Want to have a garden that will ease your stress every time you come home? How your lawn looks actually dictates the atmosphere that welcomes you the moment you set foot on your property. After a long day at work, you deserve to see a beautiful garden that will lift your spirits up.
Designing a garden is not that easy. Besides looking good, it should also make you feel good as a homeowner. So before you begin digging up your yard, below are important things you should consider.
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1. Create a budget
How much are you willing to spend for a beautiful garden? This should be the first thing you should think of. Other factors are all subject to the budget you prescribe.
Most importantly, your budget will determine what type of seeds, plants and pavement are part in the garden design.
2. Evaluate your location
Where do you plan to place your garden? The topographical features of your chosen location will dictate the layout of your garden. Moreover, the soil in your chosen area can affect the lack or presence of water and nutrients for your plants.
If you have enough budget for hiring a landscaper, he will already know what to do with your chosen location regardless of the type of soil present. You can manoeuvre the soil by adding various materials like mineral salt, compost and many others to topsoil.
3. Make a place for a lawn
A lawn can be challenging and expensive to maintain, but no other green surface is yielding and comfortable enough for relaxation and play for you and your family; nor can any plant handle the foot traffic that a healthy lawn endures. It is a must-have garden feature that you should use wisely.
Regular lawn maintenance is essential for keeping a lush lawn. If you don’t want to suffer the consequences of unhealthy grass, get a professional lawn mowing service to do the job. In reality, a lawn only becomes expensive when it’s not maintained well.
4) Create comfortable passage
No one will enjoy passing through narrow spaces. Ensure that your pathways are wide enough for anyone to have a relaxed passage. Take note of the following when creating garden pathways:
- The main trail should be no less than five feet and have sufficient space for at least two individuals to walk side by side
- Secondary paths where individuals walk in a single file should have a width of at least three feet
- The taller the structures or plants that borders your walkway are, the wider your path needs to be
5) Give room for growth
Plants grow over time so you should give them enough space. If you intend to have a full landscape immediately, plant with the intention to remove or relocate them as they mature. You may also opt for quick-growing “filler” plants to bulk up your garden temporarily.
Whatever plants you decide to grow in your garden, always keep in mind their maturity size first. This way, you can plan for your garden more efficiently knowing that the plants you put there won’t outgrow the others.
6) Look past the bloom
Flowers are attractive, but there are many other plants that bring life to the outdoors. Look past the blooms and use fruit, foliage, and bark instead. These three provide form, colour and texture all year round.
Summer and spring may be show time for blooms, but autumn also has its place with the turning of leaves and the fruit-bearing of winterberry branches. Equally, winter opens the curtain to introduce the glorious bark of a paperbark maple. Selecting plants with several ornamental assets can lengthen the seasonal appeal of your garden.
7) Beware of the code
Don’t reject building codes, thinking of them merely as an arbitrary inconvenience. They exist for you and your visitors’ safety. Ask your building official and zoning board for the local building code information of your area.
Coming up with a beautiful garden is only one thing. After you’ve built a space that you’ve always dreamed of, you need to ensure that proper maintenance and pest control measures are in place. Various factors can affect how your garden plants grow, so do all you can to support and preserve the before it becomes costly to fix.
