Garden Design
While gardening today is largely considered a hobby (and often a passionate one), the task itself predates recorded history.
While farming and gardening for practical reasons has been around since the beginning of civilization, ornamental gardens date back to antiquity; the first were documented in Egyptian tomb paintings in the 1500s, B.C.E.
Over the course of history, just as civilizations evolved and become more complex, so too, did gardening. Ancient Greek and Asian civilizations adopted the garden as a place of aristocracy and contemplation. By the 19th century, gardening had taken hold of the Western world. Today, gardening and landscaping play integral roles in city planning and everyday life.
Here, you'll find examinations of today's gardening designs: what they are, what they can be, and how to make them your own. While some, such as Japanese gardens, come from a storied history, others, such as rock gardens, are inspired by nature's wonders. Still others, such as vegetable and herb gardens, hark back to time's oldest gardening tradition.
Plan your dream garden
Planning your dream garden starts rather easily with making a simple sketch of your yard and future gardening plots.
Walk around your yard, measure beds and walking paths and plot them out to scale on a sheet of graph paper. Remember to include existing features of your yard on the plot: a deck, yard decor, fences, lighting, etc.
Then, continue with plant, focal point, decor, and theme selections based on that vision that's been planted in your mind for so long. Here, we'll give you a few tips on putting together a few popular garden themes.
Japanese gardens
Japanese and Asian gardens are based on a simple, even obvious, principle: nature. The primary design aspect of a Japanese garden is to reproduce a totally natural setting on a reduced scale in a natural way, meaning garden elements must mirror their larger counterparts in nature. So, says Advanced Master Gardener Scott Reil, you would never install a square lake or fountain in a Japanese garden as both are man-made.
Asian gardens typically utilize water elements, rocks, and sand, as well as borrowed scenery—distant views beyond the garden worked into the overall view of the garden. Japanese gardens come from a storied history rich with symbolism and spirituality; every element of the garden has a specific meaning and purpose. While we can't give you the whole history and meaning behind these gardens here (though we do encourage you to research them), we can briefly detail the three main types of Japanese gardens.
- Hill and pond: The hill and pond garden is a basic style that actually originated in China that incorporates a pond, either made from water or represented by raked sand.
- Flat: Flat gardens are the kind synonymous with Zen gardens; these wide, flat, contemplative gardens were inspired by spaces in front of Asian temples.
- Tea: Tea gardens are rustic and traditionally very sparsely planted; focal points include a walkway, gates and pond.
Rock gardens
Rock gardens, though their name might be a shade misleading, actually do feature plants. Essentially, a rock garden consists of a protrusion of rocks into which a selection of low-growing plants is planted.
Rock gardens are good choices for sloped landscapes; plants generally utilized in rock gardens are indigenous to mountain regions. You can also install a rock garden on flat terrain by building slopes with sandy, rocky soil (though this is not an easy task).
If constructing a rock garden, consider the following:
The texture and shape of natural rock outcropping: Study some books or visit local hilly or mountainous areas; rock gardens are meant to mirror these natural environments, so you'll want to embed your rocks within their slope in a natural way.
The type of rock: Porous rocks will yield the best plant life; the top rock choice is limestone, while the one to avoid is a common field boulder.
Layered construction: Layering the base of your rock garden ensures proper water drainage, a key component in healthy plant life among the rocks. Dig a hole at least a foot deep; fill it halfway with broken stone, bricks or terra cotta. Add a layer of gravel; top with a layer of soil and wash it with water. Lay major rocks of the garden irregularly and continue to top each layer with soil and a spray of water as you go.
Low-lying flowers and shrubs: Quite a few plant types thrive in rock gardens, including creeping baby's breath, irises, toadflax, alpine poppies, blue phlox, and thyme.
Herb and vegetable garden design
In a time when community gardening projects and organic food suppliers are flourishing, planting your own herb and vegetable garden is actually more than trendy—it's health-smart.
Supplementing your diet with fresh fruits and vegetables (and even seasoning them with some tasty herbs) is a must for maintaining health and reducing health risks, and by growing your own produce, you can rest assured your daily fruits and veggies are free of the chemicals and pesticides used by some mass produce farmers.
