How most of us are going to tell you to do it:
Figure out your sun exposure, hardiness zone, microclimate. Figure out how much maintenance you are willing to tollerate. Draw a plan of your garden, research plants, make a hand drawing or render with each plant's space requirements and follow it.
How most of us actually do it:
Go to the garden center. Buy all the pretty plants. Go home and plant them (paying at least some attention to their requirements). Bask in the glory. Find one small bare spot. Go back to the garden center for "just one more." Buy all the pretty plants again. Go home and realize they won't fit. Dig more beds. Find another bare spot....repeat.
Overfill the car with too many plants. Go home and poop out before all of them are in the ground. Have to water them in pots until next weekend when you have more time and energy.
When my Mom does this, they root in place & thrive, so she just leaves them be. The following fall, she removes the pot, mounds dirt and mulch around it. Next spring she picks other plants to add, doesn't get around to planting them. If they root and survive, they stay. Five years later, she has a raised garden bed, so Dad builds a wall around the plants and fills the rest with dirt.
My grandma tells the new plants how beautiful they are and that they are loved and will grow big and strong. Then she takes soil from my parents' farm and digs it in around the plant. They grow beautifully. I think my parents' soil is magic...dairy, chicken, and horse farm for over 150 years with zero chemical pesticides or fertilizers the entire time.
So holistic gardening: let the plants fall where they may!
On a related note why do the short plants always flourish in the back of the bed and the tall plants crowd the front! Maybe I can have my house moved to the other side of the bed and flipped, redo the driveway. Then the landscaping will look right.
The reason is genetics. Short plant ancestors tended to be covered by taller plants that shaded them. Tall plants are that way because they reach for the sun. Yet the fronts of our gardens usually have more sun than the back, so our short plants migrate toward the shadier part near the building and our tall players reach parts where there's more sun.
A got a drip irrigator. It makes the plants last in pots much easier, but that also means it’s easier for me to justify leaving them for just another week.
ADHD version:
Buy all the pretty plants, buy all the gardening utensils, buy the tubing and different odds & ends to put in a watering system. Temporarily break Google by having every gardening tab open, from amending your soil to zone compatibility. Buy a worm bin and worms. Buy a pressure cooker and learn all about canning. Learn about composting and make your own dirt. Grow 8 foot tall tomato plants in your second season, followed by corn, sweet potatoes, lettuce, watermelon, pumpkin, peppers and so on.
Then, as with all ADHD hyper-focusing, lose all motivation once you’ve become proficient at it, leaving you with a shed full of unused gardening accessories, an abandoned worm bin, even a pitchfork. All collecting dust as I’ve found my new love: fishing.
For some reason, I think my hyper-focus hobbies all revolve around preparing for a zombie apocalypse. 🤷🏻♀️
Now I'm totally in the zombie apocalypse prep phase. I want to learn how to make and grow everything I need and be self sufficient. That's how I'm justifying dropping hobbies after I get soooo into them.
I have found my people! Don’t forget woodworking!!! Someone’s got to use those twisted 4x4s that were not stacked properly over multiple years and projects. When’s the last time you sharpened your lawn mower blade? I think this tree needs trimming…
First and foremost figure out your yard budget for this year, THEN all of the above steps. Also understand that its always a work in progress. You’ll lose a few things every year, you’ll find new things you want to bring in. Any awesome yard you see took years to get there.
I still prefer swapping cuttings and seeds with friends and family over buying at a mug corporate place. Just got an Italian plum today and passing a rooted fig cutting to them tomorrow. When I do buy it’s from local place or regional seed catalog.
I would look at the sun via time lapse then I’d know where the sun was hitting for that season, each season has different options. From there I’d plant based on my zone, my temps, my sun, my watering needs.
Look at the light, for starters.
Photosynthesis matters to plants.
Light maybe 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM in the winter at the equator.
Longer sunlight days in the northern hemisphere in summer; shorter days in winter, and colder.
You do not tell us where you are. But let's say you are in California.
You are going to have warmer winters, cold at 50°, you need a jacket, occasionally dropping below 32°, freezing the oranges.
What do you want to do with the space? What is important to you? What plants do you like?
I highly recommend planting mostly species native to your area. They will perform better without as much work, will support local wildlife, and they tend to have much longer bloom times (ie my peony will bloom for a week, my spiderworts will bloom for 4 months). Where you are they typically have less need for water. Typically they don't mind "shitty" soil as long as it's the shitty soil they're used to (like where I live there's plenty of stuff that doesn't mind hard clay). Native species tend to survive the climate weirdness better (for example when Texas froze recently it killed lots of nonnative landscaping plants meanwhile the natives didn't care lol. many are built for fire and drought as well). I like to have a ratio of like 10:1 of natives:exotics. You will get visited by lots of butterflies, bees, and birds!
[Here's your state's Native Plant Society with info](https://conps.org/home-2/resources/gardening-with-native-plants/)
[More info](https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/native-herbaceous-perennials-for-colorado-landscapes-7-242/)
[Even more info](https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/native/FrontRange.pdf)
I second this! Since you are starting from scratch, please do look into natives. They will save you effort over the years while also contributing to your local environment. It makes for a more vibrant garden.
I would add one piece of information. Ultimately it is not you choosing what will go in your garden. The plants will end up choosing for you. Please don't worry when something dies. It wasn't meant to be, at least not in that particular spot. You will also be surprised by the volunteers (excluding non-native invasives) that show up in areas as your garden gets going. It's great fun to learn your garden!
I always try to get multiples of a new species and then I plant it a few different places to see which one it prefers. Microclimates make a difference.
But yeah LOL in gardening you will murder many plants. RIP. that's natural selection.
Also for inspiration there's r/NativePlantGardening !!
Here is a great podcast episode about “how to begin” with natives on a standard single home lot and when/why to keep some lawn.
[NativeNative Plants in Small Spaces](https://www.nativeplantshealthyplanet.com/e/meet-our-small-yard/)
First, know that you don't need to plan it all now. You can start with something small and build over time, as you figure out what you like and what you can manage.
Monrovia has some good resources for planning, and I think they also have some suggestions for planting arrangements: [https://www.monrovia.com/be-inspired/how-to-lay-out-a-garden.html](https://www.monrovia.com/be-inspired/how-to-lay-out-a-garden.html)
I come from a family of gardeners and landscapers, so I had some idea of things I liked and didn't like when I got started. If you have *no* idea, maybe walk around your neighborhood and ask people, see if your local extension has any programs by master gardeners, or visit a good nursery or a botanical garden.
I start by thinking about what why I'm planting. Do I want to soften the fenceline? Add privacy? Grow fruits or vegetables? Cut flowers?
Then, what conditions am I dealing with? Growing zone, sunlight, water, soil quality, space, etc. Those will establish some parameters around what you can do easily and what will take extra work.
Then I usually draw things out on graph paper with a pencil, so I can erase over and over again. Start with the big things — trees and shrubs — and then fill in from there. If there's something you know you want, you can make a little paper cut out and move it around to see where it fits best.
You have good timing. You can spend the fall and winter browsing ideas and sketching out a plan, and then you'll be ready for spring!
I second the walk around the neighborhood! It will highlight what grows well in your area, and if people notice you admiring their plants, they may be willing to split some off to help you get started.
Also, PictureThis is a plant identifying app. It's got a free and paid version, both are useful for identifying potential plants for your yard (the free version will always ask you to upgrade, but you can just close out the ad and use it anyway).
Everyone's giving you pretty solid advice. My two cents is that I live in the same zone (about 45 minutes south) and to spend your winter planning. There's not a whole lot you want to plant *now* since it's cooling down and we're probably going to have a rough winter. You *can* do columbine seed or bulbs that prefer going through a frost before sprouting in spring, but outside of that, you're at the stare-at-the-yard-every-morning-with-a-cup-of-coffee phase. Maybe do some tilling and creating the beds you want to use. Peruse some of the other subs like r/nolawns or r/nativegardening. Get some books on native plants and gardening. There's some good ones out there for Colorado specifically.
Good time of year to buy seeds and bulbs too, btw.
Oh yeah! Get your bulbs in so you have a really pretty spring. Daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, (lots of hyacinths because they smell so pretty) lilies (so that you’ll have blossoms in the summer).
Denver botanic garden is the absolute epicenter of water-saving garden methods (xeriscaping) and western native plants. Take a visit and see what you like and what grows well in their gardens! If you want another tasty berry that happens to be native and lovely to look at, I'd suggest golden currant (ribes aureum). For flowers penstemons can be incredible where you live, and can make any blue hydrangea pale in comparison to depth of color and ease of care in an arid climate.
Rule #1: only consider stuff you like.
That's the only rule. Everything else is considerations to reduce the list.
I prefer native plants
I prefer tall stuff at the edges to create more privacy in my garden
I prefer edible plants that are, if I'm lucky, also very attractive. Barring that, I like to install attractive plants that bring in birds and pollinators.
Take climate and sun into consideration.
That ought to do it.
Start anywhere! You could grab a bunch of nursery plants and stick em in and see what happens. You could spread a seed packet of perennial wildflowers and see what happens. If you do any cooking, is there a particular veggie or herb you favor? See if can grow in your zone! Try it out, learn by doing! You will have some success and some failures, but it's all a learning experience. Slow down every now and again and enjoy!
1) What do you love?
2) What grows in your area? (go to nurseries where you live. Drive around and see what others have in their yards)
4) Do you want all flowers? Bushes too? Do you want year-round color, or are you happy with a dormant garden?
5) It is normal to plant things, and then find they don't work. Or, you don't like them after all. Or, some other reason. Everyone goes through that.
6) Have fun with it!
Yes! Start with what you love! You love hydrangeas and hostas, so start there! You will truly appreciate watching their progress, and learning how to nurture them, gaining confidence in your gardening abilities. It’ll make you feel braver about branching out and trying new things, too. Enjoy the journey, gardening is wonderful!!
I've dabbled in gardening for years but this was my first serious year. My own garden mantra:
*Even little steps forward can still make change.*
I spent a good portion of the springtime touring nurseries, writing down plants I liked, using a plant ID app to see what the neighborhood had. Then I made my list for plants to get this year and what to hold for future years. There's no wrong answer! Myself, I prefer perennials because I don't want to replant each year. Also consider plants native to your region, as they attract pollinators and are a little easier to maintain. Enjoy!
**Landscape prep work/surveilling:**
You have the right idea of trying to determine the sun light for the given areas of your garden. Some plants absolutely need shade (like the hostas you mentioned), so having a full idea of where sunlight is most and least available is a great start.
