A home garden is a wonderful place to have where you can grow your vegetables, herbs, and flowers, and spend time with your family outdoors. It’s a great way to get fresh air in the comfort of your own backyard. If a home garden has always been your dream but you’ve never had enough time to create one, or if you’ve never dared to landscape one before, now is the time to read some landscape design tips and make your gardening dreams come true.
However, you might find the myriad of options a bit overwhelming – which plants to include, where to put them, and what about the lawn, the patio, and the accessories? If you’re unsure about where to begin or need assistance with the design and execution of your dream garden, don’t hesitate to hire a landscaper who can bring your vision to life and ensure that your garden becomes the tranquil, beautiful space you’ve always imagined. You can check out Michaelangelo’s landscape designs for more information.
Here are several considerations and landscape design tips that can help get your dream garden project off to a great start, worry-free.
Assess your garden first
Start your dream garden project by making a list of your wants and needs. Take into consideration if your kids need a play space, if you want to grow vegetables and flowers and whether your family would most enjoy gathering on a patio.
If you don’t have a large space to work with, but you still want it to be green and fresh, consider laying down artificial turf. It might be more expensive and won’t attract wildlife, but it’s also low-maintenance, tough and durable. Plus, you can still have your raised garden beds with flowers and veggies on the side.
Make some rough sketches of the yard and play around with ideas until you find what works best for you and the amount of space you have in your garden.
Be intentional with landscaping
Be intentional in your design and don’t rush. Study the patterns of the sun and wind so you pick the ideal place for your patio. You might want it to be sunlit in the morning, or you’d prefer dinners at sunset.
Also, a patio in a windy spot would mean unpleasant meals with the wind whistling through your hair, lifting your napkins and extinguishing your scented candles. These are typical mistakes beginners make in garden landscape design so make sure you take into account the sun and wind patterns at different times of the day and year. Making quick decisions regarding your garden can lead to choices that don’t function in the long term. Live with the design for a while before you start taking action.
Plan your garden layout
When planning your garden layout, try to make the most of your space. Choose a spot in a sunny location for your plants so they get plenty of sunlight. Make a plan where you want to grow your veggies, and where you want to have your flowering plants.
Allocate a seating area with cozy furniture and accessories for both relaxing and socializing with guests. If you have the space, create an outdoor living area that includes built-in benches, lounge chairs, colourful rugs, cushions, an outdoor kitchen, and potted plants and shrubs that can provide privacy from the neighbours. Put it all on paper before you start any actual work so you can see how different elements complement each other and if there’s a need to make some adjustments. It’s easier to correct mistakes when things are still on paper!
For the same reason, it’s best to start small so you can work on your garden for a couple of hours when you have the time. This will make you worry less about getting everything done right away. When you take your time with your garden landscape design, you’re less likely to get disorganised or make moves you’ll regret later.
Pay attention to scale and pacing
The trickiest principle in landscaping design, particularly for beginners, is getting the scale and pacing right. This is what gives your yard a polished and unified look. The recommendation is to use variations in size, shape, and colour, have tall plants against a wall or behind a flowerbed, and build narrow paths that lead people through the space to the wider openings.
Another trick is to introduce curves as these give a graceful appearance to the landscape. Your eye will not resist the urge to follow it around. By laying out a plant bed or a path in a playful, curvy line you encourage the visitors to explore.
Curved flower beds use their vibrant colour and whimsical shape to make your garden more charming.
Such a setting will only benefit from a focal point which is also an easy addition to put in place. It could be a sculpture, a birdbath, a small water fountain, a series of shrubs or a stunning tree. But, be moderate and picky.
Garden experts emphasize the importance of achieving a good balance between repetition and fresh new elements. Repetition will create a sense of cohesion, but you also want to avoid monotony. A sporadic new element is certainly better than having a bunch of different items scattered around.
A home garden is a fantastic feature of any home, especially if you love the outdoors and you’re interested in the environment. Even if you only want to have a lovely place where your family can spend quality time, creating a dream garden with the landscape design tips listed here will make the whole experience a walk in the park!
More home design blog posts here.