1)How and Where Do You Start to Transform your Garden Space?

 Garden Observations Exercise

By Sindy Wakeham

OBSERVE AND PLAN YOUR GARDEN

Are you thinking about starting a garden, allotment or homestead in the suburbs and you’ve never done it before? Maybe you have been gardening for years but you’ve learned about Permaculture or no-dig and want to do something new or different. If that’s you, this is the blog for you.

You might be tempted to get stuck in immediately with a new garden plan. You’ve been watching loads of gardening programmes and videos.  You’re fired up and ready to go. WAIT, HOLD ON!

Jumping straight in without careful observation can leave you with annoying to say the least and expensive, time consuming and frustrating corrections. Best do it properly first time to avoid the re-dos. That means doing your observations first. 

Take your time and repeat the exercise with every season and that way, you’ll get a better picture of how you and your family use your space. This will help your planning. Use the following points and questions to help with planning.

Size 

Make note of the size of your garden. How long and wide is it? 

Immovable features. 

What items, structures and features are in the garden, which have to stay and cannot be moved? These could include things you might have to leave for financial, practical or legal reasons. This is especially the case in a rented, listed or local authority house. 

Think fences, hedges, washing line posts, concrete paths, drains and so on. If you own your property, you have more options.

Aspect. 

Use a compass (I-phones have one or use Google maps. Maybe you have a real one). What aspect or direction does your front and back gardens or your allotment face?

Site. 

Is it flat, sloped, terraced toward or away from the house? Just note everything you can about it like whether it’s a shady or sunny space. Is it exposed and dry or boggy? Are there lots of midges/mosquitoes around?

My own garden is plagued by slugs and we do have mosquitoes. We also have algae on most surfaces so it indicates a wet and shady garden. What do the insects, organisms and plants tell you about your garden?

Does the prevailing wind and storms take a certain pattern across your garden? This all helps you to decide which plants or features are best for the space.

How does the sun move across the space? 

How long during the day is it sunny or shady in any area as the sun passes over? On a piece of paper, draw a rough illustration of your garden with the features and all the above notes. Note the patterns of the sun going over the garden and at what time of day.

What features are already there (not the immovable fixed things)?

Think of the plants, ornaments, soil, grass or stone paths, washing lines, furniture or anything you want to keep or get rid of. Thinking about how you use the space and how you would like to use the space will help decide.

 Water

Is there a water source like a tap, pond, water butts, hose, spaces and structures to harvest rain water and runoff? 

Dig a test hole about a spade’s depth in the soil and see if it fills with water from the bottom. This tells you how water logged or not your garden is. It will also show you what type of soil you have. That brings us to...

Soil

Is it sandy, loam, clay, acid or alkaline (a simple soil test kit can be found online or at your preferred garden centre)? Or, you could do your own soil test by watching this video.

Do you have grass/lawn?

What is it like? Is it lush, mossy, patchy, weedy, yellowing and so on? Are there ‘weeds’? The condition of your lawn and the types of plants in it will be good indicators of the soil condition.

Temperatures

Whatever season you are in, what do the temperatures look like? When are your first and last frost dates? How often do you have frost, snow, wind? How long do the seasons usually last in your area? Are there patterns to the highest and lowest temperatures in each season? 

Garden Use

As mentioned earlier, how do you use the space? What are the most frequently used areas and walked paths? Who uses it the most?

Think about the paths and laundry hanging area (if you have one). Are there play or relaxation areas, children, pets and wildlife?

It’s also important to think about your abilities or those of whomever else will be doing the gardening.

Budget and Resources

What budget, time and resources do you have available? Do you have savings or are you wanting to up-cycle and recycle to save money and/or meet your own eco standards? You could be amazed at how you can reuse some things you already have or can source from unusual places or nature.

Using the Information Gathered

Once you have all those details, think about how you would like to use your garden or growing space.

Consider family members and whether you would like to grow food, ornamental gardens, play areas, seating areas and even cooking outdoors (or all of the above).

Even if you don’t want to grow anything edible and you simply want a formal garden just to look at and show off to remind you of that visit to a big estate garden, this exercise will help in your decision making and realising your garden dream.

Use your observations to help you decide and plan how to implement your ideas. Being a food grower too, I highly recommend at least a small veg patch! It’s the best thing you never thought you needed.

Make a Mood Board

Pinterest is a great place for garden design ideas but use them for inspiration guided by the observations of your own site. Not all designs are applicable in all situations. Keep an image of your ideas and plans where you can see it daily to help move your forward and keep you inspired and motivated.

Keep a Diary 

Keeping records of these things and continued observations including any pests or diseases that show up can help you adapt your designs and tactics over the years according to changing needs and situations.

It’s also a great milestone checker for when you wonder why you started in the first place. It will be your motivator and guide. (video of my garden n July below)

Take Away Conclusion

Having a space for growing and being in nature will change your life and do much more than expand your soul. Your garden is an extension to your home but can be a part of it. A veranda can be an outdoor room.

I would LOVE to hear your garden observation, planning and design woes and joys. I can talk gardening all day! As always, I look forward to reading your comments.

Most importantly, I encourage you to