Garden Design For Beginners

So you want to start a garden, and you haven't a clue. I'll just tell you this. Once you get the gardening bug, you'll be shopping for plants all the time.

Let's talk about preparing your site for planting. You should start out with one area. Don't try to do a whole yard all at once. It can be overwhelming. You need to make sure your soil is enriched with compost and some fertilizer, then turn it over a few times with a spade. Make sure you have some decent tools to make your job easier.

Let's assume you're creating a planting bed in front of your house. You can lay out the design or edge with a garden hose or rope, or even use chalk or gypsum to create the lines. A curving line is the most attractive. Plan to place larger plants (shrubs) where the bed is widest and preferrably where the wall is blank.

The type of plants you use depends on your exposure. Is it North, South, East or West, or a combination? North and East have more shade and you can plant azaleas, rhododendrons and other shade plants here. On the South and West, you need to plan for sun loving plants. Remember to check on the labels for the size a plant will become. Allow enough space for the growth. Many beginners tend to over plant with the size that a plant starts out, then it gets big, and everything is crowded and some plants won't survive and are choked out.

Also, decide if you want lawn in front of your house. Again, curving lines are more attractive than just straight square lines. Most garden books will have a detailed description of how to start a lawn. I, personally favor sod, as you then have an instant lawn. If you don't mind waiting, you can seed the area. Just be sure and follow the directions on the seed packet or box. You'll want to install your sprinkler system before you do your lawn, so plan that out ahead. Your garden supply store should have all the supplies for that. I, personally, had somone install mine, as I'm not so good with that part. Of course, you can just use a hose and sprinkler head, but that requires time to keep moving it, etc.
You could also create a planter box along the driveway or at the end of the drive. This is a good place to plant annual flowers (means they last one season) or some perennials (come back, usually in the spring). Small shrubs also look good here, as well.
For more ideas on gardening, visit my website:"http://bestgardenresource.com" There are posts on drip systems, soil conditioning, compost piles, pest control, organic gardening and much more.

All gardeners will benefit from the use of a good gardening book. I have many, but my favorite is Sunset's Western Garden Book. It has lots of good material and all the plants are listed botanically. If you only know the common name, you can look it up in the index and they will list the botanical name there. Sunset also has books for other geographical areas (the midwest and eastern U.S.). There are books on all kinds of yard projects, as well. I like to read all of them to get ideas. For all of my garden resources, visit my website http://bestgardenresource.com/