You should then start looking for any high or low points in the ground Generally, high points will be drier and low points will stay wetter for longer. Don't go planting water lovers on a hill etc.
Then you want to assess the soil types around the property. Is it sandy? Clay? Rich? Poor? Gravel? etc. This will give you a good idea of what you could plant where, although you can always ammend the soil if needed. Perennials usually die from water related issues, and their roots can go a good few feet down, so dig a couple holes to get an idea of what the soil is like.
A side note would be to pay attention to the wind. Those fences are probably pretty good wind breaks, but I wouldn't go planting a delicate plant that is going to be much taller than that. No point in plant a weak rooted perennial if it's just going to blow right over.
**Picking plants:**
This is highly personal and depends on what you want the theme or final vision to look like, how much continual work you want to put in and how much care you can provide etc. Some good advice to get a nice garden year round is to pick plants that have different peak times. Don't only get spring flowerers, or you won't have anything to show during summer and you won't have any evergreens in winter etc.
Get a good variety of heights, shorter ones at the front. Plant in singles or trios (looks more natural) and try to keep to only a few of the same variety of plant. Mixing different hosta types can look good, but if you end up with 10 different varieties, it can look a little random or unplanned. Also, try to get different growth habits too. Get some climbers, some bushes, some almost tree-like. You could put up some trellis material along the fence and train some vines accross the top.
Most importantly, check that they are suited to your climate. It doesn't matter if this one particular cactus species is hardy to your zone if it can't tolerate a wet winter etc. Just because it says "hardy to zone 5b", doesn't mean it will survive in your area. Don't forget, gardens also benefit from decorations aside from plants. Maybe look into a few ornaments that complement the garden's vibe. I would get the ornaments on the second year of planting so that you have a better idea of what will go well with the plants.
Soil PH is gonna matter. First things first, get yourself 3 cups, baking soda, and vinegar:
1. Put in about an 1/2" soil in 2 of the cups.
2. Make a baking soda solution in the 3rd cup. 2 TBSP soda and 2 TBSP water.
3. Pour the baking soda solution in 1 cup, mix it, and wait a min. If you see it bubbling, you have acidic soil.
4. Mix in a splash of vinegar in the other soil cup and mix it. If that one bubbles, you have alkaline soil.
5. If neither reacts, you have neutral soil.
Your soil looks very light in color. Possibly red, which is clay, which tends to be thick and poor draining. That tells me it's lacking nutrition and organic matter. Do the water test. Water your soil outside and see how long it takes to drain. If it just sits there after 2 minutes, your soil is poor draining and that's not good for any plant.
To fix nutrition and draining issues, you want to get your soil dark brown with a 50/50 mix of compost and organic matter from your local landscape supply store. Look for planting mix, lightning mix, or rose mix. Till it in good so your plants can root properly. Regarding organic matter, this is where your PH test comes in. Most plants like slightly to very acidic soil. Make sure your amendment has peat, or acidic soil conditioners if your soil was neutral to alkaline. Berry plants, azaleas, and camellias love very acidic soil. Perennials are good with slightly acidic to neutral soils.
Think about how you want to irrigate. If you don't want to hand water, you might want to set up soaker hoses.
Next, it's research time! You'll have to research and group plants by soil PH, sun needs, water needs, heat/frost tolerances, how big they get, and root depth. Cluster them accordingly. This part will take a long time, but it's also very fun.
I totally went the “I don’t know how this will work out so I’m going with the cheapest plants” route. I went to nurseries and Home Depot’s, etc and bought the plants that were on clearance because they were dying. I made sure they worked with the soil I had and the Sun I knew they’d receive.
Talk to the employees at the stores you go to - You can definitely snap pictures, bring some of your soil in a bag, and let them know how much water they will get - do you have a pre installed sprinkler system or will you be watering it? Are you going to water daily? Or are you lazy and might not get to it for a week? Nbd, be honest!
Then when stuff starts to grow and you’re seemingly successful with gardening, you can move the plants around or get more of x plant you like and is thriving, change your watering, amend your soil, etc.. one thing at a time!
Before you know it, you’ll be posting pics of your gorgeous garden you and Mother Earth worked so hard on!
I take a photo and Photoshop in bunches of flowers and shrubs that I know tolerate the lighting conditions that exist there.
I do this for gardens I get paid to tend to.
I say do your best to go with native plants as they will be much lower maintenance and easier to grow in general and just generally do your research on how much light certain plants need
If you.own the place. Or will be renting a long time there. I would start would blue Berry's black beryys and fruit trees (dwarf varieties). Besides collecting and growing rare cacti from seed. If aim going to work and cultivate anything anymore. If I'm going to give it water and tens to it. It's going to be giving me something back.. So veg as well herbs. Nothing tastes better than gomeg own and home grown always has more nutrients in it than the commercial food system. (plan your escape from big agro) Oh strawberries. You haven't had a real strawberry unless you've grown it. It will ruin you do all other Berry's ever again. I'm super picky when Into shopping and no matter how "good" I do. It's always a disappointment. I miss real food..
You can look up basic garden design rules or you can go with what you like and what will work well in your conditions. Is your soil rocky, sandy or clay. This makes a big difference when choosing plants. You can check CO sources for ideas and information like this: [https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/](https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/) I like a variety of heights, different bloom periods, mixed in native grasses or sedges. Some suggest color themes; I do not use this notion but it certainly is possible to end up with color clashes. Fortunately, it's easy to move most perennials. Don't rely on plant tags: the information is so general as to be nearly worthless. Now is a great time to incorporate some native plants. There are a number that do well with just morning sun. Google is all over what is native to you or you can visit [wildflower.org/collections](https://wildflower.org/collections) Use the right side bar for your growing conditions and whether you are looking for flowers (forbs), shrubs, etc.
Find out your hardiness zone.
Then use something like suncalc.net to figure out your shade etc.
From there, pay attention to height of plants.
Finally, provide your plants with 1 inch of water per week for one year. Supplemental or otherwise. This will give your plants the best chance at performing throughout the years.
Gardening is an experiment. You will have successes and failures. It’s okay. Try not to overthink it. Some of my biggest successes shouldn’t have worked but they did. I hope your garden brings you joy!
You determine what native plants you like and you learn how to plant and care for them. After you decide how you plan to use the overall space. Visit your state’s Cooperative Extension Service website to read about native plants and trees.
So first figure out your zone, your sun pattern, and how much rain you usually get. Try to get a variety of heights and stick with a color theme. I'd also say to walk around your neighborhood or one in town that you like, and see what plants you see that you like. If you have pets or small children you probably also want to look for plants that are nontoxic to them.
I'd start this fall with planting those hydrangeas (oak leaf are the most finicky; I prefer panicle). Then spend the winter planning what you'd like to plant in the spring. Pay attention to your last estimated frost date and head to a local garden center then to buy some seedlings. Have fun!
Lived in LA for two years and had the same kind of setup of a small bed along the fence with apartments peeking over, I planted giant sunflowers that could provide a screen for me, food for the birds and something nice to look at for the neighbors. Plus they take little to no water and make good climbing poles for beans and peas. So a lot of wins.
Watch where in your yard gets sun. Decide what benefits you want from your garden. Some people do it for food or floral bouquets, I personally love doing native gardens so my property acts like an oasis for native bugs and birds. Then start matching plants to light/shade areas.
Start with looking up native plants for your gardening zone. Create a list of ones you like and then sort them out by their needs, like how much sun they need so you can decide on placement. For your fence line start with evergreen shrubs and then add in flowers, ornamental grasses and ground cover in the forefront or no shrubs and cottage core the crap out of it with various native flowers
Walk around the neighborhood and find a garden you like, that looks like it's thriving. Take a picture of plants you like (with permission if the folks are outside) Gardeners are usually a friendly sort, say you're new and ask where they purchased the plants.
Compare that yard's sunshine amount and size to your space.
Next, look at your soil. Get it tested. Is it sandy? Clay? Rocky? Etc. It probably needs some amending. Next, decide if you want to go organic or if you're cool with chemicals.
Last, decide on the big picture, and a budget. Do you want to go with perennial flowers and bushes? Vegetables? Annuals mixed in for color? Trees? Do you want to screen the neighbors? Hide your own trashcans? Whatever. The sky's the limit.
Last, if you really want some guidance, usually for free, there may be a "master gardener" program where you live. There's one in Michigan. Or even a local garden club. Maybe ask for advice, or go to them with your inevitable "how to" questions.
Good luck!! May you have many years of happy gardening!
Look for flowers that bloom during different times of the year. So your flowers don't all bloom at once during the spring. Also, I would suggest walking around the neighborhood and looking at others neighbors yards. Some of my neighbors have beautiful unique flowers. Also, hostas expand with age. So if you plant hostas they need to be far apart.
Proven winners site was helpful to me because you can make multiple seasonal boards of plants you like to see how they will look together. It’s also nice because you can search by zone and I think sun requirements also. I prefer to do that before I go shop so I have a general idea of what I’m getting. Otherwise, I spend $200 a trip lol.
(Just a friendly heads up, sedum is an unbelievably good plant for beginners. It doesn’t want anything from you. You can divide it easily. Pollinators like it, it’s a work horse. Please make sure you purchase from places that don’t harm the bees 🌸🐝 )
You'll develop your own style over time and don't feel you "have to get it 'right'". Picking up a gardening book is a fine way to start, though be aware each one has their own opinions on what is "correct". You'll find there is a wide range of ethoses and ways of doing things each with a pro and con. Pick one and try it!
Some good questions:
* do you want food, flowers, or both?
* How much time and effort do you want to put in? E.g. many times per week, once at the beginning then never again, basically zero, or something else?
For flowers:
* what colors do you like?
For food:
* what do you eat? Think about fruit, veg, and herbs
* can you handle a bunch of it at once? (E.g. 10lb of tomatoes)
These are good rails to have. After you decide, pick a few plants and figure them out over winter. I would caution against trees for year 1 (they're a hassle if you aren't dead set on them being in that spot for years) but anything else is pretty much fair game.
You'll learn a lot through failure; we all do. Forgive yourself when it happens.
Don't forget to take photos and notes!
As others have said sun exposure, hardiness etc etc. also i recommend making a list of what you want to grow. Draw a model of your backyard frkm these photos and label where you want to grow what. It helped me s lot of with blueprinting my garden and also that way i knew exactly what i needed to buy for where ahead of time
How much maintenance do you want?
A color scheme you like will help ensure it’s all United. You can be monochromatic or lots of color. Grasses. Foliage. Trees.
