Before You Design a Garden, You Need to Observe

Before you choose plants, sketch layouts, or dream up color palettes, the most important step in garden design is observation.

Ideally, you observe a space for a full year. Four seasons tell you everything you need to know about how a garden truly behaves. If you don’t have that luxury, spend at least one full growing season — spring through fall — paying close attention.

Why does this matter? Because gardens are shaped by conditions, not just taste.

As you observe, you’re looking for patterns and extremes:

• Does the area get strong wind at certain times of year?

• Is it shaded in winter but sunny once the leaves drop?

• Does it flood in spring?

• Does it turn bone-dry in midsummer?

• Does snow pile up or melt early?

At its core, you’re observing three things: water, wind, and sun.

Take photos — lots of them. Photos help you notice subtle changes over time and give you a reference when you’re planning later.

Measure the Space

If you’re working with an existing bed, measure it carefully. Length, width, and any curves or angles matter more than you think.

If the bed doesn’t exist yet, start imagining its scale. How deep should it be? As a general rule, foundation beds should be at least 5 feet deep to allow proper layering, but rarely more than 12 feet deep unless you plan to include paths through the planting.

Scale affects not only how the garden looks, but how it functions and how easy it is to maintain.

Be Honest About Maintenance

Next, decide how much time you realistically want to spend caring for this space.

• Do you want something that needs trimming once a year?

• Are you happy gardening weekly during the summer?

• Or do you enjoy piddling in the garden a little every day?

There’s no right answer — but being honest here will dramatically change your plant choices and layout.

How Do You Experience This Space?

Finally, think about how you interact with this area.

• Do you sit in it?

• Look at it from a window?

• Drive past it every day?

• Walk through it as a destination?

The way a garden is experienced should guide every design decision that comes next.

All of these observations — conditions, dimensions, maintenance expectations, and how you use the space — determine the next steps in the design process, which we’ll cover in the following post.

Want Help Turning Observations Into a Real Design?

If you’re feeling unsure how to translate all of this into an actual garden plan, this is exactly what we’ll work through in my Garden Design Workshop on February 7 at Scout Hill Farm. We’ll take real spaces and walk step-by-step through turning observations into a thoughtful, workable design you can plant with confidence.

I also offer one-on-one garden design consultations for homeowners who want more personalized guidance — whether you’re starting from scratch or reworking an existing space.

More details on both are coming soon, and the next post in this series will dive into what to do after you’ve finished observing.