So, you’ve decided to design your own garden! This will prove to be an interesting journey, and if done correctly, the result will provide you and your family with an outdoor space that you can enjoy for years to come.
A garden can be many things: a tranquil retreat, an area for sports activities, a source for your own home-grown food, a multi-faceted entertainment area that complements indoor spaces or even a combination of all these things…and more.
A very important part of the initial planning phase is an honest consideration of your family’s interests at present as well as an assessment of how they will likely evolve in the future. If these things are taken into consideration before anything else is dealt with, your chances of creating a garden that is able to evolve over time as your family grows and changes becomes much more likely.
Some important things to consider are:
- Do you and your family enjoy spending time outdoors, or will you be happier viewing the garden from the indoor spaces?
- Do you, or do you plan to, entertain a lot? Do you want to be able to use the outdoor living spaces for entertainment purposes at all times of the year?
- Are there certain sports you or your family enjoy, such as croquet, badminton, swimming, basketball, horse shoes or golf?
- Do you, or do you plan to, have pets? Do you envision the pets having free access to all outdoor areas at all times, or will you need a space to put them at certain times?
- Do you enjoy working in the garden and will you have time to do so?
- Would you use a firepit, swimming pool, built-in barbeque or fireplace?
- Do you need an area for vegetables and/or fruit trees? How large should it be?
- If you have small children, will they need an area for play equipment or possibly a walkway for tricycle riding?
- Do you like the idea of creating “garden rooms” or would you prefer a large, expansive open area with lots of lawn?
- Are there certain areas of the garden that need screening or areas that should be kept open to allow for views?
- What styles of gardens are you drawn to? Are there certain plants you like or ones you don’t like?
- What elements are especially important to you? The sound of water? Fragrance? Shade? Hummingbirds or Butterflies? Color?
Some of these questions will be answered based on your area’s size. For instance, even though you like basketball you may or may not be able to fit a half-court into your area - but perhaps a basketball hoop could be used.
Visiting local public and private gardens and looking at magazines and books can help you determine the style of garden you will prefer, while some trips to White’s will prove invaluable in determining your preferences in plants and garden ornaments.