Consider design before digging in

Whether you are about to embark on your first garden creation or are hoping to edit an existing garden, you will inevitably be making design decisions. There is no one blueprint that fits all, and if there was, I'd run from it. Your garden is a reflection of you — your tastes, your lifestyle and your needs.

Before you begin, there are some basics to consider. Garden designer Gordon Hayward writes in "Your House, Your Garden" that the fundamental principle of good design is when the house and garden form a seamlessly designed whole. "Good garden design results when the lines of the house relate to the shapes of adjacent garden beds and lawn — that is, when all parts relate to the whole."

Your house offers a starting point to establish a garden; how you link the two is often the basis of the design process. It's advisable to look out from the house, through windows and doorways, as well as from a distance (from the street or the far reaches of the property) to see the connection between the two. Having a blank slate can be as frustrating as inheriting eyesores (telephone poles or non-aesthetic land features) that interfere with your artistic vision.

You must determine what you have to work with, for starters. This requires the simple act of observing. Look at existing trees, shrubs, walkways, driveway, decks and outbuildings, not to mention neighboring and distant views. These all play a role in how you will situate your garden and plant it accordingly. Look at the existing land features, those that might be played up or obscured. How are vistas beyond your space affected?

Since sunlight determines the kinds of plants you grow, examine where the light falls throughout the day. Wind, salt and deer are realities for some local properties, so defenses will need to be considered. Sometimes the best defense is the right plant.

Probably the most significant factor in determining plant material is soil. Is it sand, clay or loam? Whether you like it or not, these are necessary procedures to the design process.

Once you know what you have to work with, you need to define the ultimate purpose of the garden. Will it be low maintenance? Do you want to attract wildlife? Or is it a vegetable plot, a formal bed or a kitchen garden? Do you want it to be practical but with a touch of whimsy? Will there be children and pets using the space? Will it be used for a month in the summer or through the entire year? Is privacy an issue? If the garden is to be a hangout, try to define where you would site tables and chairs.

It's important not to lose the plot in the process of creating a garden. Take frequent breaks and look at other gardens.

Don't be afraid to edit. I have made innumerable changes to my gardens over the years and often wonder why I didn't get it right the first time. Last year, for example, I removed a section of boxwood from a space that it framed because it had grown too tall and blocked the flowers growing within the space.

The shrubs were transplanted instead along a walkway, providing a nice green backdrop to a garden that has evergreen features. Each time I pull into the driveway, my eyes go directly to this adaptation and I applaud. This year, I may relocate the red roses flanking our walkway, as the thorns are too prominent, something that I hadn't realized until an injury occurred after a slip on the icy walkway this winter.

One pleasing effect is to group several similar shrubs within the border that will harmonize well with the kinds of plants you want to install for seasonal appeal. One of the keys is repeating enough to make the scene soothing, but not so much as to make it boring and one dimensional. When you install groups, always use odd numbers, as it has a more pleasing look.

Try to sketch your vision as you think about how your selected plants will mingle. If you've established a color scheme in your mind's eye, such as soft yellows, creamy whites with splashes of lavender and mauve, test it on paper. Keep in mind bloom time. What good is a patch of crocus if you don't even venture out to see it until the flowers are gone by (as yours truly did.) Your own clockwork will factor in where you plant.

Grouping different bulbs, annuals and perennials within the garden framework of trees and shrubbery is the most creative process of gardening. How will they cohabitate? Things often don't turn out as we plan. These accidental elements of gardening give our outdoor rooms charm and individuality.