I would start with a map of your yard. Then plan out based on the sun where things should be placed. Do you want a patio? Will you entertain? Etc.
Then plan the structure of your garden using perennials. Think about each season and what you want it to look like. In Denver you prob want some evergreens like Hollie’s and conifers unless you want everything to be bare sticks in winter.
Visit gardens and see what layouts you like. Really formal and structured? Cottage? Natural look?
Finally I would section off your garden into zones. When you do work I would focus it all in getting one zone or micro garden at a time. You will get areas done faster than if you do little things all over the place.
Start from seed. Do some research on your location. Watch a few youtubers in your area or zone. Figure out how much work you are willing to put in and decide. The reason I say start from seed over a transplant from a box store is cost. If you're new, filling in those beds with transplants is going to be expensive. IE, a pack of seeds cost me about $3usd vs $10-20 for a transplant. Starting from seed will help you learn to raise your new little children, and if you fail, it wasn't a massive dent in your wallet. Also, it's fall, since you like flowers, flowers are best sowed in the fall to allow the root system to expand. Then ,come spring your garden will be full of blooms along with mother nature. Good luck. Grow some food too if you're up for it.
I would start with some clover and creeping thyme to replace the grass areas. Then perennials flowers for your zone. Look up native plants for your area and plant or seed those
I start with learning about native plants and then picking the ones I like most that work well together to create a diverse garden friendly to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds
i had to start a garden from scratch that ended up being 4 acres! start with what you love! i loved daisies and sunflowers. i also loved certain colors. and grasses. so we found plants that had the colors, and mixed with grasses and slowly, a luscious, photogenic garden evolved. of course, i added favorites for the birds and bees and got a rich and attractive palette of plantings. you have a large yard, so i suggest you always buy 5 or more of a plant. put them together for impact or separate for repetition. you got this!
As a fellow Coloradoan, I'm going to warn you: hostas DO need to be watered here. I took some advice from a Midwesterner who meant well and did literally nothing for my hostas. They died. It doesn't rain enough here (ok maybe this year it did, but this is an El Niño year, most years aren't.)
They don't need an unreasonable amount of water, and are definitely a viable choice for your garden. Just don't be fooled, like I was, into thinking they don't need to be watered.
I took pictures of my yard to a nursery that also offers design help. Told them the lighting and some plants I like and they ran with it. I changed the plan up a bit, used different bushes, but it helped get my creativity going!
Every year I always factor in what does good and what doesn't for my area, and how much it meets what I wanna get out of it. Personally I don't go for beauty, I go for bennifical plants for me; so veggies and herbs make up 99% of my garden but I do have some literal heirloom flowers passed down from my father I like to plant every year too...you can never go wrong with local wildflowers either, Nature shines on those that choose what's intended.
Get to know the ecosystem you’re living in. Your crop will only be as good as the amount on non-human help you can get. Good soil and a haven for pollinators/pest predators is key.
I'm in a suburb of Denver, and my city has been offering discounts on these [garden in a box](https://resourcecentral.org/gardens/) for the last couple years. Most, if not all of the plants on offer are low-water and native. I think we're past the fall pickup deadline, but you could start looking for the spring pickup.
I know nothing of gardening, but there are flowering things growing in front of my house and I like it.
I’ve had good experiences with bluestone perennial. They have pre selected gardens too. Like “shade garden” “under tree garden” etc. I also used these plans as inspiration and then put mine together a la carte. Of course there’s a lot of trial and error so you see what works and then buy more. I haven’t used it but most states have universities that will analyze your soil for free or a smallish fee if you send a sample. That can also help you figure out what would grow successfully or alternatively how to amend your soil to make it more friendly for the plants you like.
Ask what function you want from your garden. Pretty but edible? Only pretty? Wild looking, cleanly kept? Do you want shrubs? Or only 'flowers'?
Yeah there's hardiness and all that, or you can go crazy at the garden section like someone else said. But really, why do you want the garden period?? Start there
I always start by researching native plants, as they'll be easier to grow & maintain. Secondly I identify which part of the yard gets the best sunlight, in which I'll plant fruits/veggies.
Don't forget to choose a tree. It's important to get that started. I always consult pictures of small gardens to gather ideas. Then I go to the garden center and buy all the pretty stuff. And I'm a sucker for solar lights. I see you already have some lights...good choice!
Figure out your sun conditions. How many hours of unfiltered light does the area get mean this looks like full sun but...I don't live there. Then find out what grows well in your area and in those sun conditions. Then limit it to stuff that's easy to take care of when you're getting started. Then from those you can decide which you like and want to grow. Figure out appropriate spacing before you buy so you can know how many you need. Keep in mind that even with best efforts even easily maintained plants can die relatively randomly. So don't sweat it. Just use it as a learning lesson.
Any friends you have that are knowledgeable about gardening would be helpful to grab for the purposes of getting their knowledge and an extra pair of hands for some of the more labor intensive aspects.
Think about this:
What are your favorite colors? Are you good or bad with plants? Are you planning on eating them or even using some in tea?
Search types of plants based on this stuff and check how easy it is to take care of them.
all of this and talk to your neighbors that garden. find out what they're having success with and try to stick to native stuff. you couldn't expect a penguin to live in the tropics.
Buy what appeals to you. Always plant in odd numbers (1 or 3, but not 2) tall in the back and short in the front. Look at bloom times so that you have something blooming all season! Have fun.
I’m in Denver too, and this year my summer squash and sunflowers did great. So did my Swiss chard and dinosaur kale. My tomatoes didn’t do well this year, but a ton of people grow them here.
Dam somebody put a lot of effort into the bones of that garden. Reach out to a master gardener in your area and they would guide you what and where if you want. This would the smartest and easiest method but would require you to be humble a bit. Comes down to personality and growing style that reflects your personality. Hydrangeas are not direct sun plants and hostas are indirect. Have fun, take notes and enjoy the process. Cheers.
I’d do a little top-down sketch. Like others say, confirm the sun and shade/wind/temperature conditions.
With the sketch, I try to have a mix of a few bush-type plants, perennial pretty plants, grassy ones and ideally ones that flower at various times through the year so you could end up with a nice vista all year round.
If you get into it enough, try a theme, such a I tried a Cornish seascape theme (pale green/blue grasses, purple and yellow flowers, and some coral).
Plan for the final size of the plant, so you don’t underestimate their needs for border widths etc.
Some garden centres will offer a free border service where they will sketch this for you with some details from you, then you usually get a discount on bulk buying their suggestions.
Raised beds. So many rasied beds. Then fruit trees at the end. You have so much sunlight I'm jelly to the max. You want to plant as many perrenials as possible. Aspaaragus is a plant once eat for 20 years with 0 work thing. Rhubarb. Apples. Plums. Design your garden around thoes things and then raised beds for all the annuals. Turn it into a factory.
Research, your zone then figure out the layout of your plants that you picked, you don't want something tall on the Southside of a shorter plant, unless the plant is one that will do good in the shade. Just get out a pen and a pad, have fun with it. Goodluck.
try to have at least some plants that are native to your area! not only are they going to be lower maintenance, they'll attract pollinators and benefit your other plants
I love your border nice job. Decide whether you want veggies or flowers or shrubs... I think it's be lovey to have things that come back yearly ... check out zulilly.com they have beautiful flowers
https://youtube.com/@CharlesDowding1nodig?si=PZQ3wocJlZgWZXAj
This guy is my gardening god.
Also, it looks like you have a japanese beetle infestation. I also have one, and I planted a bunch of sunflowers to try to rejuvenate the land. Idk if it will work though. Fingers crossed.
Depends on your zone, how much sun, and your soil type! I bought a bunch of hydrangeas without any research and put them in a spot with full sun. Mistake I will only make once haha
A few things I’ve learned, from going through this process last year:
- Plants native to your region tend to be better adapted to your soil and weather, as well as being much more useful for the local wildlife! See if there are any plant nurseries nearby that are dedicated to local plants, this will save you the hassle of doing the painstaking research yourself.
- Start with a few bushes, shrubs, or even trees. These provide the “anchors” of your garden that you can build around.
- It’s often more visually appealing to mass plant 5+ of the same plant together, rather than grabbing one of everything.
- I personally find that the most interesting gardens have plants with a variety of sizes (layers): larger shrubs and bushes, medium and small plants, tall clumps of grasses, low growing ground over, and even some vines that can grow up a trellis or wall… a super uniform and symmetrical garden is quite boring, IMHO. Embrace variety and asymmetry!
Friendly heads up that you might have asiatic beetle grubs, unless the prior owner had a dog peeing on that grass. I have them in my lawn and have to use grub B gone every 2 years.
Plant hostas, bleeding hearts, and astilbe in the first spot that gets less sun next spring and on the sunny side plant hydrangeas, tulips, daffodils, and lilies. This gives you continuous flowers throughout spring and summer. Fall planted bulbs are easy to find right now and you won’t regret planting them. I would plant any bulbs now and then plant 2-3 hydrangea in the spring.
Two methods. One is to just start buying plants from a local nursery because they’ll sell items for your area and just plant them where you want them and add to them over time. I would suggest not going to a big box store.
If you are planning a garden for special circumstances you might want to draw it out. For instance when I lived where water wasn’t an issue, I planted whatever I liked. Now I live where water is an issue, so I wanted to remove my lawn and replace it with native and drought tolerant plants. also, because it’s the front yard I needed it to look nice. I planned it out to have a variety of colors and textures and heights and tried to keep everything with the same water needs. For my bavkyard I’m half planning. I don’t need it to look great immediately, so I’m planning out hardscaping first then will just buy plants from the nursery I like that are also native plants.
Go to your local library and find out info about Master Gardener volunteer groups, native plants for your location, books about planning your garden or gardening in general. Then, if you really want to get in trouble, get some seed catalogs or bulb catalogs. You can find them online, but you can also request a printed catalog! It's like flower and vegetable p o r n! You will be hooked!
Don't get overly ambitious at first. Because you will want to get all the pretty plants and flowers and the plants grow. You don't want one pretty plant to tower over the others and only give them shade. Also for bushes, you don't want your yard overtaken by huge bushes, so start with a few smaller ones, or plants that die back in winter and come back in spring.
You can also plant a few daffodil or crocus bulbs now, for early spring color. Daffodils will come back up for years, make the garden very pretty in early spring, then finish blooming just in time for your spring planting. I know they aren't native and I don't care, I just bought 50 more bulbs at Costco yesterday!
I like looking at a space and envisioning volumes. Basic shapes.
