you review the preliminary schedule, take into account the best material for each of the hardscape elements. Keep in mind that each element must fit with and compliment the whole. For example, terraces are made of the same material as the house while uniting rail ties around the formal gardens to create discord.

9th Make a scale drawing.
So far, you've created a basic map of the property line and his house, and a layer of paper that shows the focal points, "room" and roads. We also have a list of trees, shrubs and plants for every area of your garden. Now you need to make a scale drawing that shows exactly where to go each feature. You will use this plan to set up walkways, arbors and trellises set, and plant trees, shrubs and flowers.

It is important that you have enough information to help you make the reality of the garden you've just designed on paper. As long as your scale drawing or blueprint in sufficient scale to achieve this purpose, you will be successful.

10th Execute your plan.
Before you begin actual construction of the garden, check all local building codes and regulations to make sure that you will be in accordance with them. Structures such as decks, patios and retaining walls may require a permit from the local city government. After all permits are in place, you can begin to lay out the garden.

With your scale drawing as a draft, use the tape measure for the location of all structures, walkways and plants. Be sure to measure accurately so that every element in your design fits the allocated space.

If designing a garden space sounds a bit daunting, do not panic. Just follow these steps one by one and place a space that feels right to you. You can do it. After all, a successful garden is just another room of your house, you have successfully arranged!