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Community Corner

Winter – Perfect Time to Plan Your Outdoor Space

Good planning is the key to making garden dreams come true. Be it ornamentals or edibles, a new patio or a sandbox, a fire pit or a swing - they all have place in the garden.

“All through the long winter, I dream of my garden.
On the first day of spring, I dig my fingers deep into the soft earth. I can feel its energy, and my spirits soar.”

These words by Helen Hayes are so emotive; I can already visualize spring in my garden. Good planning is key to making these dreams come true. Be it ornamentals or edibles, a new patio or a sandbox, a fire pit or a swing - they all have place in the garden. Planning ahead saves money, time and energy. So, get a paper and a pencil and start making a wish list for your garden. Here are five basic steps to creating a functional outdoor space.

First: Assess Property

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Walk around your property. Get a feel of how you want use each area. Is there something you dislike, perhaps the old, algae covered patio needs a facelift?

Knowing the sun exposure in each area is essential to any garden. Keep a record of sunny and shady areas for each season of the year. Watch out for soggy areas, they might need to be addressed when you plan the garden layout.

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Make a list of what you would like to have in garden. Choose elements that reflect your lifestyle. Scour through garden magazines like Garden Design, Garden Gate and Horticulture to learn about the hottest trends.

Attend the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle, Feb 8-12 and get cool ideas from gardens designed by top landscape designers. 

Second: Design Garden Layout

Matching common garden elements like patio, deck, lawn, trees and access paths to various areas of your property is an important part of garden design.

Easy access from kitchen/family room is essential to an outdoor entertaining/relaxing area. Consider locating the kids’ area where adults can keep an eye on their little ones.

Fruit trees and vegetable beds require at least six hours of sunlight, so choose an area away from the shade of trees and buildings. Mix in perennial edibles like blueberries for year-round interest. Classes on growing your food organically are available at 21 Acres and Seattle Tilth.

Paths connecting the various parts of the property are essential to a cohesive, well-used landscape. Choose a gravel path with low growing plants along edges for a casual look and brick or flagstone for a more formal look.

A focal point of interest in the garden adds a pizzazz to your outdoor space. It can be an interesting sculpture, a water feature, a large urn or anything that draws your eye and appeals to your senses.    

Third: Analyze Soil

Healthy, fertile soils are the foundation of a lush, colorful and bountiful garden. Knowing your soil type and its fertility level helps you select the right amendments for the soil. King Conservation District offers a free Soil Testing Program to all residents of King County. Follow instructions on their website on how to collect samples and send it to them. There are also tips on how to build your soil.

Organic matter is the magic mantra in the garden. Whether you dig it into the soil or simply leave it on the surface as mulch, the goodness of organic matter finds its way down to the roots.

Fourth: Allocate Budget

“I don’t know what is possible on my budget in my garden,” is something I have often heard from several of my clients. It’s not that easy to create accurate estimates unless you are in the landscape business. 

Start with figuring out which part of the landscape plan can be a DIY (do-it-yourself) one and which should be done by a landscape professional. DIY means you pay for the materials and save on labor. A certified landscape professional with good references may cost more, but it guarantees a job well-done.

Make a list of all landscape materials and find out how much they cost. Talk to your local garden center or nursery like Molbak’s and Flower World. They can help you with estimation or recommend landscape designers and contractors who can give you more precise numbers.

Fifth: Schedule Implementation

Making your landscape plan a reality can take place over one season or over a period of several seasons, depends on its complexity. It is important to set goals for each season in the right order to avoid duplication of efforts.

Consider making grade changes and laying underground pipes for irrigation/lighting before a patio is laid out. A patio should go in before planting a Japanese maple next to it. The reverse may damage the tree and in many cases, cause the tree to die. Amend your soil before planting and buy plants only when you are ready to plant them in next couple of days. 

Creating a project timeline can help you implement your plan in a timely manner and keep it within budget.

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