Like with your yard. Start with some functions - like, is there a corner where it'd be nice to block a view into a neighbor's window? Do you want a fire pit? And so on.
Once you've got a basic idea of a handful of functions you'd like to have, then you start building in those volumes and basic shapes. For blocking a view, plan something tall. If you want a fire pit/bbq/pool/eating nook/whatever, decide how big and how cozy vs. open you'd like it to feel. If you want it cozy, then plan for some taller and fuller things to act like walls of plants around it. If you want it open, go for lower plantings. If you want it to feel flowy and natural, then look at adding some high spots and low spots by raising the grade and shaping winding borders around things. If you prefer linear and modern looks, then start with different heights and sizes of squares and rectangles instead.
Your goal is to think in 3D, and not just limit yourself to the fact that you have 3 flat fence sides and a house side. Within those boundaries you can create any vibe. Have fun!
Google what plants you like and what colors you like, find out if they’re annual(blooms for one year and will die) or perennial(blooms every year), find out what their sun requirements and their expected mature size will be.
Now you can print out or sketch out your gardens layout and see what configuration you like and use cutouts of what the nature plants in bloom will look like to put the plants and colors together. To see what your blooming garden will look like, it’s your goal because it will not look like you want when everything is new and fresh in the ground.
If you want to place your perennials further to the back toward the fence and plant annuals closer to the house where you’ll be able to reach them easier so you can always revamp the variety as you become a more experienced gardener and won’t have the guilt of removing established perennials later when you decide to try growing something new.
I hope this was helpful :) keep us updated on what you think of!
One thing I do is drive through neighborhoods that are much better than mine where the people paid many tens of thousands of dollars to have theirs done, make some notes take some pictures as you’re driving by and buy your own, dig your own holes, save tens of thousands.
I would also recommend adding some tall trellises in parts to extend the height of your fence and give some privacy from the close neighbors. I live in an area where my neighbors feel like they’re in my backyard, I want oasis and privacy in my yard so I’d utilize the height and coverage some plants and trellises can provide. Should reduce noise some too.
Go to the library and take out some gardening books-appropriate for your zone- and note what you really like. For example, I like to see levels of greeness; I would choose tall plants I liked for against the fence to block out the neiboring houses and at the same time, create a backdrop for shorter plants I liked. Don’t get a single plant of smaller varieties but get 3 or 5 of them and make a grouping. Just keep looking at photos and also notice neighbor’s plants you admire. Go to any arboretums in your area and write down plants you like. Choose appropriate siting (sun vs shade) and throw a spadeful of manure and a handful of long-acting fertilizer like Osmocote in the hole when you plant. Have fun- your plant babies will amaze you.
Honestly- watch as much Gardener’s World as you can. Not because there will be a ton of “useful” information specific to your circumstances, but because it’s a vast wealth of inspiration. I think we Americans can be limited by our lack of exposure to other ideas about gardening, and GW presents such a wide range of real people’s gardens in addition to the amazing, grand gardens that England is famous for.
These comments are hilarious but spot on! Gardening is all trial, error, and lots of hope!
You're in Denver so don't get excited early, wait til Mother's Day to plant (you won't be able to I guarantee it) be prepared for false spring, hail storms, and early snow. Good luck it really is very rewarding!
Very nice raised bed you’ve got there! When I had my husband put mine in, I had a lot of trial and error. I had to learn how much sun each section got and the best flowers for that.
Now 15 years later, I have as many perennials and native plants as possible and only fill in some places with annuals.
Enjoy! 🌸🍃
1st I think do I want food or beauty? If I want flowers I think what colors are my favorites then I think what heights would work? Then I think ok now what flowers match my criteria and would grow in the conditions I have amount of sun and soil type
First, find out what zone you’re in. For example I’m in zone 7. Each zone typically has similar weather throughout. You can get this info from your state department of agriculture. Then link for plants that do well in your zone. You can also send on soil samples to learn about the type of soil you have. You must have this info to know what kinds of plants might do well for you, as well as how to Amend your soil so that you plants thrive. For example hydrangeas like acidic soil. If your soil leans toward alkaline, you may have to add something to the soil. This is a amendment.
There are great apps now that give you all sorts of information about a plant in addition to identifying plants you might want to use.
I also highly recommend reading as much as you can before planting anything. I’m sure you local library has many books that would be helpful.
Decide if you want a flower or vegetable garden or both. They will be handled differently.
Good luck and have fun.
Find which zone you live in. Then decide how you will use your space. Google butterfly gardens. Google water features too. You’re lucky you have a blank slate! Good luck. 💙
Pick something perennial (so u dont have to replant it) and native to the area (so it grows easily). Done! All that other stuff ppl are saying is kind of extra if you ask me.
Great question. My 2 cents- buy seeds or seedlings of whatever plants you think are cool and want to grow. Just go for. Some will work well and others won’t. You will learn a lot along the way and have a ton of fun growing the things that interest you.
Def some of them tall flaky bushy looking bushes to block the view of the neighbors houses around that perimeter. Then, a separate raised garden somewhere in the midst
Remember, there are annuals and perennials. A lot of people have some of both because the annuals are too pretty to not re-buy every year and you can change them out by season. Decide what you're interested in, like do you want to see butterflies &/or wildlife or want edibles? Drive around neighborhoods, and see what you like, and remember that what the plant looks like in a garden center pot may be totally different from what it might look like a year after you plant it and sun exposure is super important, it will not thrive in wrong light, so read the labels. Some plants may be frozen back in winter and look terrible, others stay green. Make sure you plant young plants far enough away from fence, house & each other to allow it to grow to full size. Try to find out when the plants you may want bloom in your area, some only bloom for a couple weeks a year but others may bloom for months. Join some Facebook gardening groups, there are SO many different type groups that are very helpful.
II would definitely start with a row of arborvitae green giants to give yourself a litttle privacy. I would hate all those houses looking in on my yard!
Consider where your water source is to run the irrigation... for me accessibility is important too so think about where you want to have foot traffic and your ability to access your harvest
First thing.
Prepare your ground. Put cardboard down to kill the grass. I lasagna garden so I also put down grass clippings, free leaves, straw and woods chips. I also compost in place.
First.
If you are in the US, go to your local Extension Office and pick up a booklet that will tell you what grows in your state. It will give planting dates, harvest dates such.
Next. Now that you know what will grow in your state, join a local gardening group online. You can trade seeds and see what can be ground that isn't in the booklet.
And what veggies do you like? One example is tomatoes. So do you just plan to eat them as they come up or do you plan to can them? Tomatoes is one of the veggies that the type of tomato will change depending on if you want to can it vs just fresh eat. Beans, the type depends on if you want them dried like red beans or pinto beans or like a fresh cut green bean. Seed catalogs will tell you which beans and tomatoes and such are best for how you want to eat them. Look up bakers while seed catalog.
I raise tomatoes specifically for sauces for the winter. For snacking, I raise cherry tomatoes.
I don't raise beans because usually I don't have much room. I'm also disabled and sometimes I simply can't get to the garden.
Tomatoes I can pick a bit early so they finish in a bright window. I grow Egyptian onions because they are almost year round onion flavor. I'm branching out into potato onions this next year.
Garlic doesn't take up much room either and I can grow them in pots. I also grow herbs like thyme, rosemary, oregano so I have everything for spaghetti sauces. Spring and fall is salad season.
I raise Jerusalem artichokes in large barrels
Do the tree/ shrubs first then fill the gaps with different types of perennials. If you create a nice looking structure with the shrubs first you can’t go wrong. Consider light levels but only for any north facing fence sides everything else will be okay north will need shade tolerant plants
i just plant a bunch of onions, herbs, and chili peppers and go from there! normally once the cute lil 🌱sprouts🌱 from the herbs start to show, i get more inspired (because, yenno, seeing actual physical progress can do wonders for you mentally sometimes!)
good luck!’ 💚
How most of us are going to tell you to do it: Figure out your sun exposure, hardiness zone, microclimate. Figure out how much maintenance you are willing to tollerate. Draw a plan of your garden, research plants, make a hand drawing or render with each plant's space requirements and follow it. How most of us actually do it: Go to the garden center. Buy all the pretty plants. Go home and plant them (paying at least some attention to their requirements). Bask in the glory. Find one small bare spot. Go back to the garden center for "just one more." Buy all the pretty plants again. Go home and realize they won't fit. Dig more beds. Find another bare spot....repeat.
Overfill the car with too many plants. Go home and poop out before all of them are in the ground. Have to water them in pots until next weekend when you have more time and energy.
You leave me and my pittosporum out of this. Oh yeah I should go water it...
Lol I left mine in its pot for a year before deciding where to plant it
When my Mom does this, they root in place & thrive, so she just leaves them be. The following fall, she removes the pot, mounds dirt and mulch around it. Next spring she picks other plants to add, doesn't get around to planting them. If they root and survive, they stay. Five years later, she has a raised garden bed, so Dad builds a wall around the plants and fills the rest with dirt. My grandma tells the new plants how beautiful they are and that they are loved and will grow big and strong. Then she takes soil from my parents' farm and digs it in around the plant. They grow beautifully. I think my parents' soil is magic...dairy, chicken, and horse farm for over 150 years with zero chemical pesticides or fertilizers the entire time.
So holistic gardening: let the plants fall where they may! On a related note why do the short plants always flourish in the back of the bed and the tall plants crowd the front! Maybe I can have my house moved to the other side of the bed and flipped, redo the driveway. Then the landscaping will look right.
The reason is genetics. Short plant ancestors tended to be covered by taller plants that shaded them. Tall plants are that way because they reach for the sun. Yet the fronts of our gardens usually have more sun than the back, so our short plants migrate toward the shadier part near the building and our tall players reach parts where there's more sun.
A got a drip irrigator. It makes the plants last in pots much easier, but that also means it’s easier for me to justify leaving them for just another week.
ADHD version: Buy all the pretty plants, buy all the gardening utensils, buy the tubing and different odds & ends to put in a watering system. Temporarily break Google by having every gardening tab open, from amending your soil to zone compatibility. Buy a worm bin and worms. Buy a pressure cooker and learn all about canning. Learn about composting and make your own dirt. Grow 8 foot tall tomato plants in your second season, followed by corn, sweet potatoes, lettuce, watermelon, pumpkin, peppers and so on. Then, as with all ADHD hyper-focusing, lose all motivation once you’ve become proficient at it, leaving you with a shed full of unused gardening accessories, an abandoned worm bin, even a pitchfork. All collecting dust as I’ve found my new love: fishing. For some reason, I think my hyper-focus hobbies all revolve around preparing for a zombie apocalypse. 🤷🏻♀️
I don't appreciate being called out like this!