Conversely, flowering herbs can add a touch of visual elegance to any garden. But whether you're incorporating herbs for eye appeal in your flower garden or you're looking to freshen up your dinner table, herb and vegetable garden designs start with the same basic principles of any garden.
The garden plan
After determining whether your herb and/or vegetable garden is to be ornamental or practical, you must, as with any garden plan, plot out the garden bed.
Walk around your yard, measure beds and walking paths and plot them out to scale on a sheet of graph paper. Remember to include existing features of your yard on the plot: a deck, yard decor, fences, lighting, etc.
Beyond that, consider these additional tips:
Allow for room: When planning your herb and vegetable garden, you'll need to be sure you allow ample room for your plants to grow to their full potential. Vining plants such as tomatoes and peppers tend to need more space (and stakes) to grow, whereas low-lying plants such as lettuce don't. Do a little research on the types of plants you'd like to grow at this stage of your planning.
Don't worry about planting your vegetables in a row: While vegetable gardens historically have been represented with rows of vegetables gardeners walk between, many modern vegetable gardens have done away with the row structure. Walking on the soil can actually damage its fertility. Rather, plant your vegetables an adequate growing distance apart in small beds.
Consider incorporating raised beds: By building garden beds up 8 to 12 inches, you can improve water flow through the soil and allow the soil to stay warmer in cooler seasons.
Consider using containers: You can save space and money by concentrating some herbs in containers; many herbs and vegetables can actually thrive in pots, including tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, chard, lettuce, beans, carrots, peas, peppers and herbs.
Planting the garden
Once you've got a design drawn up and have chosen your top veggies, the real excitement begins: You're ready to plant.
Prepare the soil: Dig up the bed, pulling out weeds and rocks as you go.
Plant vegetables and herbs near their friends: Some vegetables grow better when paired with others while some inhibit the growth of others. While research can tell you more about this gardening caveat, a few combinations to avoid include potatoes, tomatoes and squash; carrots and dill; and broccoli and tomatoes. Make sure to grow these vegetables in separate areas of your garden.
Plant small crops at a time: To enjoy the fruits of your labor throughout a season, instead of all at once, plant small amounts of seasonal produce throughout its season.
Maintaining the garden
Once you've got your garden growing, keep these additional tips in mind:
Water consistently: Vegetables and herbs need a lot of water; try a soaker hose to saturate your garden's soil without damaging leaves.
Rotate crops: Rotating crops preserves soil nutrients and helps prevent soil disease. When rotating, plant groups of perennial plants in different areas of the garden; for example, plant your legumes in a new garden spot. If you plan to grow quite a few varieties of vegetables, you might want to consider having separate beds for perennials (which require rotation) and non-perennials (which don't).
Flower garden design
Garden guru John Brookes has said most home gardens go wrong because planters are naturally inclined to buy up a lot of pretty with no real place to put it.
Those pretties, blooming perennials or annuals, should actuallybe at the bottom of your gardening list. Instead, take a step back, look at your yard, make a plan, and consider three other types of plants to make the pretties even prettier.
The garden plan
While a basic knowledge of landscaping principles is quite helpful when planning a garden (see "Garden Design Basics"), you don't have to be a landscape expert to design a fabulous flower garden.
Really, all you need is a simple sketch of your flower beds; walk around your yard, measure beds and walking paths and plot them out to scale on a sheet of graph paper. Remember to include existing features of your yard on the plot: a deck, yard decor, fences, lighting, etc.
Gardener Yvonne Cunnington offers these additional tips for planning flower beds:
Allow for wide beds: Cunnington says beds 5 to 6 feet wide are best for those who want a layered garden with many different types of plants and textures.
Draw a line: Gardens don't encompass an entire yard, so setting them apart with a good line is a must. Cunnington says most home gardeners seem to like a soft, undulating line, but, she says, the straighter your line is, the more elegant your garden will appear.
Group plants: Allow room in your flower beds for plants to be grouped; lush flower gardens get that look by odd-numbered groups of plants. Allow each plant room to breathe; check the maximum growth size of each plant and plot it at least that length from the next plant. For example, a plant set to grow to 20 inches should be planted 20 inches from its neighbor.
Go for unity: Limit colors and plant types in your garden and repeat them in groups throughout, creating a unified design. Select a strong focal point, such as a gate or arbor, and build away from that. Cunningham says a row of dark evergreens can create a lush backdrop for blooms and color, while a single type of plant creates a bold edge along the garden's front.
