Garden Design: Getting Ideas

Perennials

Class 1: Some Perennials Basics
Class 2: Garden Design
Class 3: Putting Pencil to Paper
Class 4: Soil Preparation and Planting
Class 5: Maintaining your Perennial Gardens
Class 6: Troubleshooting

Have you ever stumbled upon an attractive garden and thought to yourself, I must remember this combination of plants and colors and use it in my next bed! Then, when it came time to sit down and design your new garden, did you actually remember all the details?

If you enjoy observing gardens (and what gardener doesn’t!), consider bringing a small, inexpensive camera with you wherever you go. Take a quick snapshot of that inspiring garden, and you’ll have a record of what you saw. Or you might carry a pocket flower identification guide, so you can jot down the plant names. Keep these in a folder and you’ll always have design ideas to draw upon.

Keep a notebook with snapshots of gardens, and notes about plants or color combinations that catch your eye, and refer to it as you plan your own gardens.

Many gardeners love to look through gardening books, magazines, and catalogs, and it’s also a great way to get ideas. But beware -- you may fall in love with a Zone 8 flower that will not survive your Zone 5 garden. That’s why it’s helpful to look at gardens in your neighborhood and visit local public or botanical gardens. You’ll know that the plants you see are hardy and well-adapted to your climate. Plus, you may get a chance to chat with the gardener, and ask about individual plants -- are there any pest problems? Do they need to be divided regularly? Are they invasive? Asking questions is a great way to learn and to get to know your neighbors. After all, most gardeners love to talk about their plants!

A visit to a botanical garden is sure to provide inspiration!

Class 2, Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

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Gardening Basics FAQ #1

We moved into a new home late last summer and the garden was beautiful. Now it's spring and I'm starting to see sprouts, but I can't tell the weeds from the perennials. What should I do?

Answer

Create a Sensory Garden

Keep other senses -- not just sight -- in mind when choosing plants. Children especially love fuzzy-textured plants such as lamb's ear and the spiky spherical flowers of echinops (globe thistle).

Bee balm (monarda) and lavender are wonderfully fragrant. Use creeping thyme as a groundcover and you'll release its pleasant scent with every footstep.

You might even experiment with edible flowers. Blossoms of chrysanthemum and dianthus can be added to soups; violets and lavender blooms add a sweet flavor to salads or desserts. Daylily blossoms can be stir-fried. However, emphasize to children that not all flowers are edible, and eating some types can make them quite ill.