We've all seen on popular renovation shows how easy a landscaping project is supposed to be. In reality, the entire process can be difficult, especially when it comes to gardening for beginners. That's why in this article you will find some tips to consider when designing the garden of your dreams.
Garden for Beginners – Start with a sketch
Creating a beautiful garden requires a lot of time, effort and attention to detail. So first take a notebook and roughly sketch out the most important parts of the flower garden. Write down anything that cannot be changed, such as: B. a terrace or a large tree, as this must be taken into account when planning.
Where is your site facing?
The easiest way to determine this is with a smartphone. Download a compass app. Stand facing the garden and open the app. It shows you which direction your garden is facing. Do the same in front of your fences. Knowing which direction they face makes it easier to decipher plant labels. They often contain information about the location of the plants, such as: E.g. “place it against a south-facing wall”. Note the direction of the property and fences on your sketch.
In general it applies thatNorth facing gardensget the least amount of sun, followed by east, then west and finally south facing gardens which are in full sun for most of the day. North and east facing gardens are generally cooler than south and west facing ones.
Is your flower garden windy or protected
Write down,how windy your gardenis. Urban gardens tend to be more protected because they are surrounded by houses. If you live on hill or near the sea, it is likely to be windier. There may be areas in your ornamental garden that are more or less exposed to the wind than others, and even in an otherwise sheltered yard there may be a small wind tunnel. Whether the garden is protected or open influences what plants you plant there and where you place your garden furniture.
Gardening Tips for Beginners – Create a Wish List
Once you know what you have, make a wish list - this is the first step to planning. This is where you need to think about what you want to achieve with your space and how you want to use it. Do you want to create a place for your children to play,create a vegetable garden, a place to relax or entertain guests? Planning also helps you stick to the budget you set.
Spend more time in your garden
Jumping to conclusions about your garden can lead to decisions that aren't good in the long run. So start by using your garden frequently before redesigning it. As you spend more time outdoors, you will discover areas you haven't thought of and settle there. There will always be a place to put your chair, and it may not be the one you marked on your wish list. Unless you identify with your garden and figure out how you want to use it, you cannot develop a meaningful design. Patience is the most important thing in creating a beginner garden that you love.
Choose the style of your dream garden
Your garden should complement the architectural style of your home. In this case, gardening for both beginners and advanced practitioners consists of theDesign the outdoor area like thisthat it harmonizes with the interior of your home. Only instead of fabrics, colors and furniture, you will worry about the color, shape, size and placement of plants.
Formal style:This style is characterized by straight lines, symmetry and elegant focal points such as statues and fountains, manicured lawns and trimmed hedges. The color is secondary to the structure, and the mood is sophisticated and relaxed.
Informal:This style is a mix of formal and natural. It contains many curves and colors, lush growth, asymmetry and naturally shaped trees and shrubs. The mood is pleasant and relaxing.
Naturally:This style mimics nature, requires little maintenance, and should blend into the environment, which can range from a wildflower meadow to a wetland. The mood can reflect untamed chaos or just energetic, natural exuberance.
Garden for beginners – choosing suitable plants
When putting together a list of plants to include in your plan, consider these factors. How much sun and shade is there in your garden? Since you have already measured the solar radiation in your garden, you know the answer to this question. Only choose plants that can cope well with this level of sunlight.
Which plants feel most comfortable in the microclimate of your garden? In addition to sun exposure, you should also consider other microclimatic factors that affect your garden, such as: B. the nature of the soil.
Once you have completed all of the above steps, you can start planting. Of course, the task of landscaping is much more than just sticking a few rows of flowers in the ground and being done with it. Incorporating bright colors into a strategic landscape plan requires an eye for design and knowledge of plant material.
Arrangement of plants according to height and contrast
Garden Tips: Using plants of varying heights is one of the best ways to give your dream garden a professional look. You can use taller and wider evergreen plants to create a backdrop and you still have room to plant shrubs, such as: B. some medium-sized flowering shrubs. You could plant flowers in front of it.
If your beds aren't wide enough for two separate rows of shrubs, you can still achieve a layered look by using shrubs in the background and then planting two different rows of plants in the foreground, each at a different height. This looks much more stable and professional than a single row of plants of the same height.
By adding some dimension to your landscaping, you will give it great appeal. The multi-dimensional aspect of the facility is much more appealing than a landscape consisting of a single, full-length row of plants.
Consider the timing of flowering
One of the biggest mistakes novice gardeners make when landscaping is notto think about the flowering period. In this case, the landscape will go through phases where there is absolutely nothing colorful or attractive about it. Ideally, you should include different flowering times in the design so that there is almost always something blooming in the layout.
Flowering plants should also be well coordinated in terms of their location. For example, you don't want all the spring bloomers in one big clump because that would leave an unsightly gap in the landscape when nothing is blooming. Space flowering plants widely around your property. Your draft should include a strategy.
When we talk about flowering time, we would be remiss if we didn’t also mention “planting time.” This is particularly important when it comes to planting bulbs, which is a limited option. Many people love the sight of beautiful tulips, daffodils or crocuses, but often forget that the time to plant these spring flowers is in autumn. This is all part of planning ahead to maintain a complete landscape.
Garden for beginners – plant various vegetation
Another common mistake we see when landscaping by planting trees, flowers or shrubs is that new gardeners settle on a single type of plant. Use a combination of trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals in your landscape.
Annuals are a great way to extend bloom time in different parts of the landscape where you use them. A minimal disadvantage of annual plants is that they need to be replanted every year. Additionally, some of the annual plants will need to be replaced with other varieties throughout the year if you want maximum color. Planting annual varieties in spring, summer, and fall will provide color almost year-round.
Create your own green corner
Use larger shrubs and ornamental grasses to create an area for rest and relaxation, such as a lounge. B. by setting up a bench. From it you can overlook your garden and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Think about your front yard
Would you likean inviting front gardenthat leads visitors to your front door? The easiest way is to clear the way and highlight the front door with a large feature. Large planters on either side of the front door accomplish this task. Use well-defined flower beds and solid planting.
Garden for beginners – Don’t be discouraged by the small area
A small garden does not equate to low ambitions. Even in the smallest garden, it is possible to grow a variety of plants – even trees – and create a beautiful outdoor space that can be enjoyed all year round. A small garden often works well as an “outdoor room,” giving you additional space for entertaining and relaxing.
When designing a small room, it's better to be bold - use a few large elements rather than many small ones. Choose and plant plants that look good most of the year. Examples include blueberries, hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia), Amelanchier lamarckii, crabapples, witch hazel (Hamamelis), etc. Recommended trees include Amelanchier, Japanese maples, Cercis, etc
