best practices
Overview
If you're planning a garden, there are many things to keep in mind. Do you want plenty of color or lots of evergreen plants? Do you want low maintenance perennials and native plants or plants that will provide seasonal color and be replaced each spring or fall? Maybe you want to attract butterflies and. Also, consider the location of your plot. How much sun will it get during a typical day? Will it get more sun during the winter than summer?
Choosing Plants
Research and identify different plants that will help meet your goals. Be sure they will grow in your designated USDA horticultural zone. You can find your zone on the widely used USDA horticultural zone map (see Resource below) that designates geographical areas where the climate is warm enough for a certain plant to thrive. Note of the eventual size of desired plants
Think about the mature size of your plants. As your plants get older, they will grow a lot. Until they're matured, other annual or perennial flowers can fill in the empty spots. (But remember, perennials will return next season, and will mature, too.) Making allowances for the future growth in your plot will ensure that you never have to move settled plants, that roots aren't destroying or plant growth blocking the paths. Additionally, it will enable you to make sure that the larger plants are in the back and the smaller ones are in the front. A plot people will view from all sides has taller plants in the middle. Leave enough space in your plot design for your own feet. You will need to have enough room in your plot to be able to have access to each of your plants for maintenance purposes.
The position of the sun in relation to your garden will determine the variety of plants that will be able to thrive there. Every plant has specific needs and preferences that need to be understood so that they may grow the best. . How much room, light or shade will it need? What are its soil and water requirements?
Draw Your Plan
Use graph or plain paper and draw your plot plan from an aerial point of view, sketching in any permanent structures and plants such as trees or large shrubs that will be part of the design. Flower beds with soft flowing lines are more pleasing to the eye.
Color
When adding color to your plot, most experts agree that colors on the opposite side of the color wheel look best together, such as orange and blue. Masses of one color or the same shades of color have more impact than a variety of color in one place. Warm colors such as red and yellow make a bold statement and blues and greens are more subdued and relaxing.
Texture and Transitions
Different plants create different textures. For example, a cactus has quite a different texture than a bed of snapdragons. Vary the texture within your plot to create interest. Choose plants and designs that create a smooth transition between flowerbeds or points of interest. For example, add plants of medium height between short and tall plants or tall structures.
Scale and Balance
Planting something that will grow big and overwhelm everything will upset the scale and balance of your plot and our garden design. Choose plants that work together with other plants without overwhelming them. Also, when thinking about balance, split the design in half to see if the two sides cover about the same space and will create balance when the garden design is mature. Look around the garden and note the colors, forms and size already here. Will your plot blend in or stand out like a sore thumb?
If you're planning a garden, there are many things to keep in mind. Do you want plenty of color or lots of evergreen plants? Do you want low maintenance perennials and native plants or plants that will provide seasonal color and be replaced each spring or fall? Maybe you want to attract butterflies and. Also, consider the location of your plot. How much sun will it get during a typical day? Will it get more sun during the winter than summer?
Choosing Plants
Research and identify different plants that will help meet your goals. Be sure they will grow in your designated USDA horticultural zone. You can find your zone on the widely used USDA horticultural zone map (see Resource below) that designates geographical areas where the climate is warm enough for a certain plant to thrive. Note of the eventual size of desired plants
Think about the mature size of your plants. As your plants get older, they will grow a lot. Until they're matured, other annual or perennial flowers can fill in the empty spots. (But remember, perennials will return next season, and will mature, too.) Making allowances for the future growth in your plot will ensure that you never have to move settled plants, that roots aren't destroying or plant growth blocking the paths. Additionally, it will enable you to make sure that the larger plants are in the back and the smaller ones are in the front. A plot people will view from all sides has taller plants in the middle. Leave enough space in your plot design for your own feet. You will need to have enough room in your plot to be able to have access to each of your plants for maintenance purposes.
The position of the sun in relation to your garden will determine the variety of plants that will be able to thrive there. Every plant has specific needs and preferences that need to be understood so that they may grow the best. . How much room, light or shade will it need? What are its soil and water requirements?
Draw Your Plan
Use graph or plain paper and draw your plot plan from an aerial point of view, sketching in any permanent structures and plants such as trees or large shrubs that will be part of the design. Flower beds with soft flowing lines are more pleasing to the eye.
Color
When adding color to your plot, most experts agree that colors on the opposite side of the color wheel look best together, such as orange and blue. Masses of one color or the same shades of color have more impact than a variety of color in one place. Warm colors such as red and yellow make a bold statement and blues and greens are more subdued and relaxing.
Texture and Transitions
Different plants create different textures. For example, a cactus has quite a different texture than a bed of snapdragons. Vary the texture within your plot to create interest. Choose plants and designs that create a smooth transition between flowerbeds or points of interest. For example, add plants of medium height between short and tall plants or tall structures.
Scale and Balance
Planting something that will grow big and overwhelm everything will upset the scale and balance of your plot and our garden design. Choose plants that work together with other plants without overwhelming them. Also, when thinking about balance, split the design in half to see if the two sides cover about the same space and will create balance when the garden design is mature. Look around the garden and note the colors, forms and size already here. Will your plot blend in or stand out like a sore thumb?
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