How often have you flipped through home and garden magazines, staring at the lovely well landscaped gardens thinking how costly it must be to get these gardens set up and maintain? On the contrary, with a little bit of creativity and imagination, you can actually achieve the same well manicured lawn in an economical way, by following some of these tips:
1. Know what you want.
Look around your neighborhood and study which plants really grow well in your area. You can start gathering pictures from magazines or internet websites to get an idea of the garden design that you would want to have.
2. Decide on the color.
Once you had already chosen the plants that you want to see in your garden, you can now decide the color scheme for your garden design. Remember that you need to consider other factors such as the amount of sunlight that the plants you chose should get – should they get partial shade, full shade or partial sun, full sun? You can begin by building your foundation made of shrubs and choosing perennials, ornamental grasses, bulbs and annuals to give a wide selection of colors through the year.
3. Consider your budget.
You can turn your garden design into a long term project, if you are short on cash. You can start with a foundation first and then add flowers or plants gradually. It is a good idea to start purchasing expensive plants first and make them the focal point of your garden design.
Watch out for garden sales and discounts at garden stores and nurseries. Perhaps you can trade plants with your friends, or you can let your friends know that you are starting a garden, and maybe they can share some of their plants or seeds with you. You can even do some seed swapping with other gardeners or maybe approach your local garden club for some seed samples that you can start to plant.
Try to make friends with your neighbors who have some fine gardens themselves and ask for some tips. You’ll never know, they may even give you some seeds to get you started.
4. Draw your garden design on paper to get a good idea what your garden will look like.
You can arrange the plants according to color or height. You should aim for harmony in color and variety in texture to make your garden interesting. To make it even more interesting, you can add some stepping stones, terra cotta bird houses, wind chimes and other simple accessories that you may already find around your garden such as old wooden chairs and ladders.
All it takes is a little imagination, time and patience and you’ll be on the road to creating a perfect garden design that is well within your budget.
