Great gardens don’t invent themselves. In fact they can be a lot of work to create. Here are my suggestions for making the task of creating (or revitalizing) a perennial garden from scratch easier and more satisfying.
To begin, dedicate a small notebook to your gardening projects or use an app like Google Keep. Don’t rush the planning stage. Jot down the answers to these questions, and track your progress.
- Do your homework. Make sure you can execute what you want to do. For example, if you want to add a fence or wall, are there any prohibitions preventing that? Do you have drainage swales or utility rights-of-way that can’t be obstucted? Check with your city or township about ordinances, permits, HOA rules and underground utilities that could impact your garden’s layout. And while the neighbors may not object, sharing your plans up front and being considerate can go a long way toward keeping the peace later.
- Take reference photos before starting, as well as progress shots once the digging starts. Images are so helpful for sharing with nursery staff, landscapers, neighbors and the local HOA. Things you may not have thought of become quickly apparent in a photo. For instance, the direction the house faces, or shade thrown by a neighbor’s shed.
- Decide what stays and what goes. Can some existing plants be saved? How will you dispose of what goes? Where will transplants get “heeled in” temporarily until replanting time? Do you need to create some temporary shade for them?
- Evaluate light exposure. How much sunlight will the garden get? Are there adjacent surfaces that could reflect heat onto the plants? Which areas will be in shade and how much? Is winter wind or flooding a concern? How about alkaline leaching from concrete?
- Consider style and color. Don’t just impulsively buy a bunch of brightly colored flowers without considering where they will go. Do you like a loose natural look, or a neatly spaced grid? What sort of style would look best with your home’s color and design?
- Perform a soil test. Do you have loam, clay, sand? Is it acidic or alkaline? Mostly dry or wet? How is the drainage? Get a soil sample analyzed by your local Ag. Dept or test it yourself with a simple kit.
- Divide to conquer. Executing a large plan can feel overwhelming. To make it easier, break it down and delegate. Separate tasks you can do yourself from those you can’t. Establish a budget, figure out who will be hired (or cajoled) and the order of tasks, from hardest to easy. Save money by doing as much as you can yourself and ask friends and family to pitch in, letting each do what they are best at.
- Draw up a master plan. Don’t skip this step! It’s so much easier to move things “on paper/ onscreen” versus with a shovel. A hand-drawn sketch is fine. It need not be “pretty,” just legible and clear. Stay flexible; it’s likely you’ll need to revise things more than once.
- Prioritize. Pick one area or aspect to work on at a time. It’s usually easiest to deal with the largest elements first (trees, pools, pergolas, walls). Spread the work across seasons or multiple marathon weekends — whatever timeframe works for you.
- Don’t overlook the benefits of mushroom soil. Many garden centers carry spent waste from mushroom houses as a soil conditioner. It’s usually sold and delivered by the truckload but some places bag it. The material resembles compost or fluffy mulch. It’s low in nutrients but when mixed with existing soil it makes an excellent alternative to peat moss and other conditioners. Just add compost or nutrients as you normally would. Mushroom soil is more affordable than humus and loam and often a better choice than “top soil” if the latter is high in clay. It’s also suitable for a wide range of gardens since it’s not acidic.
- Make a plant “wish list”. Research each for hardiness, bloom time, light needs and size at maturity. What can you buy locally versus mail order? The format– bare root, pots, bulbs, plugs or seeds– will dictate plant times as well as the appropriate season. Inevitably your final choices will evolve, but a list at the start will help keep your quest on the mark.
- Save your receipts. Don’t forget to write down (including on the receipt) where you planted each item and when, and store them. You’ll need this information for reorders and any refunds. Trust me, two years later you won’t remember every cultivar name and source.
- Plan for maintenance. Make sure there’s a plan or schedule for who will mulch, weed and water once the garden is finished, including time away from home. Train a trusted landscaper if necessary. (They are usually not gardeners, so be specific about what you want them to do.)
- Stay positive and don’t give up. A successful garden takes time, patience, physical work and planning; optimism certainly helps. Yet the rewards are so worth it! If things don’t go quite the way you envisioned at the outset, that’s okay. Change is an integral part of gardening. Luckily there’s always next year!
