Planning for Garden Structures

When a garden is first created, structures play an important role in defining the mood of the garden and giving the person walking through direction to what they should be looking at. These garden structures are often walkways, benches, and fountains. There can also be small barriers or a picket fence to guide people along. These structures are very useful, but there is a general rule in the world of gardening - the more natural a garden is, the better.

It's really very enticing to go out and buy small plants or seeds, then begin planting your garden as soon as you come home, but you should show some restraint and carry out some designing. The way to make your garden beautiful is by not rushing but by taking your time and planning with the space and area you have. Before you plant, you should take a few minutes to sit down and map out the basic layout that you'd like to achieve. Remember to take into account the way your plants will grow, as well. Different plants grow to different heights, and you'll want to make sure your garden structures enhance that without looking out of place. You don't have to feel tied to this starting design forever, of course. It can change as your garden grows, but having a basic plan before you start digging is a good idea.

Now it is time to determine the structure of your garden. You need to consider which plants should be in the garden, and where they should be positioned, to ensure that all of them grow well. It is important that you decide which plants will be harmful next to others, and which will compliment their neighboring plants. Most importantly overall is to build your garden so that it will become it's own structure.

If a wall must separate the walkway and garden, you should start with a picket fence or some artificial structure; then choose bushes that will be firm enough to trim into walls when they are fully-grown. Also, of those tools available, many are tailored to define which way your plants grow. For example, you can use a plain wire walkway to create an area for people to meander through, especially if you cover it with ivy.

Even with the work you've put into it, it's important to keep in mind that your garden will look awkward and good things come to those who wait. Your garden will likely seem cluttered while your plants are first growing, as structures are more apparent during the supporting stage. However, once your plants start reaching maturity, you can remove supports and the cluttered look will disappear, leaving only beautiful nature. You'll be very happy that you took the extra time to plan the layout of your garden properly.

About the Author:
Dennis Goinich and his wife wanted to do their garden structures right so they went to the Sacramento landscape architecture firm of Hall Design and started by looking at the online galleries of ideas from their expert residential landscape architects. Hall Design took care of the whole process from design to getting contractor bids.