Garden Design Notes
Garden Design: the creative planning and arrangement of elements in the garden for utility, beauty and safety.
Where to begin?
Before you can develop a design, you have to know what you're going for. What are your overall goals for your yard? How do you want to use your landscape? What elements or distinct areas do you want to create? And how are you going to get this all done and end up with the garden of your dreams? This is one of the most difficult things for most homeowners to actually decide upon! It helps to write down what you want to accomplish and what types of spaces you want to create. I call this list a Program. You can change it as you go but it's probably one of the more important steps in creating a garden design.
Developing a Program
Before developing a program for my clients, I often will ask a series of questions to them about their goals for the project, their activities and landscape use patterns, personal preferences, maintenance and safety requirements plus any special features they want in their landscapes. A handout I have used that is sometimes helpful is my Landscape Questionnaire. Here is a sample program with some possibilities listed to help you on your way.
Coming Soon: Drawing a Base Map
Before you can develop a design, you have to know what you're going for. What are your overall goals for your yard? How do you want to use your landscape? What elements or distinct areas do you want to create? And how are you going to get this all done and end up with the garden of your dreams? This is one of the most difficult things for most homeowners to actually decide upon! It helps to write down what you want to accomplish and what types of spaces you want to create. I call this list a Program. You can change it as you go but it's probably one of the more important steps in creating a garden design.
Developing a Program
Before developing a program for my clients, I often will ask a series of questions to them about their goals for the project, their activities and landscape use patterns, personal preferences, maintenance and safety requirements plus any special features they want in their landscapes. A handout I have used that is sometimes helpful is my Landscape Questionnaire. Here is a sample program with some possibilities listed to help you on your way.
Coming Soon: Drawing a Base Map
