As
professional landscape designers, we ask potential clients
a number of questions to get them thinking about their gardens.
Space
Answering how you will use the space
helps 'compartmentalize' the project into outdoor rooms.
Do
you have children who may need their own space in which
to play? Do you need room for a play set or gym?
If so, how big is the structure and how much clearance does
it need? What kind of surface do you want your children
to play on-mulch, pea gravel, sod? Where in the garden do
you want them to play? Do you want to be able to see them
from a certain room in the house? Also, consider the age
of your children and the fact that their requirements will
change as they grow. You'll want to plan the area with this
in mind, so you don't have to completely redesign it in
three years.
Child
playing around beds to be planted. Note surrounding woods.
Do
you have pets? Do they need their own separate space,
or will they have the run of the garden? Do they need a
structure (e.g., barn or doghouse) and where would you like
that?
Will the adults use the garden for recreation, as
simply something to view, or both? Will you need
space for lawn games? Do you want an area where you can
sit-such as a patio or deck? What materials would you like
to use in building such an area? Where in the garden would
you like this? Do you entertain a lot? How much furniture
would you have on the patio or deck (this dictates size)?
Would you like to change the grade in certain areas of the
garden, maybe put in some walls and extra seating? Do you
need paths to connect from this new living area to a driveway
or door? How wide would you like these paths and using what
material? Do you need to address a drainage problem?
Style
If
your house is a classic provincial, and you want a cottage
garden in your front yard, the contrast is unlikely to work.
It might, however, in the back yard. Most homes in this
area can 'carry' a variety of styles. By styles, we mean
formal (very linear and symmetrical), cottage-like (mostly
annuals and perennials, with little structure), or country
(a blend of perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees, not only
having structure all year, but also colour in blooms or
leaves through all seasons).
A
cottage-like style of garden
Style
of garden is very much a personal choice, unless, as mentioned
above, a very obvious limiting factor exists. Style can
be a mixture of formal against the house drifting into less
formal as you move away or vice versa.
Surroundings
Will your planned landscape 'fit' within
its surroundings and with the neighborhood? In other words,
will the scale and scope of the work you are planning enhance
your home or hurt it? For example, you may want to consider
twice before building a gated brick wall around your log
cabin.
You'll
also want to consider the surroundings beyond your property.
Do you want to create screens from certain views or neighbors?
Do you want to enhance certain views? Do you want to try
and muffle traffic noise with either water or depth in plantings?
Also, think about the location of your new patio, take a
chair out into the area before it's even built to sit and
look around. Something you'd never noticed and that you'll
need to address may become apparent only when you actually
sit in your intended patio space.
Sun
Patterns and Winds
Note
shaded and sunny areas for sitting.
Once
you've thought about the functional aspect of your garden,
you need to consider the cultural side. Pay attention to
your sun pattern and the prevailing wind patterns, if they
are a factor. The sun is naturally much lower in January
and February, but you can get a feel for the sunny areas
versus the shady areas by observing its movement. The wind
patterns, specifically the winter northwest winds, can do
a lot of damage to certain hollies and camellias. Next,
you have to see if where your intended patio will be in
the sun or shade all day or receive a mixture of both. If
it will always be in the sun and you can't logically place
it anywhere else, you may need to consider an overhead tree
to create shade.
Plant
Types and Colours
Everyone
has favourite plants they'd like to incorporate into their
new garden. Make lists of these, and see if you can find
a good location for each, based on all of the above considerations.
Think about the colours you like and don't like. Will these
colours compliment the house? If the children and pets will
be playing in the same area as the plantings, will the plantings
you choose tolerate possible abuse?
Time
Maintenance time is always a factor
when it comes to your garden. You need to be realistic about
the time you can and/or will spend tending your garden.
Do you like to get out into the garden and putter, or would
you rather let someone else take care of it? This is where
knowing your plants comes into play. You can both create
the effect you want with the plantings and keep their maintenance
down, as long as you pick the right ones.
Budget
Okay,
the dreaming is over. Now it's time to consider your budget.
Once you have a to-scale plan of what goes where, you can
phase your landscape in over a number of years as your budget
allows. You may want to have construction elements installed
by professionals, but you may want to create the beds and
install the plantings yourself. Remember-landscaping is
the only investment guaranteed to grow!
