Planning a Garden Layout – 9 Steps to Success

Planning your garden layout is no small task and can be quite daunting even for a long time gardener. The ability to visualize color schemes and layouts will come in handy when planning. It does not matter what kind of garden you are planning. It can be a flower garden or rock garden, herb garden or vegetable garden; they are all going to need you to plan the garden layout before you do anything else.

The following are the things you have to consider when planning a garden layout:

• The first step in planning your garden layout is to measure the dimensions to find out how much space you actually have. You have to decide how much space you want to keep as open lawn and how much you want to devote to your garden.
• Find out plants of the flowering and non flowering varieties that grow best in your climate. This will mean less hassle in maintaining the garden successfully and also greater success in things actually growing well in your garden.
• Do some research on the amount of sun and shade that the plants will require; which one thrive in sunlight and which ones in the shade. Then spend time tracking the path of sunlight across your yard.
• Have you got a budget for your garden? Will the plants and other purchases you are planning fit into the budget? Be firm with yourself about sticking to the budget because it is very easy to get carried away when gardening.
• Be realistic about how much time you can devote to your garden and then plan accordingly. If you don’t have a lot of time to spare, there really is no sense in setting up a garden that is going to take half a day every day of the week. It is better to start a small garden and slowly extend as you become more adept at maintaining it. No matter how good a gardener you are, there will always be things to learn as you go along.
• You need to decide whether to choose a standard garden, a raised bed garden or a garden in pots.
• How are you going to manage weed control? Are you going to use pesticides and herbicides or raise the garden naturally by managing your own compost pile? You have to plan this aspect as well so that you are prepared when the time comes.
• Do you have pets? Is your dog liable to dig up your newly planted garden? If you have an overactive puppy it is best to fence in your garden till the dog is more mature and hopefully over the playful puppy stage.
• Make sure you check on the water connection, the faucet locations and the hose pipes available. You should preferably have your garden as near the water supply as possible.

Put your garden layout plans down on paper and include the plants, colors, garden fixtures and anything else you have in mind. This way you will really be prepared to launch your garden without any fumbling and hesitation.