Spring brings out the gardener in all of us whether we have a huge yard or a few pots on the patio, and who among us doesn't want to have the best garden ever. Here are a few tips that might save you some work as you lay out your garden on paper before you put a shovel into the soil. First take a careful look at your yard from your windows and from the street. Decide where you want to place your plants and shrubs.
Get a sheet of graph paper and sketch out your house and plants as you picture them. Now you can begin to arrange your yard according to plan.
Choosing Your Plants
Mark the plants you want to use in various parts of your garden on your garden graph plan.
Write down your plant choices then research them to see if they are right for your climate. If you have children or pets it important to find out if they are poisonous.
Make sure your selections fit the amount of moisture, sun, and shade in the area you wish to plant them.
Consider the appearance and care of your plants throughout the seasons.
Remember that rock gardens and perennial borders require greater maintenance.
Consider other features than living plants, such as borders, fences, paths and so on.
Create paths in your garden. They will make it easier for you to roll a garden cart or wheel barrow through for weeding and planting.
Use a solid 6" to 8" border such as concrete, bricks, or railroad ties around your lawn for easy trimming and a neat look.
Keep hedges low so they are more convenient to trim.
Plant beds that are narrow enough to reach across for weeding.
Border your beds for neatness.
Install an underground sprinkler system for convenient watering.
