Define the Shapes It’S Time to Give Your Design Some Shape

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design your dream garden: part 2 — define the shapes It’s time to give your design some shape. Set the Style o you dream of having a will most likely be the house, When I sketched ideas, I started beautiful new garden? Like so that’s where to start. Many with the patio area because it’s D building a house, creating houses are a mix of styles, giv- the largest element in the yard. the garden of your dreams takes ing you lots of latitude when Then I moved to the border planning. We started with a site it comes to garden design. But around the back yard, fitting in analysis in “Start from Scratch.” if your house is well-defined, the focal-point vegetable garden Check out “The story up ’til now” perhaps an English Tudor or a and the hideaway area in the far below for a recap. Now it’s time Colonial saltbox, you’ll want to left corner. Next, I looked at the to start de-fining the shapes of the keep the garden a similar style. path along the side of the house. beds and other key elements. A dramatic contrast, such as put- Since it’ll be used a lot, I want to Take a cue from the house ting a Southwestern xeric land- make sure it looks good and is Garden style ties the shapes of scape with that Tudor, may look easy to navigate. And I sketched borders, structures and all the out of place. However, choosing ideas for the front area last. other elements together. The a style simply comes down to Keep practical considerations biggest structure in your garden deciding what you like and what in mind as you start. For example, looks good. the new patio needs to connect Keep your options open the kitchen and living areas. I It’s time to take several copies of don’t want to carry food through The story up ‘til now the base map you’ve made and the house or navigate a narrow In “Start from Scratch” I showed how to make a draw in the elements you chose. zigzag path, especially if I have site analysis. First, you evaluate the permanent Before you sketch, ask yourself my hands full on the way to the elements in your garden, such as the house, the the “Questions of style,” on page patio table. driveway and existing trees. That information 2 to help you set the look of your Don’t worry about perfect lines, becomes a base map — a scale drawing you can new garden. or even exact measurements at use as you plan. Next, Do more than one sketch so this point; just draw in shapes and make a list of things Getaway Veggie Shrubs and you can see how different shapes rough sizes to see how they look. garden flowers you would like in your will fit together. Even though you Once you have several sketches Existing new garden. Then tree Lawn have several base maps, be sure put together, take them outside take those elements Patio to keep an eraser handy — you’ll and walk through the garden. If and organize them Family Kitchen room probably use it frequently! it helps, drag out the hose or some on the base map. This Garage You can see six options for the twine and stakes to outline areas Front door is the base map we yard I’m planning on page 2. I to picture your ideas better. settled on and are Existing started with three sketches that On the next pages I’ve refined working from now. tree have curved forms. Then I did the ideas you see here to come three with straight edges. With up with two designs — one with each sketch you can see what I curves and one with straight lines. like and some of the problems. Let’s take a look at the process.

1 © August Home Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Experiment with lines and shapes Designing on the curve This lawn is smaller so there’s more Lots of space for more flowers in room for shrubs and flowers. Hideaway front of the veggie garden. Privacy fence screens Hideaway Sharp Hideaway the back yard and patio. curves look A long Veggies interesting Veggies Nice curving Veggies on paper. Lawn amount of Lawn design your dream garden: part 2 — define the shapes path adds space for Lawn to the Questions a lawn. Patio Patio mystery Patio of the Family Family Family of style room room room getaway Kitchen Kitchen Kitchen spot. Garage Garage Looks Garage Front door Generous Front door Front door  Does your house have good on planting paper but Stepping areas in the a definite style, such as the odd stone path front yard. Victorian or Georgian? is easy to shape could install. be tough  Do you prefer straight to install. lines, geometric forms and well-defined corners, Dramatic curves gentle flow Broad Classic circles A or natural, gently curving These curves give the garden curves are easy to maneuver circular lawn gives lots of lines with no sharp angles? a natural feel. And traveling with the mower. I really like open space around the beds.  When you visit other the long path through the the curves where I want to The stepping stone path from gardens, do you like border to the hideaway will expand the existing front the patio would be easy to symmetrical balance give the impression of a sidewalk, too. They’ll make install, but may not be as easy where two or more journey away from the house. the area look and feel much to navigate as a solid surface. elements match exactly, more welcoming to visitors. The round vegetable garden like a mirror image? Or is is intriguing — is it practical? asymmetrical balance, where items in the garden relate to each other but are not identical, more Straightforward lines Unique garden shape makes appealing to you? a good focal point viewed Straight edges are easy Patio shape follows from the house and patio.  Are you drawn to gardens Hideaway to keep neat and tidy. lines of the house. where the style is loose Setting the Hideaway Hideaway and natural, with masses vegetable garden into Veggies Veggies of plants and very few Veggies the border Lawn This could hard surfaces? makes it less Lawn be a planting Lawn noticeable. Patio area or  Do you like to see Patio left open. Patio Family Family Family individual, well-spaced Space for room room room plants, but it’s Kitchen Kitchen Kitchen specimen plants? too narrow to Garage Folks Garage Garage grow much. Front door often cut Front door Front door  When you think about these Interesting structures in your garden, Simple corners, lawn shape, solution so follow but might are they painted and to widen the natural need extra ornate or left to weather the side- traffic trimming walk, but patterns. by hand. naturally? just looks boring.  Do you mow with a riding Simple lines The veggie Dramatic diagonal A Traditional look mower or a walk behind? garden is a good fit and has Turning things on a diagonal An open space gives the patio Tight curves and angles room in front to add a border adds excitement. The the feeling of two separate may mean you need to go of flowers or low shrubs. This diagonals make for a unique areas. The veggie garden is back and trim by hand. plan would be quick to lay vegetable garden and front a traditional shape. There’s out, build and plant, especially sidewalk. And the simple lots of planting space in the for a do-it-yourself project. lines of this patio would be borders, and the edges are easy to live with. easy to maintain. N Scale: 1 square = 25 square ft.

