Finally…Here are the Elements of Amazing Garden Design!

Garden design is about getting the most out of your outdoor space and creating an inviting backdrop for family, friends, and neighbors.

You obviously want to get to the point of enjoying your outdoor landscape as soon as possible, but a lot of work goes in to getting things just right.

Garden design revolves around having the right location, soil conditions, boundaries, and surfaces to work around. That said, the elements of garden design can’t be overstated.

The Elements and Location of Your Garden 

There are two basic elements of great garden design – something known as hard elements (i.e., relatively immovable design details like paths, walls, lounge chairs, and decks) and the actual plants and flowers that adorn your garden.

Hard landscape elements can include beautiful additions to your outdoor landscape like a koi pond stocked with fish or a stone path that gradually opens up to a breathtaking garden rich with flowers and color.

These two basic elements of garden design – the hard elements and the actual plants you use – dynamically work together to bring out the best in your garden.

Creating a Powerful Effect 

The kind of paving that you use leading up to your garden can have a dramatic effect on the overall impact of your garden. Grey stone with purple lilac, for instance, can create a captivating French country look that really inspires.

On the other hand, working with a professional landscaping company to curate a manicured lawn and lush garden around black paving can create a modern look that’s both classy and inviting.

A professional landscaper can cut through all of the guesswork and help you determine what the best garden design for your home would be.

The best garden design for you is determined by your design preferences, of course, but also strongly suggested by your climate zone and any microclimates in your area.

Your particular climate can affect whether you’re able to plant annuals or whether hardier perennials would be a better choice. Your climate also impacts things like seeding, blooming, aeration, irrigation, and the soil foundation that fundamentally make a great garden.

The Soil, Boundaries, and Surfaces of Garden Design 

A lot of homeowners want to fast forward ahead to enjoying a garden lush with roses, lilacs, tulips, and dahlias…and those are all beautiful. The foundation for all of those, though, is your garden’s soil.

There’s a process that a professional landscaping company can help you with known as amendment, which is where nutrients are added to your subsoil and topsoil to ensure that it provides a foundation for healthy plant and flower growth.

A landscaping company can use the right soil structure – whether that’s loam, silt, or some amount of clay – for your garden’s flowers, acidity levels, and your particular climate.

Boundaries and Surfaces for Framing 

Having the right boundaries (e.g., a line of hedges and nice, white fence) and surfaces directly bordering your garden (e.g., woodchips, straw, or pebbles) can open up the possibilities with your garden design.

Using structural plants to frame the sides of your garden is a staple of good garden design as well. Boxwood and bay laurel can be planted year round and are relatively easy to maintain.

Evergreen shrubs are another popular border. The most popular border for most gardens is your lawn.

Having your lawn maintained or shaped and maintained around your new garden (lawns can be square, circle, or oblong-shaped) gets everything off on the right foot.

Professional landscapers can walk you through your options when it comes to garden design and picking the best aesthetic and practical features for your new garden. Contact us for more information.

Tagged: DK Landscaping, garden, gardening, Landscape Maintenance, winter