Between the years 1994 - 2001, I used to run a hobby business that I called Astrid's Garden Design. Local landscape contractors would contact me about doing a design for clients who wanted their front or backyard landscaped. I would plan out the overall design and suggest planting material, and then the contractor would install it.
I combined my love of drawing with horticultural knowledge and had a grand time designing gardens!
Let me show you one of my projects from the year 2000 and I'll explain what I did and why.
This customer had a brand new house that had a blank palette front yard and backyard - there was nothing there but grass. He and his wife wanted a large patio off the back kitchen sliding doors where they could sit and entertain. They also requested relatively low maintenance plants because they were new to gardening and often away a lot in the summer.
Here is what I designed for them. I apologize for the lack of focus especially with the print and names on the first diagram but I wanted you to be able to see the overall design and how I tried to create a flow using curved lines. I will blow up a portion of the design to discuss it - then you should be able to see the plant names more clearly.
The residence is the large blank in the middle. I tried to balance the backyard by making the patio a large curve, whose shape was echoed in the large sugar maple on the other side of the yard. Both circular shapes were balanced by a large evergreen in the opposite corner.
Shrubs, perennials and vines filled the space across the back fence as well as small pond in the upper right corner. The backyard faced north so I chose the plants that could tolerate shade - hostas, daylilies, and hydrangeas.
Viburnum opulus (Cranberry bush) tolerates sunny or shady conditions
Daylilies and Hostas are good in partial shade
I always tried to mix trees and shrubs in with perennials to add structure. (I'm using my yard as an example - I rarely got to see the finished product of what I had designed).
I liked to add boulders and rocks to a border as well, but remember - do it only in proportion to the whole picture. Don't add too many or they look unnatural and lose their focal impact.
My Dad's garden is a great example of how curved garden beds enhance a square yard.
And evergreens in a corner add a strong sense of stability as well as year round colour and structure
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recipe blog : the latest post is Warm Fennel Salad with Olives, Pine nuts and Orange.