The plants
Brookes classifies four types of plants essential to every successful home garden:
Specials: Specials are trees and other taller plants that can act as a garden focal point; plant these at the back or in the corners of the garden.
Skeletons: Skeletons are shrubs that offer year-round structure for the garden; try a row of evergreens.
Decoratives: Decoratives are flowering shrubs and tall grasses that add interest.
Pretties: Pretties are the show-stoppers: blooming perennials, annuals, and bi-annuals.
Garden varieties
Jazz up your garden design scheme even more by opting for a themed design; you can add interest with sculptures or structural features, such as ponds, or consider one of these design options.
The Japanese garden: Japanese and Asian gardens utilize more than just plants—they also typically include rocks, sand, hills, and water. Essentially, these gardens reproduce nature on a reduced scale; symmetry is less important in these gardens as nature itself is not always symmetrical. Japanese garden have a rich history and are rife with symbolism; the placement of each item has both a natural and spiritual significance.
The xeriscape garden: Xeriscaping is a water-wise type of landscaping designed to be water-efficient both with plants that require little water and a sloping design to maximize water flow to plants in general. Xeriscape gardens are ideal for arid climates or for environmentally conscious gardeners; visit a local bookstore or check out the web for more xeriscaping ideas.
Garden design basics
Planning your own garden starts with a basic understanding of both landscape design principles and proper plant selection guidelines for your particular area. While your garden is naturally smaller in scale than an entire landscape, it is, according to New Mexico Landscaper Steve Boulden, subject to essentially the same design rules.
- Purpose: The most important aspect of any home or garden design is the purpose of the space you're designing. Is your garden for a walkway or for outdoor living? Is your garden for food or flowers? Do you want your garden to be viewed as art or a place to be actively explored? Once you determine your garden's function, you can begin to sketch out a rough plan.
- Unity: Boulden says a landscape's unity is achieved through two concepts: consistency, elements working together to create a whole and repetition, similar elements scattered throughout the landscape. Use the size, texture, and color of the plants and flowers in your garden to create unity. You can also achieve unity through the use of garden decor: ornaments, decorative stones, and sculptures.
- Simplicity: Keeping a design simple seems obvious, but sticking with just a few colors and a few well-placed decor items for your garden really will make the whole thing pop.
- Balance: Balance in landscape and garden design is either symmetrical or asymmetrical. In symmetrical landscape designs, an equally divided garden has shared elements—colors, textures, heights, and plants. Asymmetrical designs are a little more complicated than symmetrical designs; while dissimilar garden areas might contain the same elements (to create a broader sense of unity), they may have entirely separate design themes.
- Color: Color, naturally, is what draws the eye toward your garden. Boulden says warm reds, oranges, and yellows appear to advance toward a viewer while cooler greens, blues, and pastels appear to move away from a viewer; he suggests using dark, coarsely textured plants in a garden's foreground with pastel-colored plants in the background to give a garden depth.
- Natural transition: Create an organic flow in your garden by transitioning between elements to move the eye through gradual changes in plant height, size, and color.
Start your own drawn garden plan by measuring your plot. You can either use a plat map of your home (and probably your neighbors' homes) obtained from your developer or county records office, or you can plot your own map on graph paper.
Make sure to measure your property from front to back and side to side; then measure the walls and angles of your home. Mark all measurements to scale on the graph paper and include representations of all other existing elements, such as trees, shrubs, decks, walkways, etc.
Now, take a look at your yard. Walk around it. Take some time to look at other yards, web sites, magazines, and gardening books. What are the themes you want to incorporate into your garden? Plot out paths on your site map, and start to sketch in design elements around them, including plants, decorative items, and any structural changes (retaining walls, slopes, ponds, watering systems, etc.) you'll need to make to your yard to accommodate your garden.
Finally, you're ready to select plants.
Know your planting zone: The USDA has specific guidelines for which plants will thrive in which climates; check the Web for a zone map for your area. Do a little research on the types of plants you want and check them against the map to ensure your garden will thrive.
Choose plants to fit your design: Consider the following aspects of your needs:
- Dimensions: shape, height, width
- Form, texture, color, season
- Sun or shade requirements
- Drought and insect resistance
- Soil type