The winter is the best time to plan for the upcoming year or design an existing garden. Whether you are planning on planting vegetables, perennials, shrubs or trees, here are a few steps to follow anytime you are planning to install plants.
The first step is to layout the area that you are planting. Ideally you should have the layout to scale. Use graph paper if needed.
Next choose what colors, textures and size of plants you would like. This will keep you focused and help to eliminate being overwhelmed. When you are flipping through catalogs and doing research online to not the mature size for the plant in question.
Choose plants that fit into the specifications that you have created. There are numerous catalogs and resources online that can help you choose the correct plant for your zone. (if you aren't sure what your zone is check here: http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html). Some of my favorite places to do research is either the Cornell Cooperative Extension (http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/) or Uconn Cooperative Extension (http://www.ladybug.uconn.edu/). Both sites are packed full of information about soil and site requirements for planting, invasive species, pest control solutions and infestations. All of these things are important when you are planning a garden.
After you have gathered all of your dream plants and done your research, start laying them out on the scaled drawing of your garden. This will help to make sure everything will fit. The worst thing you can do for newly established plants in crowd them, if they are not given enough space and water, they will die.
Once you have designed your garden, price it out. It's shocking how much the plants can cost once you have completed your garden. This might also be the time you have to force yourself to do some editing of your plants. Do you keep the expensive, amazingly beautiful plants for more budget friendly common varieties? Do you keep a few exotics and supplement them with cheaper perennials? Does it make sense to plan and install a 20'x20' vegetable garden if you are single? This is the largest stumbling block on the way to a dream garden. Be realistic, you can always add to it next year.
Think long and hard about maintenance. Are you planning on spending a few hours a week outside weeding? If you are, great! You may want a mostly perennial garden that you can fuss over. If weeding, deadheading and trimming are not your idea of fun, there are many many choices still out there. Choose non-flowering shrubs, plant them with the appropriate space apart and you can have an attractive tidy garden.
Once you have designed, planned and budgeted for your garden choose a time for planting. We start seedlings the weekend after Saint Patrick's Day. We keep them in a greenhouse or indoors on tables. Perennials, shrubs and trees can be planted as soon as the ground thaws, but we generally do not plant until early May. Make sure the threat of frost has passed before planting any annuals, vegetables seedlings or any tender plants.
If you follow these steps will ensure the plants thrive and grow for years to come.
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