The New Garden
Part 1 Overall Considerations.
In the last days of spring, before the heat of summer arrives, Americans head out into the garden. For some though, the garden is a patch of hastily seeded lawn that the builder left. This is a good time to decide what to do in your garden as regards design. A new property has plenty of potential but many homeowners are stuck at the starting block with indecision. So here are the basics of designing an American garden on a new property.
First decide what you will use the garden for. You may have children who need a gym set or room to play soccer; you may want to entertain on a deck or patio. You will also need to decide where to keep the garbage can and other necessities that come along with owning property.
You then need to decide how much effort you want to put into the garden. If you want to conserve water and you are in an area that is susceptible to drought then your choices for ground cover and garden design will be different than if you are in an area with abundant rain fall. The plants that you decide on will also dictate how much time you will need to be in the garden. A flower bed with native grasses may only take a few hours a season to trim and divide whereas a flower bed with annuals will likely need time to place the annuals and then weed among them and deadhead them along the way. Some people find that weeding and deadheading is a relaxing occupation that can be achieved with just 45 or 60 minutes each evening. Others prefer to do all the garden chores at the weekend when other homeowners are out and about too. Weeding and taking care of a garden is also a productive thing to do whilst you are watching preschoolers or young children play in the garden.
For more detailed landscape designs see landscaping.
©Text and photograph by Kate Copsey, March, 2006. Reproduction without permission prohibited.
