by David Harber
How to Plan a Garden
In this article on how to plan a garden we cover all the salient factors that need to be considered. It is interesting to see how you begin your garden plan and when it finally ends. It does not matter if you have never had a garden before, one can always learn and learning from mistakes is the best way forward. A well planned garden is that much easier to care for and planning in advance means you will be ready to get started when planting season rolls round.
You will begin to plan your garden by first deciding what sort of garden you want to have. There are many different types of gardens and reasons for having them and once you have a clear idea of what you want to grow you can consider your garden planning officially started. You have vegetable gardens, rock gardens, flower gardens, herb gardens, zen gardens and more. While it may sound nice to choose any type of garden that strikes your fancy, you need to first gather information about the type of climate and location that exists. Knowing how much space the garden will occupy and the climate through the year will certainly help you decide.
Next on the list is choosing the right location; the success of the garden depends a lot on the location. While you may face constraints in choosing the perfect location, you should try as much as possible to keep the following in mind:
Good soil that is fertile, enjoys good drainage and loose is ideal for a garden. Try to avoid clay soil and extra sandy soil; if you have no choice then make sure you add lots of organic matter to the soil.
If you are planning a vegetable garden, it will need at least 5 hours of direct sunlight each day.
It is best to locate your garden away from the trees and shrubs that are in existence. These will only steal the sunlight, moisture and plant food because they are so much bigger.
Having a water connection right next to or as near as possible to the garden is very important. If you don’t have one it might be worthwhile exploring getting a connection laid on.
Climate is a major factor in helping you decide on the type of garden to have. It is best to grow those elements that are indigenous to your area, they will be easy to grow and replace.
Now we come to maintenance; no matter how avid a gardener you are, it will not be possible to spend all day everyday gardening. Do a reality check to see how much time you actually have to maintain a garden. Flower gardens need lots of tender loving care and you need to have time on hand to be able to provide it. Annuals have to be replanted each year, only then can you recreate your garden every time. Perennials on the other hand need little or no care and will leave their seeds behind for the next growth season.
Once you have put your plan into action and your garden is a happening thing, you can get as creative as you want by adding things like bird baths and fountains to enhance garden aesthetics.