I am about to become a first time home owner (our closing date is April 16th). I was thinking of having mostly perennial beds (cottagesque) and a vegetable patch.
Our home is on a corner lot (north-east corner), so I'm thinking that the front and west-side yards will be full sun and the back and east-side yards will be a mixture of sun and shade. to plan my garden should I start with one spot and work my way around? Or, should I try to make a plan on paper and go from there? How do you decide where a flower bed will look best and what shape to make it? Is it easier on the eyes to coordinate the colours of the plants, or does anything go?
Help!!!!!
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I have to agree with Dawn...start it on paper first...just draw a rough outline of your house and property perimeters then off u go....pencil is easily erased as u design and redesign the shape of your flower beds and place and replace trees and shrubs to be planted...that's the EASY part :)
(Sorry-I should have put this under your other post.)
It's hard to get everything the way you want it in the garden the first year. Where you begin depends on what you are starting with also. Are there garden beds in place? Do you like the look of them? Are there trees, shrubs or plants that you hate because they are overgrown or poorly placed?
The thing I started with is the Edit. We had a totally overgrown look to our home, and previous owners even left tree stumps in the back that were almost 2' across, which I obviously had to dig out. Prioritize things which must go first. If you have some doubts about a shrub or two, leave them and make your decision next year. Clearing the palette of unwanted clutter makes it easier to start fresh, and make new plans. Other than select shrubs and trees, the only thing we kept when we did our edit is the Iris clumps.
Do plan your design on paper. It does not have to be to scale, it's just for you. Keep in mind what things you may construct in future. My BIL installed concrete sidewalks that he ripped out the following year when he realized he wanted a shed placed on the side of the house. (Jackhammering: it's not for everyone, lol!) Consider decks, driveways, sidewalks, etc. I don't grow edibles, but you may have to reserve a specific spot that provides the best site for your vegetable garden.
Once your general plan is on paper, know your limits. If you have several new garden beds in mind, know that it is sometimes tough to fill all of them in one year. (finance wise, or time wise) In our case, we dealt with the front yard first. It's 3 years later now, and we're still adding to it. Worth mention here is that the empty spaces in the beds generate more weeding than an established garden would. We're only now cutting in beds in the back yard.
As for garden shape, I find straight edges more formal. I kept one straight border along my driveway because it was there, but generally I like curved edges. Others in my family have the same kinds of plants and flowers as I do, but they choose straight lines. You will know what you like best. Check out gardens in your area that you like to help you decide what look is right for you and your yard.
As for colour-just start with colours you like, and go from there. The only things I stay away from in my garden are oranges, and pairing yellow and red tulips together. (no offense to anyone who likes those things, though!) Texture is also a consideration, as is foliage colour. It's trial and error with that though, and you can always move things in the garden if you think they will look better elsewhere. One example would be, say, blade-like leaves. If you had daylilies and yuccas together, you might find it too 'bladey'. If you plant things that look too similar to each other together, just move them around the garden and try a new combination.
Something else worth mentioning is that many perennials die back to the ground over winter. It's good to remember that, if you don't want a completely empty bed over winter. I'm a different growing zone than you, so I can't make plant suggestions. Adding some flowering shrubs to keep anchor is an option. In my garden I like to have some things that take up space over winter. So far, I have Iberis candytuft, azaleas, rhododendrons, Erica heathers, all of which hold up the beds a bit. I do need to add a bit more-gotta do that this year.
I think the best gardens evolve over time. What doesn't work in my front garden where I began can be moved to the back yard this year, where my current garden placement is now happening. Also, some plants I have can be divided and shared with the new garden out back.
Congratulations on your new home, and have fun in your garden!