Planting, Garden and Landscape Design

Landscape and gardening design is the first step in making that head-turning dream garden. It is the right balance of art and knowledge to come up with the best landscape to complement your home while selecting materials and plants that will last you for a good number of seasons.

Garden design can be done by several workers of different levels from your everyday gardener to a professional landscape architect, but it will be up to you to decide which worker can provide the best service.

Several types of gardens today involve varying styles depending on preferences and needs. It is important to know what suits your home best in deciding which garden you want for your home.

1. Contemporary gardens: Gardens with a modern touch, they involve use of clean, bold lines, geometric designs and use of hard materials like stone and concrete walls. Plants used in these gardens are often simple but eye-catching kinds.
2. East Asian gardens: Chinese, Japanese and Korean gardens are art forms by themselves. Varying in design and planting styles, the plants invoke the wabi sabi simple beauty yet artistic flair. A famous example of a Japanese garden is the Japanese rock garden.
3. Rock gardens: A literal decorative arrangement using rocks of varying sizes. Plants may also be used to increase the appeal of a rock garden, though preferably these plants should be hardy and can survive on less water.
4. Portage or Kitchen Garden: Gardens of this design have a typical plot that is separate from the rest of the main garden. This plot is once used in history to plant and harvest vegetables and other crops while in season. Nowadays, the isolated plot, usually at the center, is also used to plant seasonal decorative plants distinct from those in the other areas in the garden.
5. Formal gardens: Landscape is designed with formal guidelines such as symmetrical shapes, well-trimmed plants and geometrical layouts. Everything in the garden from the paths to the trees to the edging should be neatly arranged and perfectly in place.
6. Residential gardens: The humble home garden has a lot of potential. It can be as small as a simple window box of flowers or as big as a formal or private garden. Depending on the owner's wishes, a number of designs can be incorporated into the personal garden.

There are many design concepts and possibilities for anyone's garden. Just keep in mind that a garden's design is only as good as its long term maintenance. The larger and more elaborate gardens may require expensive long term care so be prepared to shoulder not just the cost of building but also that of maintaining. Still, the pride of having a beautiful place you can call your own makes it a fair exchange.