Eight Steps To Create Your Personal Garden Oasis -The Grass Is Always Greener Designs

Though creating a garden can be a daunting task, if you break it down into simple steps and start small you will enjoy the process.
Step One: Dream a little. Finding your style is important to creating your space. Spend some time on the internet, with books, and magazines.
Step Two: Organize, decide what you want to focus on. Our current environment forces us to think about firescaping and water capture. Make it part of your plan. Check out the Lawn Replacement Program through SCV Water. Great info!
Step Three: Prioritize, do you want to tackle one space at a time or your whole property? Measure, sketch, and take photos of the area(s) so you have a visual. Make a list of the features you want to include in your design.
Step Four: Assess your site; do you need to work on grading, drainage or irrigation? Make sure you have a plan for soil amendment.
Step Five: Plant research. There are lots of resources you can use to find the things you love. Start with a lovely stroll at your favorite nursery, and take note of what you like. Talk to people there, then head home and do your own research.
Step Six: Layout your features (fire pit, patio cover etc), don’t forget pathways to get around your garden and planting beds.
Step Seven: Plant layout and planting. Make sure that you have a nice flow of plants, use groupings of odd numbers and don’t do single plants placed hodge podge around your garden.
Step Eight: Sit in your space for a season, then revisit your garden each season adding and editing so you can create a year round garden.
If you need any help with this process, consider enlisting some help. I love this process and will be here for you.
Julie Molinare is a Certified Landscape Designer living in the Santa Clarita for over 15 years. Julie taught the Introduction to Landscape Design Class @ CSUN Tseng College of Extended Learning and is Owner/Designer of The Grass Is Always Greener Designs 661-917-3521 www.thegrassisalwaysgreener.net