Seven Steps to Your Garden Oasis

 These seven steps will help kick start your project and keep it on track.
One: Investigate your preferences and find your Garden Style. Even if you think that you know your style, spending time getting inspired is fun and time well spent. There is a lot of online inspiration; Pinterest, Houzz.com, and Garden Design Magazine to start. Your garden personality will begin to emerge as you peruse. Take notice of repeating patterns in your selections of plants and materials. Be sure to look at features you are interested in as well.
Two: Decide what area of your yard you want to start on – I’d suggest doing a small area at a time. Now see which elements and features should be included in this area. Measure and sketch out your area.
Three: Plant research. Look up plants online and in books to help you decide what you like. Be sure that you list their mature size and group the plants by sun exposure and water requirements. Sort through them, keeping the plants that have the same sun and water requirements together.
Four: Take a trip to your local nursery to make sure you like the plants “in person” ask questions, the employees are there to help. Go home and sort your list again.
Five: Demo – time to prepare the beds and hardscape areas. That means cleaning up, fixing grading, drainage, and irrigation.
Six: Planting and placement. This is a great time to enlist the help of someone that really knows about design and plant materials. Flow, harmony, and unity create a successful design.
Seven: Spend your first season out in the space; live in the garden and revisit the process by adding new plants to create a year-round garden.
Julie Molinare is a Certified Landscape Designer living in the Santa Clarita for over 15 years. Julie taught the Introduction to Landscape Design Class at CSUN Tseng College of Extended Learning and is Owner/Designer of The Grass Is Always Greener Designs 661-917-3521 www.thegrassisalwaysgreener.net take a look at my portfolio and blog posts!