Garden Design and Planting Virginia

Designing a garden should be easy, right? Just wander around the garden store, pick out the plants that you like, take them home and plop them in the ground. Unfortunately, unless you have a really excellent eye for design, your garden probably isn't going to turn out quite like you hoped it would. You'll need to start with a basic knowledge of how design in the landscape works.

1. Choose a garden location. It's a good idea to start small with your first project, but if you're feeling brave, go for something larger! Once you've chosen a location, draw a map of it. You don't need to be an artist for this step. The idea is to get to know your location. Graph paper works really well for drawing garden sketches. You can make each square equal one foot or two feet--whatever is logical for the size of your garden.
   
   Once you've drawn out the basic shape of your garden, add in any existing hardscape. Hardscape are the non-changeable elements in your garden, such as patios, sidewalks, fountains, retaining walls, etc. The next thing to add to your sketch are any elements in the garden that you don't want to change, such as the gorgeous sunset maple that's been there for years, or the boxwood hedges that provide some privacy from the neighbors. If there are any hardscape elements that you'd like to add, put those on the sketch as well. Now, you should have a framework to work within when planning your garden.
   
   
2. Choose a garden style. Garden styles fall into two basic categories. Informal gardens have curving paths and asymmetrical lines. They do not look as orderly as formal gardens, but they are charming and friendly.Formal gardens are at the other end of the spectrum. The plants in formal garden are neat, tidy and orderly in straight or diagonal rows.Formal gardens may not feel as inviting as informal gardens, but they look impressive.
   
   Within these two basic categories, there are a host of sub-categories, such as cottage, English, Japanese and American gardens, as well as specialty gardens, such as water gardens. When choosing a style for your garden, consider the style of your house as well as your own personal preferences. If your house is very formal and symmetrical, a loose, billowy cottage garden will probably look out of place. Likewise, if you own a small, ranch-style house, you don't want a large, formal English garden. The best way to determine what style you like is to look atgardening books and magazines.
   
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Author: Tonya Sandersfeld