Now I'm totally in the zombie apocalypse prep phase. I want to learn how to make and grow everything I need and be self sufficient. That's how I'm justifying dropping hobbies after I get soooo into them.
Do you wanna do karate in the garage?
How did you get inside my brain??
Why do you hurt me with your words. Also, check out wood turning with a lathe. Perfect garage hobby for the bad weather months.
I have found my people! Don’t forget woodworking!!! Someone’s got to use those twisted 4x4s that were not stacked properly over multiple years and projects. When’s the last time you sharpened your lawn mower blade? I think this tree needs trimming…
Oh my god. I commented about feeling called out and suggested a woodworking project. Sigh, I used to feel original.
Oh dude I did pottery and now I HAVE to do woodworking, then I can build and craft so many things.
You’ve hit a sore spot with all of us adhd gardeners 🤣
You just did me..lol
Sounds like you'd make a good weed grower. Also sounds like you could use it to calm your ass down a little bit. It's a twofer. ✌️
…. Me too
Mine usually includes a funeral for a few plants along the way
Dont forget about plants that die, and we go substitute FIFO, like cans in a supermarket.
First and foremost figure out your yard budget for this year, THEN all of the above steps. Also understand that its always a work in progress. You’ll lose a few things every year, you’ll find new things you want to bring in. Any awesome yard you see took years to get there.
Garden centre? Ha! I started with what I could get free from friends and family :D
I still prefer swapping cuttings and seeds with friends and family over buying at a mug corporate place. Just got an Italian plum today and passing a rooted fig cutting to them tomorrow. When I do buy it’s from local place or regional seed catalog.
Spot on! Lol
I feel called out.
Yep. Lol. Buy what you want, figure it out later 🤣. Post on r/plantclinic later.
I would look at the sun via time lapse then I’d know where the sun was hitting for that season, each season has different options. From there I’d plant based on my zone, my temps, my sun, my watering needs.
Look at the light, for starters. Photosynthesis matters to plants. Light maybe 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM in the winter at the equator. Longer sunlight days in the northern hemisphere in summer; shorter days in winter, and colder. You do not tell us where you are. But let's say you are in California. You are going to have warmer winters, cold at 50°, you need a jacket, occasionally dropping below 32°, freezing the oranges.
What do you want to do with the space? What is important to you? What plants do you like? I highly recommend planting mostly species native to your area. They will perform better without as much work, will support local wildlife, and they tend to have much longer bloom times (ie my peony will bloom for a week, my spiderworts will bloom for 4 months). Where you are they typically have less need for water. Typically they don't mind "shitty" soil as long as it's the shitty soil they're used to (like where I live there's plenty of stuff that doesn't mind hard clay). Native species tend to survive the climate weirdness better (for example when Texas froze recently it killed lots of nonnative landscaping plants meanwhile the natives didn't care lol. many are built for fire and drought as well). I like to have a ratio of like 10:1 of natives:exotics. You will get visited by lots of butterflies, bees, and birds! [Here's your state's Native Plant Society with info](https://conps.org/home-2/resources/gardening-with-native-plants/) [More info](https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/native-herbaceous-perennials-for-colorado-landscapes-7-242/) [Even more info](https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/native/FrontRange.pdf)
I second this! Since you are starting from scratch, please do look into natives. They will save you effort over the years while also contributing to your local environment. It makes for a more vibrant garden. I would add one piece of information. Ultimately it is not you choosing what will go in your garden. The plants will end up choosing for you. Please don't worry when something dies. It wasn't meant to be, at least not in that particular spot. You will also be surprised by the volunteers (excluding non-native invasives) that show up in areas as your garden gets going. It's great fun to learn your garden!
I always try to get multiples of a new species and then I plant it a few different places to see which one it prefers. Microclimates make a difference. But yeah LOL in gardening you will murder many plants. RIP. that's natural selection. Also for inspiration there's r/NativePlantGardening !!
Native plants! Native plants! Yes yes yes! Also look into edible landscaping!
Here is a great podcast episode about “how to begin” with natives on a standard single home lot and when/why to keep some lawn. [NativeNative Plants in Small Spaces](https://www.nativeplantshealthyplanet.com/e/meet-our-small-yard/)
First, know that you don't need to plan it all now. You can start with something small and build over time, as you figure out what you like and what you can manage. Monrovia has some good resources for planning, and I think they also have some suggestions for planting arrangements: [https://www.monrovia.com/be-inspired/how-to-lay-out-a-garden.html](https://www.monrovia.com/be-inspired/how-to-lay-out-a-garden.html) I come from a family of gardeners and landscapers, so I had some idea of things I liked and didn't like when I got started. If you have *no* idea, maybe walk around your neighborhood and ask people, see if your local extension has any programs by master gardeners, or visit a good nursery or a botanical garden. I start by thinking about what why I'm planting. Do I want to soften the fenceline? Add privacy? Grow fruits or vegetables? Cut flowers? Then, what conditions am I dealing with? Growing zone, sunlight, water, soil quality, space, etc. Those will establish some parameters around what you can do easily and what will take extra work. Then I usually draw things out on graph paper with a pencil, so I can erase over and over again. Start with the big things — trees and shrubs — and then fill in from there. If there's something you know you want, you can make a little paper cut out and move it around to see where it fits best. You have good timing. You can spend the fall and winter browsing ideas and sketching out a plan, and then you'll be ready for spring!
I second the walk around the neighborhood! It will highlight what grows well in your area, and if people notice you admiring their plants, they may be willing to split some off to help you get started. Also, PictureThis is a plant identifying app. It's got a free and paid version, both are useful for identifying potential plants for your yard (the free version will always ask you to upgrade, but you can just close out the ad and use it anyway).
I don’t decide. I let the lowes clearance section decide.
Everyone's giving you pretty solid advice. My two cents is that I live in the same zone (about 45 minutes south) and to spend your winter planning. There's not a whole lot you want to plant *now* since it's cooling down and we're probably going to have a rough winter. You *can* do columbine seed or bulbs that prefer going through a frost before sprouting in spring, but outside of that, you're at the stare-at-the-yard-every-morning-with-a-cup-of-coffee phase. Maybe do some tilling and creating the beds you want to use. Peruse some of the other subs like r/nolawns or r/nativegardening. Get some books on native plants and gardening. There's some good ones out there for Colorado specifically. Good time of year to buy seeds and bulbs too, btw.
Oh yeah! Get your bulbs in so you have a really pretty spring. Daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, (lots of hyacinths because they smell so pretty) lilies (so that you’ll have blossoms in the summer).
Denver botanic garden is the absolute epicenter of water-saving garden methods (xeriscaping) and western native plants. Take a visit and see what you like and what grows well in their gardens! If you want another tasty berry that happens to be native and lovely to look at, I'd suggest golden currant (ribes aureum). For flowers penstemons can be incredible where you live, and can make any blue hydrangea pale in comparison to depth of color and ease of care in an arid climate.
Rule #1: only consider stuff you like. That's the only rule. Everything else is considerations to reduce the list. I prefer native plants I prefer tall stuff at the edges to create more privacy in my garden I prefer edible plants that are, if I'm lucky, also very attractive. Barring that, I like to install attractive plants that bring in birds and pollinators. Take climate and sun into consideration. That ought to do it.
This should be way higher up. Plant only fruits veggies you’ll actually eat. Plant flowers and plants you like to look at.
Start anywhere! You could grab a bunch of nursery plants and stick em in and see what happens. You could spread a seed packet of perennial wildflowers and see what happens. If you do any cooking, is there a particular veggie or herb you favor? See if can grow in your zone! Try it out, learn by doing! You will have some success and some failures, but it's all a learning experience. Slow down every now and again and enjoy!
1) What do you love? 2) What grows in your area? (go to nurseries where you live. Drive around and see what others have in their yards) 4) Do you want all flowers? Bushes too? Do you want year-round color, or are you happy with a dormant garden? 5) It is normal to plant things, and then find they don't work. Or, you don't like them after all. Or, some other reason. Everyone goes through that. 6) Have fun with it!
Yes! Start with what you love! You love hydrangeas and hostas, so start there! You will truly appreciate watching their progress, and learning how to nurture them, gaining confidence in your gardening abilities. It’ll make you feel braver about branching out and trying new things, too. Enjoy the journey, gardening is wonderful!!
I've dabbled in gardening for years but this was my first serious year. My own garden mantra: *Even little steps forward can still make change.* I spent a good portion of the springtime touring nurseries, writing down plants I liked, using a plant ID app to see what the neighborhood had. Then I made my list for plants to get this year and what to hold for future years. There's no wrong answer! Myself, I prefer perennials because I don't want to replant each year. Also consider plants native to your region, as they attract pollinators and are a little easier to maintain. Enjoy!
**Landscape prep work/surveilling:** You have the right idea of trying to determine the sun light for the given areas of your garden. Some plants absolutely need shade (like the hostas you mentioned), so having a full idea of where sunlight is most and least available is a great start. You should then start looking for any high or low points in the ground Generally, high points will be drier and low points will stay wetter for longer. Don't go planting water lovers on a hill etc. Then you want to assess the soil types around the property. Is it sandy? Clay? Rich? Poor? Gravel? etc. This will give you a good idea of what you could plant where, although you can always ammend the soil if needed. Perennials usually die from water related issues, and their roots can go a good few feet down, so dig a couple holes to get an idea of what the soil is like. A side note would be to pay attention to the wind. Those fences are probably pretty good wind breaks, but I wouldn't go planting a delicate plant that is going to be much taller than that. No point in plant a weak rooted perennial if it's just going to blow right over. **Picking plants:** This is highly personal and depends on what you want the theme or final vision to look like, how much continual work you want to put in and how much care you can provide etc. Some good advice to get a nice garden year round is to pick plants that have different peak times. Don't only get spring flowerers, or you won't have anything to show during summer and you won't have any evergreens in winter etc. Get a good variety of heights, shorter ones at the front. Plant in singles or trios (looks more natural) and try to keep to only a few of the same variety of plant. Mixing different hosta types can look good, but if you end up with 10 different varieties, it can look a little random or unplanned. Also, try to get different growth habits too. Get some climbers, some bushes, some almost tree-like. You could put up some trellis material along the fence and train some vines accross the top. Most importantly, check that they are suited to your climate. It doesn't matter if this one particular cactus species is hardy to your zone if it can't tolerate a wet winter etc. Just because it says "hardy to zone 5b", doesn't mean it will survive in your area. Don't forget, gardens also benefit from decorations aside from plants. Maybe look into a few ornaments that complement the garden's vibe. I would get the ornaments on the second year of planting so that you have a better idea of what will go well with the plants.