Planting areas Veggie garden

Hideaway spot nce I’ve made sketches, I usually Curved lines I liked the O find that I like elements from circles you saw on one of my several of them. So I’ll work them early sketches, so I found a way to Lawn Privacy into my final designs. That’s just integrate a couple of them into my fence what I’ve done here. I’ve adjusted the final plan. The round vegetable Patio shapes and sizes to create two designs garden will be a good focal point Family — one with curving lines here and one when viewed from the house Kitchen room with mostly straight lines and sharp and patio. I’ll plant it in wedges Gate angles on page 4. For now, both of them separated by paths and put a raised Garage are contenders. But in our next install- bed of flowers in the center. Round Front door Shrubs and ment I’ll choose one and complete the may not be a practical shape for a flowers plan, selecting hardscaping and plants. large vegetable garden, but for this I’ll also include a detailed plan of the 20-ft.-diameter spot it would be fine. hideaway area. It’ll be helpful whether This patio design lets traffic you’re starting from scratch or updating move across the back of the house New hardscape area your existing yard. ® efficiently, too. And there’s lots of N — Jim Childs space for plantings in the borders Tucking tool storage, compost and Scale: 1 square = around the back yard. There’s even enough depth to the bed in 25 square ft. potting bench behind this fence keeps them hidden from the street. the upper left hand corner to make the hideaway feel really secluded. But they’re still convenient to use. In the front garden, flowing curves widen the sidewalk and add a welcoming look. Plus, all of these gently curving edges, in the front and back garden, will be easy to mow without going back to trim. Front yard view

The generous size of the patio ties the kitchen and family room areas together.

This circular hideaway Setting the gate is 10 ft. in diameter, a back helps the front good size for two chairs yard look bigger. and a small table. N 

Lots of colorful flowers makes the front garden look inviting.

No fence or plantings here, just let the lawn blend into the neighbor’s lawn. It’ll make the front yard seem bigger and make the neighborhood look friendlier. Back yard view

This ornamental tree casts some shade on the southwest corner of the patio, blocks the

view of the neighbor’s trash cans and provides privacy for the patio from the second story of  the house next door. N Keep this south side of the yard open with no privacy fence or large hedge. This offers A formal veggie garden? an unobstructed view of the open space Divide the beds with beyond from the house and patio. paths for easy access into each section.

Veggie garden Planting Hideaway spot areas

Straight lines The generous sizes of the borders in this layout are perfect for plenty of shrubs and flowers. And see the large patio across the back of the house? Not only will it offer lots of space for entertaining, but it’s Lawn efficient. Notice how it connects both doors on the back of the house? That Privacy fence means serving a meal will be easy. Plus, the patio ties into the path that leads around the house to the front yard so guests won’t have to go through the Patio house to get to the back yard. Family room Adding just a small bit of hard surface around the existing sidewalk is Kitchen an easy way to give your entry a unique look and distinguish it from similar Gate Garage homes on the street. Plus, it’s less expensive than taking out all of the Front door Shrubs concrete. Not only is the look unique, the wider sidewalk helps make the and flowers front yard feel more spacious and welcoming, too. These hard surface areas in the angles of the sidewalk give visitors more areas where they can stand and chat. And they provide spots for a few containers to change the look of the entrance without a lot of work. New hardscape area A wide path means easy N access when working in this utility area. Scale: 1 square = 25 square ft.

Front yard view

Straight lines and simple plantings add a formal look to this small house. Plus with all the gardens in the back yard, here is an opportunity to keep maintenance easier.

One continuous surface makes it easy to roll a wheelbarrow or other equipment from the N utility area. Medium-sized shrubs and  lots of perennials soften the view into the hideaway but won’t block air circulation.

There’s plenty of room to dress up this landing with one (or several) colorful, flower-filled containers.

Back yard view 

It won’t take much time to mow both the front and back lawns, but there’s N still room to play games or let pets run.

Leave the south side of the yard unfenced and without a large hedge so folks on the deck or patio can easily A fence around the garden will protect the see the nice view beyond the yard. vegetables from critters. But adding two gates means easy access for working.