Live the dream magazine - A trip down the garden path

Many people who’ve just moved into a new house may think that there’s nothing to their garden but mud! However, even an empty block has aspect, views, landscape, levels, drainage, soil type, prevailing winds, fences, sun and shade, susceptibility to frost, availability of water and most of all potential – and all of these things will affect the type of garden you will choose and that will flourish.

The first thing you need to do is get to know the area, or areas, you are going to be planting and develop a basic game plan of what you want to do first. You may not have a large budget and therefore just want to do the front area of your garden first, so draw a rough plan of your garden (in relation to the house) and divide it up into different sections. Name them if you like, or number them, so you know exactly which section you’re talking about. At this stage put in all the things you would like to see, eg. pergola, paths, BBQ area, water feature, large tree plantings, flower beds etc. Also put in a pointer to show which way is North – helps when planning which plants where. Start thinking about what sort of garden you want – an English style cottage garden, an Australian native garden, a tropical garden? This will help you keep focus as you go along, and will allow better management of the overall look and feel of your outdoor spaces. It will also help you to cost and budget your garden.

The other important task is to assess yourselves – what skills do you have, how much time is available for gardening, what garden style do you like, what function do you see the garden having, are you planning a family, do you have a dog or other pets, do you like pottering in garden beds and mowing the lawn, or do you want a low maintenance garden? These things will also help to determine the design that will suit your needs.

So, that’s the first step…plan.

If you have no ideas to start with, then my advice is take a look around your area. Take your cues from gardeners in your neighbourhood; their experience and knowledge of local conditions is invaluable, and in my experience, advice is most often given with great generosity and pleasure. Have a look around, see what is doing well and if you can identify it. If not, the next best thing to do is visit your local nursery. Here you will find good advice and you can start to get an idea of the costs involved.

Start by making a list of plants you would like (within the ‘type’ of garden you have chosen) and where you would like to see them placed. For example, if you have a large kitchen window and a garden spot outside it then you might like to plant a Mediterranean garden featuring a combination of herbs, edible and ornamental flowers, and perhaps a rosemary and lavender hedge surrounding it. This list will be the starting point. If you have some knowledge of what will do well in different spots, then note them down on your plan. If not, take your plan (and your plant list) down to the local nursery and seek advice on where best to plant each of the specimens on your list. I am sure that your local nursery person will be more than happy to spend a little time with you. That’s if you don’t arrive at peak hour on a Saturday!

Successful garden designers choose plants that suit the nature of the site, rather than try to amend the site to suit the plants that they’ve chosen. Choose plants that suit your particular climate; the amount of sun or shade; the degree of windiness; how wet or dry the garden generally is; how heavy (clayey) or light (sandy) the soil is. Consider how tall the plants grow; how well the colours complement each other; how well they provide year-round interest in the garden; how much pruning, watering and fertilising they require. Take particular note of the plants that grow well in your neighbourhood.

Okay, so you are all set to get your hands dirty, but you haven’t quite got all your plans or plants ready yet. What can you do in the meantime? The best thing you can possibly do for your future garden is give it food!

This brings us to soil preparation … give the little lovelies fertile soils, warmth, love, care and attention (and water regularly) and you will reap what you sow!

Preparation of the soil will ensure that the hard work, time and money you spend on your plants will result in a thriving garden, not a collection of dehydrated, limp, malnourished twigs at the end of the year. The latter are nice for a brush fire party but not so good for outdoor entertaining at Christmas time.

So get to it, get your hands dirty, aerate that soil, and whilst you are there dig in some good quality fertiliser. I prefer organic fertilisers such as farmyard (cow, sheep or chicken) or ZOO GRO. Again, see what your local nursery stocks and be sure to ask if you want organic fertiliser.

Another good idea at this stage is to start composting. You can never start too early. Not only is this an environmentally sound thing to do, but it will provide you with an ongoing supply of free, high quality, soil-enhancing material for the garden.

The best thing to do before planting is to sit the plants, in their pots, where they are going to go. This will give you some idea of how they will look.

Avoid planting in straight lines, unless you have chosen a very formal layout. Placing plants in groups of threes or fives generally looks better than planting in groups of even numbers. Mix colours and textures in the foliage of the plants and break up leafy plants with the occasional spiky or grassy clumping plant for interest.

If you have a large garden to plant, I suggest you invite your friends round for a barbie and tell them to bring a pair of gloves! While they are there, they might as well get into the planting and then be rewarded for a hard day’s work with a great evening BBQ, some light refreshments and, I am sure, a few laughs over your cunning plan for a captive garden army!

While waiting for the garden to grow...

A good way of filling in gaps while you wait for your garden to grow is with containers or pots of gorgeous plants with complementary colours or styles, that can be moved around your garden or courtyard. Repetition of design or colour is most effective. Use pots or plants of the same size, shape or colour (you can paint them the same colour). Fill them with flowers, succulents, orchids or vegetables. The pots can be moved or changed as often as you like and will provide you with a great asset.

Strategically placed furniture will also give your outdoor areas individual style and fill places and spaces that you decide are too difficult to plant in. Look for pieces that go with the style of your house or garden, or think about giving old or existing furniture a lick of paint. It can do wonders.

Finally, for those of you who want it all done right here and right now, getting your garden started requires more than just a weekend at the local nursery! But it can be a most rewarding experience. There is nothing better than a warm afternoon spent pottering in one’s garden, or at the end of the day, sitting back and surveying your kingdom and appreciating what a bit of planning, hard work and creativity can bring.

So enjoy, and I look forward to the next edition, where I will take you through our good planting guide and introduce you to some gorgeous plants, shrubs, trees and more...till then, happy gardening.