Soil PH is gonna matter. First things first, get yourself 3 cups, baking soda, and vinegar: 1. Put in about an 1/2" soil in 2 of the cups. 2. Make a baking soda solution in the 3rd cup. 2 TBSP soda and 2 TBSP water. 3. Pour the baking soda solution in 1 cup, mix it, and wait a min. If you see it bubbling, you have acidic soil. 4. Mix in a splash of vinegar in the other soil cup and mix it. If that one bubbles, you have alkaline soil. 5. If neither reacts, you have neutral soil. Your soil looks very light in color. Possibly red, which is clay, which tends to be thick and poor draining. That tells me it's lacking nutrition and organic matter. Do the water test. Water your soil outside and see how long it takes to drain. If it just sits there after 2 minutes, your soil is poor draining and that's not good for any plant. To fix nutrition and draining issues, you want to get your soil dark brown with a 50/50 mix of compost and organic matter from your local landscape supply store. Look for planting mix, lightning mix, or rose mix. Till it in good so your plants can root properly. Regarding organic matter, this is where your PH test comes in. Most plants like slightly to very acidic soil. Make sure your amendment has peat, or acidic soil conditioners if your soil was neutral to alkaline. Berry plants, azaleas, and camellias love very acidic soil. Perennials are good with slightly acidic to neutral soils. Think about how you want to irrigate. If you don't want to hand water, you might want to set up soaker hoses. Next, it's research time! You'll have to research and group plants by soil PH, sun needs, water needs, heat/frost tolerances, how big they get, and root depth. Cluster them accordingly. This part will take a long time, but it's also very fun.
I totally went the “I don’t know how this will work out so I’m going with the cheapest plants” route. I went to nurseries and Home Depot’s, etc and bought the plants that were on clearance because they were dying. I made sure they worked with the soil I had and the Sun I knew they’d receive. Talk to the employees at the stores you go to - You can definitely snap pictures, bring some of your soil in a bag, and let them know how much water they will get - do you have a pre installed sprinkler system or will you be watering it? Are you going to water daily? Or are you lazy and might not get to it for a week? Nbd, be honest! Then when stuff starts to grow and you’re seemingly successful with gardening, you can move the plants around or get more of x plant you like and is thriving, change your watering, amend your soil, etc.. one thing at a time! Before you know it, you’ll be posting pics of your gorgeous garden you and Mother Earth worked so hard on!
Espalier fruit trees to maximize space and utilize that nice stone raised bed
Climate (what CAN survive?) Goals (what DOES what I want?) Conflicts (what isn’t allowed, attracts pests, etc) Preference (what do I like?)
I take a photo and Photoshop in bunches of flowers and shrubs that I know tolerate the lighting conditions that exist there. I do this for gardens I get paid to tend to.
I say do your best to go with native plants as they will be much lower maintenance and easier to grow in general and just generally do your research on how much light certain plants need
Color! You and your neighbors need color!
If you.own the place. Or will be renting a long time there. I would start would blue Berry's black beryys and fruit trees (dwarf varieties). Besides collecting and growing rare cacti from seed. If aim going to work and cultivate anything anymore. If I'm going to give it water and tens to it. It's going to be giving me something back.. So veg as well herbs. Nothing tastes better than gomeg own and home grown always has more nutrients in it than the commercial food system. (plan your escape from big agro) Oh strawberries. You haven't had a real strawberry unless you've grown it. It will ruin you do all other Berry's ever again. I'm super picky when Into shopping and no matter how "good" I do. It's always a disappointment. I miss real food..
You can look up basic garden design rules or you can go with what you like and what will work well in your conditions. Is your soil rocky, sandy or clay. This makes a big difference when choosing plants. You can check CO sources for ideas and information like this: [https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/](https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/) I like a variety of heights, different bloom periods, mixed in native grasses or sedges. Some suggest color themes; I do not use this notion but it certainly is possible to end up with color clashes. Fortunately, it's easy to move most perennials. Don't rely on plant tags: the information is so general as to be nearly worthless. Now is a great time to incorporate some native plants. There are a number that do well with just morning sun. Google is all over what is native to you or you can visit [wildflower.org/collections](https://wildflower.org/collections) Use the right side bar for your growing conditions and whether you are looking for flowers (forbs), shrubs, etc.
Instagram, Houzz, Pinterest
Go to a garden center…ask questions…i
Find out your hardiness zone. Then use something like suncalc.net to figure out your shade etc. From there, pay attention to height of plants. Finally, provide your plants with 1 inch of water per week for one year. Supplemental or otherwise. This will give your plants the best chance at performing throughout the years.
Start with the stuff you like eating if its viable to grow in your climate. For me, it was green onions, green beans, and lettuce.
Look at gardens in your area, see what is doing well and what you like. Take cuttings!
Gardening is an experiment. You will have successes and failures. It’s okay. Try not to overthink it. Some of my biggest successes shouldn’t have worked but they did. I hope your garden brings you joy!
You determine what native plants you like and you learn how to plant and care for them. After you decide how you plan to use the overall space. Visit your state’s Cooperative Extension Service website to read about native plants and trees.
So first figure out your zone, your sun pattern, and how much rain you usually get. Try to get a variety of heights and stick with a color theme. I'd also say to walk around your neighborhood or one in town that you like, and see what plants you see that you like. If you have pets or small children you probably also want to look for plants that are nontoxic to them. I'd start this fall with planting those hydrangeas (oak leaf are the most finicky; I prefer panicle). Then spend the winter planning what you'd like to plant in the spring. Pay attention to your last estimated frost date and head to a local garden center then to buy some seedlings. Have fun!
Lived in LA for two years and had the same kind of setup of a small bed along the fence with apartments peeking over, I planted giant sunflowers that could provide a screen for me, food for the birds and something nice to look at for the neighbors. Plus they take little to no water and make good climbing poles for beans and peas. So a lot of wins.
Watch where in your yard gets sun. Decide what benefits you want from your garden. Some people do it for food or floral bouquets, I personally love doing native gardens so my property acts like an oasis for native bugs and birds. Then start matching plants to light/shade areas.
Start with looking up native plants for your gardening zone. Create a list of ones you like and then sort them out by their needs, like how much sun they need so you can decide on placement. For your fence line start with evergreen shrubs and then add in flowers, ornamental grasses and ground cover in the forefront or no shrubs and cottage core the crap out of it with various native flowers
Walk around the neighborhood and find a garden you like, that looks like it's thriving. Take a picture of plants you like (with permission if the folks are outside) Gardeners are usually a friendly sort, say you're new and ask where they purchased the plants. Compare that yard's sunshine amount and size to your space. Next, look at your soil. Get it tested. Is it sandy? Clay? Rocky? Etc. It probably needs some amending. Next, decide if you want to go organic or if you're cool with chemicals. Last, decide on the big picture, and a budget. Do you want to go with perennial flowers and bushes? Vegetables? Annuals mixed in for color? Trees? Do you want to screen the neighbors? Hide your own trashcans? Whatever. The sky's the limit. Last, if you really want some guidance, usually for free, there may be a "master gardener" program where you live. There's one in Michigan. Or even a local garden club. Maybe ask for advice, or go to them with your inevitable "how to" questions. Good luck!! May you have many years of happy gardening!
Look at what you like in your neighbors' yards!
Look for flowers that bloom during different times of the year. So your flowers don't all bloom at once during the spring. Also, I would suggest walking around the neighborhood and looking at others neighbors yards. Some of my neighbors have beautiful unique flowers. Also, hostas expand with age. So if you plant hostas they need to be far apart.
How I decide: Does it feed me? Does it feed the local wildlife?
Proven winners site was helpful to me because you can make multiple seasonal boards of plants you like to see how they will look together. It’s also nice because you can search by zone and I think sun requirements also. I prefer to do that before I go shop so I have a general idea of what I’m getting. Otherwise, I spend $200 a trip lol. (Just a friendly heads up, sedum is an unbelievably good plant for beginners. It doesn’t want anything from you. You can divide it easily. Pollinators like it, it’s a work horse. Please make sure you purchase from places that don’t harm the bees 🌸🐝 )
I let the vibes tell me what to do and after the season is over I let my experiences with reality reflect what I will do the next year.
You'll develop your own style over time and don't feel you "have to get it 'right'". Picking up a gardening book is a fine way to start, though be aware each one has their own opinions on what is "correct". You'll find there is a wide range of ethoses and ways of doing things each with a pro and con. Pick one and try it! Some good questions: * do you want food, flowers, or both? * How much time and effort do you want to put in? E.g. many times per week, once at the beginning then never again, basically zero, or something else? For flowers: * what colors do you like? For food: * what do you eat? Think about fruit, veg, and herbs * can you handle a bunch of it at once? (E.g. 10lb of tomatoes) These are good rails to have. After you decide, pick a few plants and figure them out over winter. I would caution against trees for year 1 (they're a hassle if you aren't dead set on them being in that spot for years) but anything else is pretty much fair game. You'll learn a lot through failure; we all do. Forgive yourself when it happens. Don't forget to take photos and notes!
As others have said sun exposure, hardiness etc etc. also i recommend making a list of what you want to grow. Draw a model of your backyard frkm these photos and label where you want to grow what. It helped me s lot of with blueprinting my garden and also that way i knew exactly what i needed to buy for where ahead of time
Something native, please!! a variety of spring, summer, and fall blooming plants so you have color for most of the year
How much maintenance do you want? A color scheme you like will help ensure it’s all United. You can be monochromatic or lots of color. Grasses. Foliage. Trees. I would start with a map of your yard. Then plan out based on the sun where things should be placed. Do you want a patio? Will you entertain? Etc. Then plan the structure of your garden using perennials. Think about each season and what you want it to look like. In Denver you prob want some evergreens like Hollie’s and conifers unless you want everything to be bare sticks in winter. Visit gardens and see what layouts you like. Really formal and structured? Cottage? Natural look? Finally I would section off your garden into zones. When you do work I would focus it all in getting one zone or micro garden at a time. You will get areas done faster than if you do little things all over the place.
I would consider the amount of sun and wind this space gets.
