Whether you are planting the grounds of a new home or improving the garden of an established home, start with a plan. Your garden can express you the same as oils on a canvas express the artist.
There are no rigid rules in garden planning but you’ll get more satisfaction from your effort if you keep these points in mind when planning:
- Don’t cut up the lawn with flower beds. Flowers serve gardens better in a separate flower garden or in attractive beds bordering, the lawn.
- Plant tall growing flowers to the back, middle size flowers in the center, low growing flowers in the front. Then you and your friends can enjoy them all.
- Mass your colors in clumps for maximum color contrast.
- Keep mature height and breadth of trees and shrubs in mind when you plant them so they will not interfere with buildings and walks later.
- Grade away from your building to take care of excess moisture run-off. Usually 1/8 to 1/4-inch drop to the foot is ample.