First Garden Design Step

by Sarosh Sepai
(Pittsburgh, PA, USA)

Hello Doug,

I bought my wonderful house two years ago. The previous owners were avid gardeners themselves, so they have a half acre garden in the yard, with a stone patio in the middle. So I have an existing garden already with a deck, patio, etc.

I am not a great fan of the existing design as I don't see the plants well balanced, but don't know where to begin.

Doug says that this is a huge topic area but you begin the process by deciding what you *do* want - you collect pictures of gardens you like, you make sketches of what you imagine your garden to be or you write it all out (I do both). But that important first step is in deciding what you do want. Do you want to entertain back there? Have children playing? Be formal entertaining or private retreat? Or???

Without knowing, you can wander around for years trying this, trying that and never getting it right.

That's where a great garden designer saves you a ton of time - they work with your needs.

But you have to be able to identify those needs/wants first.

After that - well, that's where it gets fun. :-)

But dream first.