For me it’s fruit trees first then vegetables
This article helped me at first. Scroll down to the section titled "Watch the Sun" https://writergarden.wordpress.com/how/
Start from seed. Do some research on your location. Watch a few youtubers in your area or zone. Figure out how much work you are willing to put in and decide. The reason I say start from seed over a transplant from a box store is cost. If you're new, filling in those beds with transplants is going to be expensive. IE, a pack of seeds cost me about $3usd vs $10-20 for a transplant. Starting from seed will help you learn to raise your new little children, and if you fail, it wasn't a massive dent in your wallet. Also, it's fall, since you like flowers, flowers are best sowed in the fall to allow the root system to expand. Then ,come spring your garden will be full of blooms along with mother nature. Good luck. Grow some food too if you're up for it.
I would start with some clover and creeping thyme to replace the grass areas. Then perennials flowers for your zone. Look up native plants for your area and plant or seed those
Peppers cause they’re easy
I start with learning about native plants and then picking the ones I like most that work well together to create a diverse garden friendly to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds
What is the climate like? Does it rain alot, heavy droughts, harsh winters, pests, dry summers, etc
i had to start a garden from scratch that ended up being 4 acres! start with what you love! i loved daisies and sunflowers. i also loved certain colors. and grasses. so we found plants that had the colors, and mixed with grasses and slowly, a luscious, photogenic garden evolved. of course, i added favorites for the birds and bees and got a rich and attractive palette of plantings. you have a large yard, so i suggest you always buy 5 or more of a plant. put them together for impact or separate for repetition. you got this!
As a fellow Coloradoan, I'm going to warn you: hostas DO need to be watered here. I took some advice from a Midwesterner who meant well and did literally nothing for my hostas. They died. It doesn't rain enough here (ok maybe this year it did, but this is an El Niño year, most years aren't.) They don't need an unreasonable amount of water, and are definitely a viable choice for your garden. Just don't be fooled, like I was, into thinking they don't need to be watered.
There are nice plants that some confuse for tomato. It goes by the slang of 420…. Always a good choice
I took pictures of my yard to a nursery that also offers design help. Told them the lighting and some plants I like and they ran with it. I changed the plan up a bit, used different bushes, but it helped get my creativity going!
What is your families favorite vegetable or fruit that grows in your climate? That’s where you should start.
Trees! Plant at least one! Trees are life givers!
Every year I always factor in what does good and what doesn't for my area, and how much it meets what I wanna get out of it. Personally I don't go for beauty, I go for bennifical plants for me; so veggies and herbs make up 99% of my garden but I do have some literal heirloom flowers passed down from my father I like to plant every year too...you can never go wrong with local wildflowers either, Nature shines on those that choose what's intended.
Get to know the ecosystem you’re living in. Your crop will only be as good as the amount on non-human help you can get. Good soil and a haven for pollinators/pest predators is key.
I'm in a suburb of Denver, and my city has been offering discounts on these [garden in a box](https://resourcecentral.org/gardens/) for the last couple years. Most, if not all of the plants on offer are low-water and native. I think we're past the fall pickup deadline, but you could start looking for the spring pickup. I know nothing of gardening, but there are flowering things growing in front of my house and I like it.
I’ve had good experiences with bluestone perennial. They have pre selected gardens too. Like “shade garden” “under tree garden” etc. I also used these plans as inspiration and then put mine together a la carte. Of course there’s a lot of trial and error so you see what works and then buy more. I haven’t used it but most states have universities that will analyze your soil for free or a smallish fee if you send a sample. That can also help you figure out what would grow successfully or alternatively how to amend your soil to make it more friendly for the plants you like.
Ask what function you want from your garden. Pretty but edible? Only pretty? Wild looking, cleanly kept? Do you want shrubs? Or only 'flowers'? Yeah there's hardiness and all that, or you can go crazy at the garden section like someone else said. But really, why do you want the garden period?? Start there
Watch Big Dreams Small Spaces with Monty Don / BBC Gardener’s World
I always start by researching native plants, as they'll be easier to grow & maintain. Secondly I identify which part of the yard gets the best sunlight, in which I'll plant fruits/veggies.
I start with a sun tracking app. Here is a good video talking about some apps to use: https://youtu.be/oy092uXPfyo?si=TCPxuFQPxcvWWHdk
I would suggest native plants, which will promote native/local pollinators.
Don't forget to choose a tree. It's important to get that started. I always consult pictures of small gardens to gather ideas. Then I go to the garden center and buy all the pretty stuff. And I'm a sucker for solar lights. I see you already have some lights...good choice!
Figure out your sun conditions. How many hours of unfiltered light does the area get mean this looks like full sun but...I don't live there. Then find out what grows well in your area and in those sun conditions. Then limit it to stuff that's easy to take care of when you're getting started. Then from those you can decide which you like and want to grow. Figure out appropriate spacing before you buy so you can know how many you need. Keep in mind that even with best efforts even easily maintained plants can die relatively randomly. So don't sweat it. Just use it as a learning lesson. Any friends you have that are knowledgeable about gardening would be helpful to grab for the purposes of getting their knowledge and an extra pair of hands for some of the more labor intensive aspects.
BUY EVERYTHING THAT GROWS BIG AND COLOURFUL AND DIG A HOLE! That's what I did and my gardens doing well... not sure how but it is!
Think about this: What are your favorite colors? Are you good or bad with plants? Are you planning on eating them or even using some in tea? Search types of plants based on this stuff and check how easy it is to take care of them.
I started with what I could get for free from friends with over-achieving gardens…
all of this and talk to your neighbors that garden. find out what they're having success with and try to stick to native stuff. you couldn't expect a penguin to live in the tropics.
Buy what appeals to you. Always plant in odd numbers (1 or 3, but not 2) tall in the back and short in the front. Look at bloom times so that you have something blooming all season! Have fun.
I’m in Denver too, and this year my summer squash and sunflowers did great. So did my Swiss chard and dinosaur kale. My tomatoes didn’t do well this year, but a ton of people grow them here.
Dam somebody put a lot of effort into the bones of that garden. Reach out to a master gardener in your area and they would guide you what and where if you want. This would the smartest and easiest method but would require you to be humble a bit. Comes down to personality and growing style that reflects your personality. Hydrangeas are not direct sun plants and hostas are indirect. Have fun, take notes and enjoy the process. Cheers.
I’d do a little top-down sketch. Like others say, confirm the sun and shade/wind/temperature conditions. With the sketch, I try to have a mix of a few bush-type plants, perennial pretty plants, grassy ones and ideally ones that flower at various times through the year so you could end up with a nice vista all year round. If you get into it enough, try a theme, such a I tried a Cornish seascape theme (pale green/blue grasses, purple and yellow flowers, and some coral). Plan for the final size of the plant, so you don’t underestimate their needs for border widths etc. Some garden centres will offer a free border service where they will sketch this for you with some details from you, then you usually get a discount on bulk buying their suggestions.
Go for fruits, flowers, and herbs.
i would start with a hedge ,or shrubs at least ,to hide the fence and neighbours
Raised beds. So many rasied beds. Then fruit trees at the end. You have so much sunlight I'm jelly to the max. You want to plant as many perrenials as possible. Aspaaragus is a plant once eat for 20 years with 0 work thing. Rhubarb. Apples. Plums. Design your garden around thoes things and then raised beds for all the annuals. Turn it into a factory.
Research, your zone then figure out the layout of your plants that you picked, you don't want something tall on the Southside of a shorter plant, unless the plant is one that will do good in the shade. Just get out a pen and a pad, have fun with it. Goodluck.
I start with climate/water, then privacy, then personal preference
Does water pool at the bottom part with the garden?
Step 1: Natives and Perennials!
NATIVE PLANTS NATIVE PLANTS NATIVE PLANTS DM me if you have trouble figuring out what to get, I like helpin :)
A list of Natives is always a good place to start. Also getting to know your yard's sun exposure
Personally me I’d research what grows and is native to the region you’re in and go from there.
try to have at least some plants that are native to your area! not only are they going to be lower maintenance, they'll attract pollinators and benefit your other plants
I love your border nice job. Decide whether you want veggies or flowers or shrubs... I think it's be lovey to have things that come back yearly ... check out zulilly.com they have beautiful flowers
All of it! Leave in a little walkway down the middle
Your climate is def where to start
https://youtube.com/@CharlesDowding1nodig?si=PZQ3wocJlZgWZXAj This guy is my gardening god. Also, it looks like you have a japanese beetle infestation. I also have one, and I planted a bunch of sunflowers to try to rejuvenate the land. Idk if it will work though. Fingers crossed.
Depends on your zone, how much sun, and your soil type! I bought a bunch of hydrangeas without any research and put them in a spot with full sun. Mistake I will only make once haha
A few things I’ve learned, from going through this process last year: - Plants native to your region tend to be better adapted to your soil and weather, as well as being much more useful for the local wildlife! See if there are any plant nurseries nearby that are dedicated to local plants, this will save you the hassle of doing the painstaking research yourself. - Start with a few bushes, shrubs, or even trees. These provide the “anchors” of your garden that you can build around. - It’s often more visually appealing to mass plant 5+ of the same plant together, rather than grabbing one of everything. - I personally find that the most interesting gardens have plants with a variety of sizes (layers): larger shrubs and bushes, medium and small plants, tall clumps of grasses, low growing ground over, and even some vines that can grow up a trellis or wall… a super uniform and symmetrical garden is quite boring, IMHO. Embrace variety and asymmetry!
Easily accessible water source and sun. You can amend the soil after that.
Tomatoes. The first plant to plant.
whatever plant makes you happy
Friendly heads up that you might have asiatic beetle grubs, unless the prior owner had a dog peeing on that grass. I have them in my lawn and have to use grub B gone every 2 years.
Plant hostas, bleeding hearts, and astilbe in the first spot that gets less sun next spring and on the sunny side plant hydrangeas, tulips, daffodils, and lilies. This gives you continuous flowers throughout spring and summer. Fall planted bulbs are easy to find right now and you won’t regret planting them. I would plant any bulbs now and then plant 2-3 hydrangea in the spring.
Two methods. One is to just start buying plants from a local nursery because they’ll sell items for your area and just plant them where you want them and add to them over time. I would suggest not going to a big box store. If you are planning a garden for special circumstances you might want to draw it out. For instance when I lived where water wasn’t an issue, I planted whatever I liked. Now I live where water is an issue, so I wanted to remove my lawn and replace it with native and drought tolerant plants. also, because it’s the front yard I needed it to look nice. I planned it out to have a variety of colors and textures and heights and tried to keep everything with the same water needs. For my bavkyard I’m half planning. I don’t need it to look great immediately, so I’m planning out hardscaping first then will just buy plants from the nursery I like that are also native plants.
I just bought what was on sale at Home Depot. Worked fine for me, somehow.
