I want my garden to look lush and full now, but I know I’ll end up setting myself up for failure if I don’t plan my garden for the future. Since this is something I’m working through while wrapping up a few other projects, it felt like a great time to share what I’ve been learning and my plans for my yard.
Let’s jump into the fun part:
I plan on putting two trees in the yard because we need the shade on our house. There aren’t many structures or trees around our house and that means the sun heats our house up pretty quickly. That’s one of the big reasons why the awnings are staying put for the most part. Only windows that aren’t so much affected because of their placement get to come down.
I chose a mimosa tree because I’ve loved them since I was little, the flowers are pretty and who wouldn’t want to drink mimosas under a mimosa tree?
And the apple tree because I definitely believe in some level of self sustainability. If we can grow some of our own produce and water it with collected rain water, it’ll put a pleasant dent in our grocery bill.
In the actual garden bed, I have planned for 3 banana leaf plants towards the back. In Between those I have decided on an ornamental grass that gets about 4 feet tall. Around those I’ve left room for potted plants. Maybe some kind of bulb?
From the driveway to the sidewalk to the front door I’ve started working on a path with pavers and there will also be some pavers that lead to the water spigot to make access easier than it is now.
You’ll have to wait until next week’s reveal to see what else I’ve been working on- the suspense! But for now, here are some tips for garden planning:
Tips For Garden Planning
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Know Your Zone. Plants not in your zone will not survive very well.
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Plan for Different Seasons. If you don’t want a brown garden in winter, mix in some cold hardy evergreen plants.
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Identify Needs for the Space (i.e. Privacy, Shade, Space for a water hose). If you need to access anything in your garden, make sure there’s ample space. Create paths when needed. Choose bushier, taller plants for privacy or vines that will fill out a trellis.
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Working with the mature height and width in mind, Create tiers for more interest. Plants start out small but each plant grows to a different height. Make sure there’s enough space around each plant and that they’re placed in a way where you can see all of them when they grow to full height.
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Play around with an online garden planning tool. There’s loads of free ones that offer different features. It’s good to get a visual of what you’re working with before you’re digging and redigging.
And I’ll leave you there. Your garden can be as complicated or simple as you want it to be. Drought tolerant or water loving, flowering or green, your garden needs to suit you. Online garden planning sites can help to give you a visual before execution and preplanning will give your garden interest and accessibility where and when you need it. In 1 week, I’ll be sharing my curb appeal progress!
Catch up with the projects from the other bloggers participating in this challenge: