Garden Design Step Four: The Things Most People Forget

At this point, you may be eager to start drawing beds and choosing plants. You know your site, you’ve defined the mood, and you’ve made decisions about structure, height, and color.

Before you put pen to paper, there’s one more critical step: planning for the details that are easy to overlook and hard to fix later.

These are the things that don’t show up on inspiration boards, but absolutely determine whether a garden works long term.

Water Access & Irrigation

Before designing anything, ask yourself: how will this garden get water?

• Is there a hose nearby?
• Will you realistically drag hoses across the yard?
• Do you plan to install drip irrigation now, or later?

If irrigation is part of the plan, it should influence bed layout, paths, and plant groupings from the beginning. Retrofitting irrigation after planting is possible — but far more disruptive and expensive.

Even if you don’t install irrigation immediately, designing with future access in mind is worth it.

Here is an example where i first put in the boxwoods so the irrigation company knew where these beds ended. Then they put down the irrigation before I did any other planting.

Foot Paths & How You Move Through the Garden

Gardens aren’t just meant to be looked at — they’re meant to be used.

Think about:

• How you’ll walk through the space
• How you’ll access plants for maintenance
• Whether you need stepping stones or paths through deep beds

Wide beds are beautiful, but without access points they become frustrating fast. If a bed is more than about 10–12 feet deep, plan for paths or intentional openings so you can move through it comfortably.

This is the design for the same garden above. I made sure that I had 5 foot wide paths where I needed to drive our Kubota tractor and I am SO happy I did that. Now we can drive in mulch and compost without a wheel barrow. The human paths are 3 feet or 18 inches depending on the purpose.

Grasses & Evergreens: The Backbone of the Garden

Flowers get the attention, but grasses and evergreens do the heavy lifting.

• Grasses add movement, softness, and seasonal interest
• Evergreens provide structure, winter presence, and visual rest

If a garden feels flat or disappointing outside of peak bloom, it’s usually because it lacks one — or both — of these elements.

Aim to include them intentionally, not as an afterthought.

Example 1: Grasses

 I took a picture of while at a Disneyworld Resort. Yes, I get inspiration wherever I go! You can see this is mostly grasses and it was beautiful with the movement in a breeze. Pink Mulhy or priaire dropseed can look like this airy pink grass. Pampas or Miscanthus is tall and brown in the back. The front has evergreen liriope which is grass like foliage.

Example 2: Evergreens

This bed will look good 4 seasons because of the evergreen boxwood hedge around the outside and the weeping pine draping over the walkway. 

Deer, Rabbits, and Other Pests

Wildlife pressure is not a design flaw — it’s a reality.

Before choosing plants, be honest about:

• Deer activity
• Rabbits or groundhogs
• Voles or other burrowing animals

Ignoring this doesn’t make it go away. Planning with it in mind saves money, time, and frustration. Sometimes that means choosing more resistant plants; other times it means planning for protection or fencing early.

Soil pH & Texture

Soil is often treated as something to “fix later,” but it should inform design decisions upfront.

Ask:

• Is your soil sandy, loamy, or heavy clay?
• Does it drain quickly or stay wet?
• Is the pH acidic, neutral, or alkaline?

You can amend soil to a degree — but it’s always easier to choose plants that want what you already have. Knowing your soil helps narrow plant choices and improves long-term success.

Reminder you can get your soil tested at your local extension to get more details. Want to skip this step? Look up the soil maps of your area to understand generally what type of soil your area has. Fun fact, Scout Hill Farm has alkaline clay which is very unusual for New Hampshire. So, don't assume until you test or do some research!

Hardscaping: A Long-Term Investment

Hardscaping is often seen as expensive or optional — but in many gardens, it’s what provides the strongest four-season impact.

A small stacked stone wall, a simple pond, or a well-placed bench can completely change how a garden feels and how it’s used. These elements add permanence, structure, and interest when plants are dormant or cut back.

Because hardscaping is an investment, it’s worth planning carefully — even if it’s installed in phases. Getting placement right from the beginning ensures everything else in the garden supports it, rather than competes with it.

I am so happy I had these brick pathways put in before beds. That way I made everything flow around the pathways.

Pause Before You Design

This step isn’t about adding complexity — it’s about removing surprises.

Taking time to plan for these often-forgotten details means:

• Fewer costly changes later
• A garden that’s easier to maintain
• A space that functions as beautifully as it looks

Once these pieces are considered, you’re ready to move into shaping the garden itself.

What Comes Next

In the next post, we’ll start drawing the bones of your space — laying out hardscaping, defining focal points, and creating the underlying structure that everything else in the garden will grow from.

This is the stage where a garden truly starts to take form on paper.

We’ll also work through this exact process in my Garden Design Workshop on February 7 at Scout Hill Farm, and I offer one-on-one garden design consultations for homeowners who want personalized guidance and a clear, buildable plan.