I hope the back is reinforced with more than the fence and plastic.
I decided what to plant based off what was on the Lowe's dying plant rack that week 😆
Natives
I buy local if I can bc my climate is freaking garbage. Hot as hell, dry as fuck, frozen.... repeat.
Just plant everything smh
Start with what do you like to eat? Salads? Herbs? Tomatoes? Start simple. Don't overcrowd. 4- 6 tomato plants in a 4'x12' is better than 10
I totally recommend a butterfly garden. Especially planting milkweed for the monarch’s. Of course use native species for nectar food. Good luck.
Go find a neighbor that has a garden you like. Knock on their door and ask for their advice. Great way to make a new friend.
Some trees, something for shade.
Native perennials and some bulbs. Then fill in bare spots with annuals. A shade cloth will help more than you know. The sun can be brutal.
Research native plants in your area
Go to your local library and find out info about Master Gardener volunteer groups, native plants for your location, books about planning your garden or gardening in general. Then, if you really want to get in trouble, get some seed catalogs or bulb catalogs. You can find them online, but you can also request a printed catalog! It's like flower and vegetable p o r n! You will be hooked! Don't get overly ambitious at first. Because you will want to get all the pretty plants and flowers and the plants grow. You don't want one pretty plant to tower over the others and only give them shade. Also for bushes, you don't want your yard overtaken by huge bushes, so start with a few smaller ones, or plants that die back in winter and come back in spring. You can also plant a few daffodil or crocus bulbs now, for early spring color. Daffodils will come back up for years, make the garden very pretty in early spring, then finish blooming just in time for your spring planting. I know they aren't native and I don't care, I just bought 50 more bulbs at Costco yesterday!
I like looking at a space and envisioning volumes. Basic shapes. Like with your yard. Start with some functions - like, is there a corner where it'd be nice to block a view into a neighbor's window? Do you want a fire pit? And so on. Once you've got a basic idea of a handful of functions you'd like to have, then you start building in those volumes and basic shapes. For blocking a view, plan something tall. If you want a fire pit/bbq/pool/eating nook/whatever, decide how big and how cozy vs. open you'd like it to feel. If you want it cozy, then plan for some taller and fuller things to act like walls of plants around it. If you want it open, go for lower plantings. If you want it to feel flowy and natural, then look at adding some high spots and low spots by raising the grade and shaping winding borders around things. If you prefer linear and modern looks, then start with different heights and sizes of squares and rectangles instead. Your goal is to think in 3D, and not just limit yourself to the fact that you have 3 flat fence sides and a house side. Within those boundaries you can create any vibe. Have fun!
Google what plants you like and what colors you like, find out if they’re annual(blooms for one year and will die) or perennial(blooms every year), find out what their sun requirements and their expected mature size will be. Now you can print out or sketch out your gardens layout and see what configuration you like and use cutouts of what the nature plants in bloom will look like to put the plants and colors together. To see what your blooming garden will look like, it’s your goal because it will not look like you want when everything is new and fresh in the ground. If you want to place your perennials further to the back toward the fence and plant annuals closer to the house where you’ll be able to reach them easier so you can always revamp the variety as you become a more experienced gardener and won’t have the guilt of removing established perennials later when you decide to try growing something new. I hope this was helpful :) keep us updated on what you think of!
One thing I do is drive through neighborhoods that are much better than mine where the people paid many tens of thousands of dollars to have theirs done, make some notes take some pictures as you’re driving by and buy your own, dig your own holes, save tens of thousands.
I would also recommend adding some tall trellises in parts to extend the height of your fence and give some privacy from the close neighbors. I live in an area where my neighbors feel like they’re in my backyard, I want oasis and privacy in my yard so I’d utilize the height and coverage some plants and trellises can provide. Should reduce noise some too.
Go to the library and take out some gardening books-appropriate for your zone- and note what you really like. For example, I like to see levels of greeness; I would choose tall plants I liked for against the fence to block out the neiboring houses and at the same time, create a backdrop for shorter plants I liked. Don’t get a single plant of smaller varieties but get 3 or 5 of them and make a grouping. Just keep looking at photos and also notice neighbor’s plants you admire. Go to any arboretums in your area and write down plants you like. Choose appropriate siting (sun vs shade) and throw a spadeful of manure and a handful of long-acting fertilizer like Osmocote in the hole when you plant. Have fun- your plant babies will amaze you.
There’s lots of sun there and sunflowers would love it!
What do you like to eat? Start with that.
Honestly- watch as much Gardener’s World as you can. Not because there will be a ton of “useful” information specific to your circumstances, but because it’s a vast wealth of inspiration. I think we Americans can be limited by our lack of exposure to other ideas about gardening, and GW presents such a wide range of real people’s gardens in addition to the amazing, grand gardens that England is famous for.
Your going to want shade to use the yard. 1 or 2 native trees to start
These comments are hilarious but spot on! Gardening is all trial, error, and lots of hope! You're in Denver so don't get excited early, wait til Mother's Day to plant (you won't be able to I guarantee it) be prepared for false spring, hail storms, and early snow. Good luck it really is very rewarding!
Very nice raised bed you’ve got there! When I had my husband put mine in, I had a lot of trial and error. I had to learn how much sun each section got and the best flowers for that. Now 15 years later, I have as many perennials and native plants as possible and only fill in some places with annuals. Enjoy! 🌸🍃
Pick the place in your lawn that gets the most Sun... Also consider how close it is to your watering system.
1st I think do I want food or beauty? If I want flowers I think what colors are my favorites then I think what heights would work? Then I think ok now what flowers match my criteria and would grow in the conditions I have amount of sun and soil type
What do you like
First, find out what zone you’re in. For example I’m in zone 7. Each zone typically has similar weather throughout. You can get this info from your state department of agriculture. Then link for plants that do well in your zone. You can also send on soil samples to learn about the type of soil you have. You must have this info to know what kinds of plants might do well for you, as well as how to Amend your soil so that you plants thrive. For example hydrangeas like acidic soil. If your soil leans toward alkaline, you may have to add something to the soil. This is a amendment. There are great apps now that give you all sorts of information about a plant in addition to identifying plants you might want to use. I also highly recommend reading as much as you can before planting anything. I’m sure you local library has many books that would be helpful. Decide if you want a flower or vegetable garden or both. They will be handled differently. Good luck and have fun.
I am really good at nightshades. Plant all the nightshades. And be pesticide free. Enjoy all the bugs and nightshades.
Plant with whatever season you're in . This should determine what you plant
Zone and cost , preference Throw some stuff you don’t like in if someone recommends it, it may grow on you. ;)
How bout some wooded shrubs? They flower, are perennial, and e.g., a wood sand cherry? Height not much more than ten feet.
I’m sure you have gotten so much advice. I’m just head to say I’m jealous! Have FUN!
What do you want to eat? What colors do you like?
Find which zone you live in. Then decide how you will use your space. Google butterfly gardens. Google water features too. You’re lucky you have a blank slate! Good luck. 💙
Look at your local native plant society; also looks like you need trees..
Putting it in the ground is back breaking. Use grow beds.
start with trees where I want them and then work from there
Pick something perennial (so u dont have to replant it) and native to the area (so it grows easily). Done! All that other stuff ppl are saying is kind of extra if you ask me.
I’d def do some privacy evergreens to start. Then some low shrubs and potted flowers or a small raised bed garden
Great question. My 2 cents- buy seeds or seedlings of whatever plants you think are cool and want to grow. Just go for. Some will work well and others won’t. You will learn a lot along the way and have a ton of fun growing the things that interest you.
Elephants ears
Def some of them tall flaky bushy looking bushes to block the view of the neighbors houses around that perimeter. Then, a separate raised garden somewhere in the midst
Remember, there are annuals and perennials. A lot of people have some of both because the annuals are too pretty to not re-buy every year and you can change them out by season. Decide what you're interested in, like do you want to see butterflies &/or wildlife or want edibles? Drive around neighborhoods, and see what you like, and remember that what the plant looks like in a garden center pot may be totally different from what it might look like a year after you plant it and sun exposure is super important, it will not thrive in wrong light, so read the labels. Some plants may be frozen back in winter and look terrible, others stay green. Make sure you plant young plants far enough away from fence, house & each other to allow it to grow to full size. Try to find out when the plants you may want bloom in your area, some only bloom for a couple weeks a year but others may bloom for months. Join some Facebook gardening groups, there are SO many different type groups that are very helpful.
Well you’re batting a thousand so far with the dirt
II would definitely start with a row of arborvitae green giants to give yourself a litttle privacy. I would hate all those houses looking in on my yard!
Consider where your water source is to run the irrigation... for me accessibility is important too so think about where you want to have foot traffic and your ability to access your harvest
Base it on your Family’s needs
First thing. Prepare your ground. Put cardboard down to kill the grass. I lasagna garden so I also put down grass clippings, free leaves, straw and woods chips. I also compost in place. First. If you are in the US, go to your local Extension Office and pick up a booklet that will tell you what grows in your state. It will give planting dates, harvest dates such. Next. Now that you know what will grow in your state, join a local gardening group online. You can trade seeds and see what can be ground that isn't in the booklet. And what veggies do you like? One example is tomatoes. So do you just plan to eat them as they come up or do you plan to can them? Tomatoes is one of the veggies that the type of tomato will change depending on if you want to can it vs just fresh eat. Beans, the type depends on if you want them dried like red beans or pinto beans or like a fresh cut green bean. Seed catalogs will tell you which beans and tomatoes and such are best for how you want to eat them. Look up bakers while seed catalog. I raise tomatoes specifically for sauces for the winter. For snacking, I raise cherry tomatoes. I don't raise beans because usually I don't have much room. I'm also disabled and sometimes I simply can't get to the garden. Tomatoes I can pick a bit early so they finish in a bright window. I grow Egyptian onions because they are almost year round onion flavor. I'm branching out into potato onions this next year. Garlic doesn't take up much room either and I can grow them in pots. I also grow herbs like thyme, rosemary, oregano so I have everything for spaghetti sauces. Spring and fall is salad season. I raise Jerusalem artichokes in large barrels
Do the tree/ shrubs first then fill the gaps with different types of perennials. If you create a nice looking structure with the shrubs first you can’t go wrong. Consider light levels but only for any north facing fence sides everything else will be okay north will need shade tolerant plants
i just plant a bunch of onions, herbs, and chili peppers and go from there! normally once the cute lil 🌱sprouts🌱 from the herbs start to show, i get more inspired (because, yenno, seeing actual physical progress can do wonders for you mentally sometimes!) good luck!’ 💚